Benchmarking

In this lesson

1. 0:01 Benchmarking in not-for-profit organisations
2. 0:28 League tables and public sector examples
3. 1:00 How benchmarking improves performance
4. 1:35 Key benefits of league tables
5. 2:17 What gets measured gets done principle
6. 2:44 Limitations and drawbacks of league tables
7. 3:52 Competition versus collaboration trade-offs
8. 4:19 Why league tables don't tell the whole story

About this lesson

standards—and the critical limitations you need to understand, including arbitrary weightings and how focusing on measured metrics can sometimes come at the expense of unmeasured but equally important activities. Benchmarking helps organisations answer a fundamental question: how well are we actually doing? Without a benchmark, it's impossible to know whether performance is good or bad. League tables make this comparison visible and accessible, enabling quick decision-making and encouraging collaboration between high and low performers. However, the approach has real drawbacks. The metrics chosen and their weightings are often arbitrary, meaning different weighting systems can change who ranks top. Organisations may focus narrowly on what's measured—sometimes to the detriment of unmeasured but valuable activities like pastoral care, extracurricular programmes, or attendance. Competition can also replace collaboration, with organisations reluctant to share knowledge if league position is at stake. Understanding benchmarking is particularly important for Performance Management and Strategic Management papers, where you'll analyse how organisations balance multiple objectives and manage the tension between measurable outcomes and broader organisational goals. Use this concept when discussing performance measurement systems and their real-world effectiveness.

Duration: 5m