Appendix B
Draft Job Description for the Chief Measurement Officer

The chief measurement officer is responsible for driving twenty-first-century measurement practices within the organization. The position provides support and coordination on various projects and activities related to performance management and measurement to support the operational excellence initiatives.

Outline

Performance measurement is worthy of more intellectual rigor in every organization on the journey from average to good, and finally to great. The chief measurement officer needs to have high credibility within the organization, have advanced interpersonal skills, be experienced in delivering training, and be good at leading and selling change.

The chief measurement officer would be responsible for:

Testing measures to ensure the dark side of a performance measure is minimized
Vetting and approval of all measures in the organization
Leading all balanced scorecard initiatives
Promoting the abandonment of measures that do not work
Developing and improving the use of performance measures in the organization
Learning about the latest thinking in performance measurement
Being the resident expert on the behavioral implications of performance measures
Replacing annual planning by introducing quarterly rolling planning

This position has a status equivalent of the senior IT, accounting, and HR officials. The position reports directly to the CEO befitting the knowledge and diverse blend of skills required for this position. Only when we have this level of expertise within the organization can we hope to move away from measurement confusion to measurement clarity.

Duties/Responsibilities of the Chief Measurement Officer

Here is a list of duties/responsibilities, which should be tailored accordingly:

Testing of measures to ensure the dark side of a performance measure is minimized
Vetting and approval of all measures in the organization
Leading all balanced scorecard initiatives
Promoting the abandonment of measures that do not work
Developing and improving the use of performance measures in the organization
Learning about the latest thinking in performance measurement
Being the resident expert on the behavioral implications of performance measures
Preparing and reporting all performance measures (i.e., the monitoring tool) and Kaizen results to corporate and local management
Running a series of in-house workshops to promote the initiatives mentioned above
Providing assistance as needed to departments to improve performance and efficiencies
Following established policies and procedures; determining and recommending potential enhancements
Integrating performance management with all management functions
Overseeing all benchmarking with third parties
Managing the annual performance evaluation process and cyclical activities
Driving corporate operational excellence initiatives (Lean, Total Quality Management, etc.)
Performing analysis on key metrics/processes and recommending Kaizen process improvements that maximize efficiencies
Creating reports and documenting processes
Replacing annual planning by introducing quarterly rolling planning
Reviewing and updating performance appraisal tools and technologies
Ensuring that performance discussions are documented and implemented accordingly
Assisting in communicating measurement standards and key performance indicators to all members of the organization
Monitoring and verifying the integrity of the data to be reported and reviewed with local management before distributing
Keeping up-to-date on the latest performance management, training and development, and career management issues
Maintaining and updating company competencies at all levels and ensuring effective utilization of the competencies and desired behaviors
Engaging in career planning for employees and succession planning for key leadership roles
Manage and cultivate relationships with best practice organizations and professional bodies involved in Six Sigma, organizational excellence, Agile, Lean
Publicly represent the organization with the media and conferences to create external branding around the progress made. This is designed to attract like-minded individuals to apply for positions in the organization

Skills and Experience

It is unlikely that the organization will have many staff who can undertake this role. In addition, the role will be very difficult for someone coming in from outside as they would not have the business understanding nor the credibility within the organization, which would be fundamental for this role. Thus it is important to sell the significance of this role to the few individuals who have the capability to fulfil the role. These individuals are likely to be in high demand and thus a decision needs to be made as where the KPI project fits among the organization's priorities.

For organizations over 500 employees there will be enough talent to find someone who:

Has tertiary qualifications and thus is able to absorb new methods and practices swiftly
Has a success track record in project management
Is known for well thought out and interesting presentations
Is well respected within the organization—has favors to call on
Is analytic and a decisive decision maker with the ability to prioritize and communicate to staff key objectives and tactics necessary to achieve organizational goals
Can be freed from their role and sent on a sabbatical to up-skill their understanding of their role
Has been able to lead and sell change within the organization successfully
Has advanced interpersonal skills and an understanding of human behavior
Has strong written and verbal communication skills; is a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent public speaking skills
Is action-oriented, entrepreneurial, flexible, and has an innovative approach to operational management
Has passion, humility, integrity, a positive attitude, is mission-driven, and is self-directed

It is expected that there will be experience gaps and these will be closed when they go on a study sabbatical visiting progressive organizations around the world.