In this white paper, learn how to design a scorecard with a clear and impactful layout, then effectively deploy to the rest of campus.
An executive-level scorecard is a document that presents the progress of principled metrics toward institutional goals. The purpose is to demonstrate and communicate the alignment between Facilities activities and the institution’s strategic goals—external audiences should be able to quickly and clearly see the institution’s strategic objectives, Facilities’ corresponding initiatives, and Facilities’ performance on associated progress measures. Because of its wide-ranging impact, Harvard Business Review called the balanced scorecard one of the 75 most influential ideas of the 20th century.
To help leaders create impactful executive-level Facilities scorecards, this publication details three essential steps:
This resource is part of the Create a Compelling Facilities Dashboard Roadmap. Access the Roadmap for stepwise guidance with additional tools and research.
1. Select appropriate executive-level scorecard KPIs
Facilities leaders have several options when filtering their current metrics down to a few principled KPIs—this section includes three recommended approaches:
1. SFO and executive team work together to complete an extensive mapping exercise to translate strategic priorities into Facilities KPIs.
2. SFO adopts EAB’s recommended KPIs that have already been mapped to common strategic priorities.
3. SFO chooses KPIs based on the scorecard audience, using EAB’s stakeholder-specific lists.
2. Build an executive-level scorecard
The main purpose of an executive-level scorecard is to connect Facilities initiatives to institutional strategic goals. Thus, the strategic priorities should drive the design as well as the objectives, metrics, and initiatives on the scorecard.
Visually, a scorecard should be as clear and simple as possible. Color-coding and brevity help the reader and encourage faster comprehension. Uniformity is important as well. Metrics reported in a consistent time frame or that show trends over time allow for more strategic analysis. The table below outlines the five characteristics of effective scorecard design in more detail.
| Characteristic | Description |
| Explicit connection to strategic goals | Explicitly maps Facilities goals to institutional strategic plan and/or specific strategic priorities, sometimes through a numbering system |
| Concise | Uses simple layout (e.g., table) to organize a limited number of Facilities objectives (10 to 15); uses accessible, nontechnical language |
| Metrics in context | Includes trends over time (e.g., Q1 and Q2 performance), metric targets, and brief metric definitions when necessary |
| Color-coded | Deploys color-coding to indicate metric progress. Binary color scheme (e.g., red and green) is the simplest way to track progress; multi-chromatic scheme provides nuance but may require color definitions |
| Consistent time frame | Clearly indicates frequency of data collection (e.g., monthly, quarterly) and assesses all metrics across same time frame |
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3. Effectively deploy an executive-level scorecard
Scorecard creation is just the first step in the life and use of an executive-level scorecard. In order for a scorecard to be impactful, it must also be effectively deployed. There are two components to effective scorecard deployment.
Ensure that campus leaders see and understand how Facilities is supporting the institution in its strategic priorities. Relevant campus leaders should have both paper and electronic copies of the scorecard, especially if the SFO meets with them to discuss it. Additionally, publish the scorecard on the Facilities website so all campus stakeholders can reference it if they are interested or have questions.
Metrics included in the scorecard should be based on data that is readily available, enabling easy updates. Designate a staff member to take a leadership role in gathering new data each month and updating the scorecard metrics, graphs, and color signifiers according to recent trends. This will ensure an up-to-date scorecard is always available for interactions with senior leaders.
Want to see more examples of Facilities scorecards? Check out these examples from five institutions:
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