Author Description

This document contains the viewpoints of five providers of education and training of adults at British institutions on the subject of which indicators should be used to measure the quality of performance. According to the representative of the Unit for the Development of Adult Continuing Education (Powell), measures applied to adult education have tended to concentrate on economy and efficiency, but because these measures are based on the concept of full-time students and courses, they have become outmoded. If performance indicators are not to distort institutional objectives, they must reflect the value of the education and training provided as understood by learners, teachers, and those who pay for the education--individuals, employers, or the community at large. The REPLAN perspective (Buffton) is that enrollment is a key area in assessing a college's effectiveness in meeting the needs of the community. According to Buffton, colleges' mission statements (which should include statements about access, equity, and entitlement) can be translated into measurable achievements. A map for the development of performance indicators is provided. The view from an unnamed institute (Gibson) is that performance indicators should give a clear profile of strengths and weaknesses in organization (including cost and resource monitoring) and quality of service. A description of adult education in West Sussex (Holliday, Harris) shows that adult education is delivered through 3 colleges of further education and 16 community schools and colleges whose staff agreed on performance indicators that may be summarized as inputs, processes, and outputs. Finally, an urban perspective, supplied by Wilson, explains that the Manchester local education authority uses both quantitative and qualitative measures of performance. (CML)