Continuous monitoring and review of goals and performance, at both the agency and learners’ level, will provide timely and relevant information that agencies can use to compare what they believe is happening within their programs to what is actually happening at any given point in time. Sometimes your perceptions may not be accurate or you may be unable to determine the reasons why something is or is not happening. CIPMS can help agencies identify and correct small areas of concern before they become major ones. When success is not being achieved, then the daily operations of the agency need to be reviewed and adapted in order to achieve goals. This is all part of a system of continuous improvement and performance management.

With CIPMS, performance management becomes part of daily operations, enabling agencies to identify and evaluate successes and problems. Early awareness of whether or not a program is achieving its objectives leads to improved management and increased accountability. The same thing is true in terms of the ongoing assessment of learner progress and goals. An increased awareness of what learners are achieving will allow programs to evaluate and adjust goals according to actual progress.

Focusing on predetermined goals and objectives, or results, can also help us streamline our activities and become more efficient. Sometimes we are involved in activities that don’t actually help us achieve the results that we say we want to achieve! CIPMS can help us determine what activities are the most effective in achieving desired results, and we can focus our efforts accordingly. It can be very helpful to take a step back, look at what we do and ask ourselves why we are doing certain things and what we are accomplishing. We may be able to eliminate or reduce some activities that aren’t helping us, or our learners, achieve success.

This concept of focusing on the work that matters most is an important component of CIPMS processes used around the world. It is a concept known as the “vital few” and the “trivial many”, the 80/20 rule or the Pareto Principle. In short, only a small percentage of the work we do (about 20%) results in most (about 80%) of the success we achieve. Therefore, to be as efficient as possible when working towards program improvements, focus on the 20% of the work that matters most. This can also be summed up as not just working smart, but working on the right things. ^{Endnote 6}

Improved Goal Setting and Programming

Using a performance management system that closely examines measurable goals or outcomes and the progress towards their achievement allows for both positive and proactive agency accountability. By identifying what we want to achieve and taking action to achieve our goals instead of reacting to events, we move towards a system where we can control our results and successes. This allows us to take true ownership of our programs.