Vera Institute of Justice

Overview

Produced by a team of researchers at the Vera Institute, this guide to the design of performance indicators is written for government officials and program managers around the world who want to improve the delivery of safety, security, and access to justice. In plain language, the Guide describes how to develop practical and effective indicators in both data-poor and data-rich environments, starting with the desired outcome. Specific chapters explore the role of indicators in measuring progress in the safety and justice sector as a whole, within specific state institutions ranging from law enforcement to prisons, and among the wide variety of non-state justice institutions. Each chapter describes:

1. Traditional indicators used to measure performance across the justice sector or within a particular institution;

2. Provides examples of specific policy goals that require new indicators;

3. Suggests innovative indicators capable of reflecting progress towards those goals and possible sources of data;

4. Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the suggested indicators.