This website is a resource for those seeking to better understand what performance measurement is and how it might be applied to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs.  Best practices in performance measurement from programs across the country are explained and illustrated.  Our goal is to promote better management of, and assessment of, ADR programs and processes. 

(A printable version of the entire website may be accessed here: )

 Highlights of Website

Managing for Results - This section provides a brief explanation of how performance measurement fits within the “managing for results” process.  Examples from Arizona and Delaware are highlighted. 

Assessing Your Organization - This section provides instruction for conducting internal/external assessments and customer/stakeholder analyses.  Examples from Arizona and Louisiana illustrate these concepts.

Determining Organizational Purpose - This section offers guidance in developing organizational vision, mission statement, goals and objectives.  Examples from Louisiana; Arizona; Maryland; Delaware; and Fairfax County, Virginia are highlighted.

Planning for Action - This section answers the question of how to accomplish the purposes of the organization through action planning. Examples from Maryland; Arizona; and Virginia buttress major points.

Measuring Progress - This section provides a comprehensive approach to the implementation and management of a performance measurement system.  It reviews issues such as distinguishing the types of performance measures, how to prepare performance measures, ensuring data accuracy, data use and benchmarking. Examples from Fairfax County, Virginia; Montgomery County, Maryland; Johnson County, Kansas; and the states of Virginia, Maine, Arizona, and Texas are offered.

Performance Measurement in ADR - Examples of the successful use of performance measurement in conflict resolution programs are provided.  Profiled organizations include the Navy; the Air Force; the Postal Service REDRESS Program; the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (USIECR); the Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE); and the states of Oregon, Washington, Oklahoma, Maryland, and Wisconsin.

Worksheets & Forms - This section includes worksheets and sample forms that are useful in developing and evaluating a performance management system and other elements of the “managing for results” process. 

Research & Resources - This final section surveys the academic literature on performance measurement, including work on the state of the practice and the evaluation of initiatives.  Also included are sources of government and nongovernmental resources (reports, websites and articles) cited within this website.

The contributors to this project were Laura M. Coatta, Rosemary O'Leary, J.D., Ph.D.,  Carla Pizzarella, Aly Z. Ramji, and Derina S. Samuel, Ph.D. Development of this guide was supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Indiana Conflict Resolution Institute, the Maxwell School’s Program for the Analysis and Resolution of Conflict and the Maxwell School Dean's Office at Syracuse University.