Measurement Plan
What is it?
A measurement plan is a method for collecting information and data. Your measures help to show how your system is working and whether your changes are having the impact you want them to be having.
Measurements are broadly broken into three categories and depend on your aim:
Outcome measures: track whether you have reached your aim. Your outcome measure will be related directly to your aim statement. Most projects only have one outcome measure, but occasionally there are two.
Process measures: track whether your changes are having the desired impact. These measures will relate to your change ideas, process map, or your driver diagram. There are often between three and seven process measures.
Balancing measures: track potential unintended consequences of your changes. Balancing measures could be positive or negative.
e.g. Aim: To save £2000 by January 2024 for my holiday.
Change ideas:
Bring a packed lunch to work
Switch utilities provider
Attend fewer social events
Outcome measure:
Amount of money in savings account
Process measures:
Number of times per week I bring a packed lunch
Number of bills changed to cheaper providers
Number of social events attended
Balancing measures:
Cost of groceries
Quality of services received
Number of social event invites
e.g. Aim: By July 2024, I will spend 25% less time per week at the supermarket
Change ideas:
Use a shopping list
Do one big weekly shop
Outcome measure:
Total time (mins) per week spent at the supermarket
Process measures:
Percentage of trips where a shopping list is used
Number of visits to the supermarket
Balancing measures:
Cost of shopping
Quantity of food waste
Measurements can sometimes move between categories depending on what your aim is. It is more important to collect the data than get stuck trying to decide whether it is an outcome, process, or balancing measure.
Measures should not be written with a ‘direction’ (i.e. should not include words like increase or decrease). Measures are observations of what is happening. The ‘direction’ words should be saved for your aim or change ideas.
For all measurements, it is important to get a baseline before you start to implement changes. If you don’t understand your system before you make changes then you can’t understand the impact of the changes on them.
Why use it?
There are several reasons why a measurement plan is important:
Without it, you are unlikely to have evidence of the impact of your changes
Data and measurement can be motivating for people who aren’t that enthusiastic or are sceptical about what you’re doing. Similarly, it can be motivating for enthusiasts who need an extra push
Data allows you to see whether what you’re doing is worth it or whether you’re just implementing change for change’s sake.
How to use it?
There are many tips and suggestions for how best to define, collect and analyse measures.
Always talk to your team! You may be surprised about what data they already have access to, what they can collect and what they may be willing to measure.
More information
Our team has hosted two QI Spotlight sessions on measurement and data, contact us here to access the recording
Quality Improvement Zone NES – click for further information and templates.
IHI – click for additional information and examples.
NHS England – 7 steps to measurement for improvement.