Appendix C. Performance Measures

Performance measures consist of:

• Inputs
• Efficiency/Effectiveness
• Adoption
• Outputs
• Extensiveness
• Quality
• Impact
• Usefulness

Inputs

Inputs are the resources used in providing services. Agencies might begin by asking whether there are adequate operating resources (funding and personnel) to achieve the goals, and whether the technology infrastructure (cameras, access control devices, etc.) are sufficient to ensure adequate response. In addition, the following should be considered:

• Financial indicators (funding level, budget)
• Number/cost of security force officers
• Cost of protection equipment
• Maintenance, testing costs
• Training costs

Efficiency/Effectiveness

Efficiency and effectiveness measures how well the security system or program meets objectives and productivity gains. The following should be considered:

• Degree to which the timeliness of access is increased
• Work/activity levels
• Loss reductions (assets)
• Number of crime related events
• Number of lawsuits
• Amount of court time for officers
• Number of officers necessary to conduct surveillance of public areas
• Percent of clearance errors; time to process clearance
• Percent of security violations
• Security violations per audit
• Percent of audits conducted on schedule
• Percent of security equipment checked per schedule
• Number of security problems identified by management versus total security problems identified
• Security violations by department/facility
• Number of security suggestions
• Results of screening
• Ridership
• Level of absenteeism
• System down time; average time for equipment repairs
• Service recovery times
• Time to detect
• Number of entries (attempts by undefined users; successes by undefined users; violations by undefined users)
• Number of alarms; average response time to alarm; number of false alarms; time spent on response to false alarms
• Percentage of workers in compliance with training standards
• Response force communication time

Adoption

This measures the extent to which security policies, programs and countermeasures are incorporated into organizational or individual activities. Indicators in this group:

• Compliance (employee breaches)
• Enforcement
• Complaints / Suggestions

Outputs

Outputs are indicators of the products or services resulting from the use of resources. They include:

• Number of credentials issued, revoked
• Training performed
• Inspections performed
• Security drills conducted
• Covert tests conducted
• Performance tests conducted
• Physical security audits conducted (e.g., barriers, locks, alarms, communications, response times/procedures)
• Access control policies/procedures/ processes reviewed/audited (e.g., visitors, vendors, temporary employees, key control)
• Reports produced
• Number of investigations / results of investigations (prosecutions/convictions)
• Results of conducting daily security checks - signs of tampering, other unusual situations
• Work/activity levels

Extensiveness

The following evaluate how much of a service is provided and the completeness of coverage:

• Activity levels by time periods
• Number of entries
• Number of facilities/doors coved by access control systems
• CCTV coverage area

Quality

The following help to measure how well security services/activities are performed and how well the security system functions:

• Number of denials of legitimate access
• Successful entries
• Time between user contact request and system response
• Customer complaints/suggestions - customer needs/satisfaction
• Legal and policy conditions affecting agency (e.g, - provisions for accessibility for persons with disabilities, safety regulation compliance)
• Level of availability (e.g., 24 hours, 7 days a week)
• Detection/alarm system accuracy

Impact

Measures should also assess how a service makes a difference in some other activity or situation. Are impacts positive, negative or both? Do positive impacts outweigh negative impacts? Can negative impacts be remedied or otherwise addressed?

Usefulness

To what degree are the services useful or appropriate and how well are the needs of users (security force, employees, patrons, management) met? This might be measured by:

• Comments, surveys and focus group results
• Increases in user productivity
• Degree to which security system information is incorporated into other tasks inside and outside the agency
• Requests for information from security systems

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