Module 5

Metrics that mean something: definitions, rates, averages and the traps of targets

A metric is a question that has been made precise enough to be asked again. ‘Are we getting faster?’ becomes ‘What is the median number of working days from a complete request to delivery of the first draft, for contracts below a stated value?’ The second can be calculated each month by anyone, compared with last month and challenged. Poor metrics are more common than poor data. They are vague (‘turnaround’), misleading (an average that hides a long tail), unfair (comparing a partner who does simple work with one who does complex work) or easy to game. This module teaches how to define a metric so that it means something, how to choose between counts, rates, averages and medians, how to tell leading indicators from lagging ones and how to set targets without ruining what you measure.

General education on legal data and analytics, using invented organisations, datasets and figures. It is not legal advice. Duties about client confidentiality, data protection and the use of data about employees differ between countries and employers: check the rules that apply to you.