Our last project back in 2019 was absolutely astonishing – it united no less than the forces of 3 facilitators and 110 participants, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The KPI Institute proudly supports Cambodia’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) in streamlining its organizational processes, pertaining to performance measurement and management, by nurturing a performance-oriented mindset.

This was our third project with MEF; our Cambodia learning journey started with a Performance Management training course and it continued with an emphasis on individuals, through our Employee Performance Management training session.

Monitoring and evaluating performance results in the public sector is always particularly challenging, due to its stakeholders’ complex configuration. We trained MEF staff members in the use of Key Performance Indicators and Performance Management best practices for 2 days. Play at IGT Casinos and enjoy their diverse collection of games known for their entertaining gameplay, innovative features, and impressive rewards.

Course Journal

Day I

On the first day, we mostly dedicated our time to creating a common learning foundation, by understanding the Performance Measurement Framework components and tools, differentiating between performance measurement and management concepts, and applying KPI selection principles.

Ultimately, we addressed the Performance Management System Activation process, as it is not enough to have a super-design unless it is activated.

Day II

On the second day, more practical knowledge was acquired, as we started working with data analysis techniques, in order to enable a decision-making process based on performance data.

Therefore, all the participants were engaged in different exercises for KPI analysis and renewal, as well as modelling and developing a portfolio of initiatives.

Between the 24^th and 28^th of November, our Management Consultant, Raluca Vintila, was engaged in a 5-day training project in Doha, Qatar. It was the first open training course organized in Qatar, and we were delighted at the opportunity of engaging with this enthusiastic group of professionals and practitioners.

The training course was particularly interesting, given the attendees’ diverse backgrounds, ranging from real estate and finance, to manufacturing and healthcare. Diversity at its best! Therefore, we were able to learn from a variety of environments about how to apply performance measurement principles and best practices.

The project, supported by Vision Strategy Management Consulting – VSMC, combined 2 programs into a single learning experience: the Certified KPI Professional (3 days) and the Certified KPI Practitioner (2 days).

Course Journal

The Certified KPI Professional (day 1 – 3)

The first 3 days were dedicated to setting up a common foundation in working with KPIs, as well as having an aligned understanding of the associated concepts and basic practices.

Generally speaking, the group had a bit of experience in working with such systems, as some participants were already operating a Performance Management System based on KPIs, while others didn’t even have a system in place yet.

Therefore, an opportunity arose, to both learn how to set up a system from scratch and identify possible system enhancements.

The Certified KPI Practitioner (day 4 and 5)

Given that the foundation built in the first 3 days, with the help of VSMC, included a wide range of examples, from a variety of functional areas and industries, which brought all the pieces together, we focused on a single case study.

This was used to provide context in applying all the fresh learning takeaways of the professional training course, in a practical fashion, because that’s what practitioners do – they gain knowledge and make the most out of it by applying it.

Why, you may ask yourselves? Well, to be at peak informational performance, so that when everyone returns to their organizations, they are equipped not only with newfound knowledge, but also a practical sense of how to implement it.

Moreover, while our course should have ended at this stage, we decided to top off the learning experience by simulating a performance review meeting. The purpose was to showcase the managerial side of KPIs, as oftentimes they only get associated with measurement, calculations and technicalities.

Overall, it’s been an enchanting and enriching experience, due to the attendees’ high level of involvement into all of the exercises, case studies and role plays.

Special thanks to VSMC, for enabling our vision to become a reality – empowering the world, in order to achieve performance excellence!

The KPI Institute, in partnership with Transjordan for Consulting & HR Development, organized the Certified Balanced Scorecard Management System Professional training course, between the 12^th and 14^th of November, 2019, in Amman, Jordan with participants from the Bank of Jordan and Joramco.

Course Journal

Day 1 was dedicated to creating a common understanding of the Balanced Scorecard Framework as a whole, having initiated discussions about the first steps to be taken when implementing a BSC System: organizational assessment and organizational strategy formulation. The participants in Amman were new to the Performance Management System Audit, which is why we focused on understanding its components and methodology.

Day 2 in Amman addressed the part of the BSC implementation and alignment process across all organizational levels, to ensure its complete coverage. Given that the participants had a penchant for HR-related aspects, in conjunction with the BSC, a new element was introduced, namely cascading matters to the individual level. Since organizations are made out of the sum of their people, the system will ultimately reach the employee level.

Day 3 in Amman assembled all the pieces together and focused on the ongoing process of the BSC system, after its design and activation. It included topics related to the BSC System recalibration and performance culture.

Generally, these articles about course stories only illustrate the dynamics between participants, however this time, we’re sharing some of Raluca’s reflections, after the Certified Balanced Scorecard Management System Professional training course.

November was a busy month for Raluca. She views the management consultant as a key individual that doesn’t only share his knowledge with others, but also uplifts personal learning, through constant exposure to the relevant professional experience and background of the organizations and practitioners encountered beforehand. Therefore, busy months can be seen as personal learning opportunities. For Raluca, there were 2 such opportunities:

• Change Management: When focusing too much on the process, you might miss the context. The BSC System implies a lot of activities in a wide time frame (imagine the project plan – approximately 1 year), engages many subprocesses (data collection, data reporting, etc.), which is why the system’s technicalities need to be balanced well by actively managing contexts/environments.

As it title implies, change within an organization must be addressed in a structured manner. Why? Because you want to ensure an appropriate and healthy organizational context, so that your BSC System survives, whilst acquiring employees and leadership buy-in that is united in its purpose, not frustrated because of the process.

• Timing: A step-by-step approach in implementing the BSC System gives the organization time to digest change. Each deployment stage’s timing has to be carefully envisioned.

If you find yourself in the middle of a large organizational restructuring process, make sure you allocate more time for BSC implementation, as a lot of recalibration will have to occur. Changing a department’s structure, activities or roles, merging or separating it will need to be well-translated in the performance system. Stay mindful and acknowledge the dynamics of the moment.

Oftentimes, the Performance Management System is perceived as being the same thing as the employee appraisal system. While this is not an accurate interpretation, it nonetheless holds some employee-related value. It encompasses elements of strategy formulation and implementation, across the organization, all the way down to the individual level.

This is why we’ve designed our Employee Performance Management (EPM) training course to address concerns strictly related to the individual level, such as establishing performance criteria, setting up an evaluation cycle and creating an objective appraisal system.

Our management consultant, Raluca Vintila, has joined 17 members of Cambodia’s Legal Council Secretariat of Ministry of Economy and Finance, for the Employee Performance Management training course, in Singapore, between November 11^th – 13^th.

Course Journal

Day I

The training started after a short get-together moment, with a group exercise that would make everyone understand the role of the employee in the overall organizational picture. After that, we began incrementally narrowing down on this scope.

Afterwards, we focused on understanding the Individual Performance Management System Architecture, along with its corresponding tools and concepts. Given the public sector background of our attendees, we analyzed different employee performance management systems from other public sector organizations, such as those in South East Asia’s Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Day II

In order for participants to acquire a full understanding of what needs to be done, once they return to their organization, during the first half of the second day, we began working on the implementation project for an EPMS. Since we promote the evaluation of KPI results, competencies and behaviors – the second half was allocated to understanding the differences between these concepts and the tools that govern them.

Moreover, we practiced how to set up KPIs, and how to define competencies and behaviors in a coherent manner.

Day III

On our last day in Singapore, we reached the simulation stage, during which participants had to apply the best practices they had learnt thus far. They calculated results with different methodologies, and gained a more in-depth grasp over the differences & importance of elements (KPIs, competencies and behaviors), ending the official course day by simulating performance appraisals, with each attendee playing a different role.

The training session was finalized just like any other learning experience delivered by The KPI Institute, with a Learning Assessment Quiz.

Oftentimes, the employee performance evaluation is done just to comply with legal requirements. We believe that the Performance Management System should embed the employee appraisal component, in a manner that transforms the “just because it has to be done”, into “let’s make the most out of it”. In the end, it’s a matter of perspective and mindset.