The Managing for Results Self-Assessment Tool

Conducting a Self-Assessment

Step 1: Find the worksheets that relate to the Self-Assessment Tool.

On the following pages you will find worksheets that relate to each element (or sub-element) of the tool.

Step 2: Consider key questions related to the Self-Assessment Tool.

To help assess at which stage you are for each element (or sub-element), consider the key questions (listed on the following page) and what information you would be able to provide to document your response.

Potential sources of information:

• Departmental and Branch management and performance reports
• budget documents
• minutes of management meetings
• internal communications
• business plans
• strategic plans
• surveys

Step 3: Record evidence.

Once you have gathered enough evidence, record it in the evidence box provided in the individual worksheets.

Step 4: Assess your stage of MFR development.

After all the evidence is gathered, assess the appropriate stage at which your organization is for each element (or sub-element). Place a checkmark on that stage. (Be sure to consider the evidence in its entirety before deciding on a particular stage.)

Step 5: Explain your choice.

Provide an explanation of your choice on the individual worksheet.

Step 6: Provide comments.

Provide any comments that you might have on the tool itself. For example, you may wish to comment on:

• the clarity of the cells or indicators in the element or sub-element
• proposed alternative attributes
• proposed changes to specific attributes of the Tool
• proposed changes in wording

Key questions to consider in measuring attributes:

• Using results to manage

Use:

To what extent is your organization using results information to manage and adjust ongoing operations, strategic plans, policies and resources?

• Commitment

Support:

To what extent is there tangible support from management for building and strengthening MFR practices?

Leading people for results (human resource management):

To what extent is MFR-related training available to managers and staff throughout the organization?

To what extent do the appraisal systems in your organization relate individual accomplishments to outcomes?

To what extent do your organization's values and ethics reflect an outcome focus?

• Results-based strategic planning

Results-based strategic planning:

To what extent is there a linkage between the immediate and intermediate outcomes and the organization's strategic outcomes?

To what extent are horizontal initiatives reflected in your organization's strategic plans?

Strategic risk management:

To what extent is risk management systematically practised in your organization and linked to outcomes?

• Business planning

Implementing the strategic plan:

To what extent does your business plan specify organization-wide performance expectations that are clear, concrete and time-bound?

• Measuring Results

Ongoing Measurement:

To what extent do you measure outcomes?

How easy is it to relate these measurements to financial measures? How often is this linking done?

 Evaluation:

To what extent is evaluation integrated into the management of programs and policies?

• Reporting on Results

Reporting on Results:

To what extent are the results data used for internal managing and for external reporting?

How consistent is the information used for managing with the information reported externally?

MFR Self-Assessment Worksheets

The worksheets are printouts of the tables in the Self-assessment Tool above with some spaces to record the evidence in steps 3 through 6 and the answers to the key questions above. The worksheets are provided in MS-Word and Adobe Acrobat formats.