# KPI Scorecard: [Organisation or unit], [Period]

> A one-page set of key performance indicators, grouped into balanced
> scorecard perspectives, with a clear definition, baseline, target,
> owner and status for each. The four perspectives (financial,
> customer, internal business process, and learning and growth) follow
> the balanced scorecard concept of Robert S. Kaplan and David P.
> Norton, introduced in Harvard Business Review (January to February
> 1992), where the fourth perspective was called innovation and
> learning; their later work names it learning and growth. Replace
> every `[bracketed]` value and every row marked *Example*.

<!--
Guidance: How to use this template
- Link each KPI to a strategic objective (section 1). A KPI with no
  objective is a vanity metric.
- Keep it short: two to four KPIs per perspective is usually enough.
- Define each KPI precisely once (section 3), or link to a full metric
  definition, so the number means the same thing every period.
- Set baseline, target and thresholds before the period starts, not
  after the results arrive.
- Common pitfall: changing the definition or target mid-period, which
  makes the trend meaningless. Log every change in section 7.
-->

## Document control

<!-- Guidance: One scorecard per unit and period. Name the data cut-off so readers know how fresh the numbers are. -->

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Document ID | [KPI-YYYY-QN] |
| Organisation or unit | [Name] |
| Reporting period | [YYYY-QN or month] |
| Data cut-off | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Version | [1.0] |
| Status | [Draft / Reviewed / Approved] |
| Owner | [@owner] |
| Approver | [@executive-sponsor] |
| Last updated | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Classification | [Internal / Confidential] |

### Revision history

| Version | Date | Author | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | YYYY-MM-DD | [@author] | Scorecard for the period |
| 1.1 *(Example)* | YYYY-MM-DD | [@author] | Corrected C1 after late visit data |

The worked example is **Glenvarrow Home Care**, a fictional provider of
care visits to older people living at home, reporting one quarter.

## 1. Strategy and objectives

<!-- Guidance: List the few strategic objectives the KPIs serve. Each KPI in section 2 points to one objective. A strategy map shows how learning drives processes, which drive customer results, which drive financial results. -->

| ID | Objective | Perspective |
|---|---|---|
| OBJ-1 | [Objective] | [Perspective] |
| OBJ-1 *(Example)* | Reach a sustainable operating margin | Financial |
| OBJ-2 *(Example)* | Clients and families trust the service | Customer |
| OBJ-3 *(Example)* | Every planned visit happens, safely | Internal process |
| OBJ-4 *(Example)* | A stable, skilled care workforce | Learning and growth |

```mermaid
flowchart BT
    L["OBJ-4 Stable, skilled workforce"] --> P["OBJ-3 Every visit happens safely"]
    P --> C["OBJ-2 Clients and families trust the service"]
    C --> F["OBJ-1 Sustainable operating margin"]
```

## 2. Scorecard

<!-- Guidance: Progress = (actual - baseline) / (target - baseline) x 100. It works whether higher or lower is better. Status: Green 75% or more, Amber 50% to below 75%, Red below 50%. Agree these thresholds before the period. -->

| ID | KPI | Objective | Dir. | Baseline | Target | Actual | Progress | Status | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [ID] | [KPI] | [OBJ-n] | [Up / Down] | [Value] | [Value] | [Value] | [%] | [G / A / R] | [@owner] |
| F1 *(Example)* | Operating margin (%) | OBJ-1 | Up | 4.0 | 6.0 | 5.1 | 55.0% | Amber | [@finance] |
| F2 *(Example)* | Days sales outstanding | OBJ-1 | Down | 48 | 40 | 44 | 50.0% | Amber | [@finance] |
| C1 *(Example)* | Visits starting within 15 minutes of plan (%) | OBJ-2 | Up | 88.0 | 95.0 | 91.4 | 48.6% | Red | [@operations] |
| C2 *(Example)* | Client satisfaction score (1 to 10) | OBJ-2 | Up | 7.6 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 77.8% | Green | [@quality] |
| P1 *(Example)* | Missed visits per 1,000 planned | OBJ-3 | Down | 6.0 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 62.5% | Amber | [@operations] |
| P2 *(Example)* | Care plans reviewed on time (%) | OBJ-3 | Up | 72 | 95 | 90 | 78.3% | Green | [@quality] |
| L1 *(Example)* | Care staff turnover, annualised (%) | OBJ-4 | Down | 38 | 28 | 33 | 50.0% | Amber | [@people] |
| L2 *(Example)* | Staff with current refresher training (%) | OBJ-4 | Up | 61 | 90 | 84 | 79.3% | Green | [@people] |

*Example calculation:* C1 progress is (91.4 - 88.0) / (95.0 - 88.0) =
3.4 / 7.0 = 48.6%. P1 progress is (3.5 - 6.0) / (2.0 - 6.0) = -2.5 / -4.0
= 62.5%.

## 3. KPI definitions

<!-- Guidance: Write a precise definition for each KPI: formula, data source, inclusions and exclusions, frequency. For governed metrics, link a full metric definition document instead. -->

| ID | Formula | Data source | Exclusions | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [ID] | [Numerator / denominator] | [System or report] | [What is left out] | [Monthly / Quarterly] |
| C1 *(Example)* | Visits started within 15 minutes of planned time / all completed visits | Electronic visit check-in log | Visits rescheduled at client request | Monthly |
| P1 *(Example)* | Planned visits not delivered / planned visits x 1,000 | Rostering system | Visits cancelled by client 24 hours ahead | Monthly |
| L1 *(Example)* | Leavers in period / average headcount x (12 / months in period) x 100 | HR system | Fixed-term contracts that ended as planned | Quarterly |

## 4. Perspective summary

<!-- Guidance: Average the progress of the KPIs in each perspective. Use equal weights unless the strategy says otherwise, and record the weights. -->

| Perspective | Weight | KPIs | Average progress | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Perspective] | [%] | [IDs] | [%] | [G / A / R] |
| Financial *(Example)* | 25% | F1, F2 | 52.5% | Amber |
| Customer *(Example)* | 25% | C1, C2 | 63.2% | Amber |
| Internal process *(Example)* | 25% | P1, P2 | 70.4% | Amber |
| Learning and growth *(Example)* | 25% | L1, L2 | 64.7% | Amber |
| **Overall** *(Example)* | 100% | 8 KPIs | **62.7%** | Amber |

An overall score hides detail: a Red KPI (C1 in the example) needs a
response even when the overall status is Amber.

## 5. Commentary and actions

<!-- Guidance: For every Red and Amber KPI, explain the cause in one or two sentences and name an action, owner and date. Do not explain Green KPIs unless something unusual happened. -->

| KPI | Cause | Action | Owner | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [ID] | [Cause] | [Action] | [@owner] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| C1 *(Example)* | Travel time between visits underestimated in two rural areas | Re-plan rural rounds with real travel times, run a root cause analysis on late starts | [@operations] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| L1 *(Example)* | Leavers cite unpredictable rotas | Publish rotas four weeks ahead | [@people] | YYYY-MM-DD |

## 6. Trend

<!-- Guidance: Show the last four to six periods for the KPIs the board watches most. Keep the definition fixed across periods. -->

| KPI | [Period -3] | [Period -2] | [Period -1] | [This period] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 *(Example)* | 88.0 | 89.2 | 90.1 | 91.4 |
| L1 *(Example)* | 38 | 36 | 35 | 33 |

## 7. Changes to definitions and targets

<!-- Guidance: Log any change to a KPI formula, source or target, with the reason and who approved it. Restate past periods if the definition changed. -->

| Date | KPI | Change | Reason | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YYYY-MM-DD | [ID] | [Change] | [Reason] | [@approver] |

## 8. Related templates

<!-- Guidance: Link the detailed definitions and the documents that act on the scorecard. -->

- [Metric definition](../data/metric-definition.md) for the full definition of each governed KPI
- [OKR](./okr.md) for quarterly goals that move these KPIs
- [Dashboard specification](../data/dashboard-specification.md) to build the live view
- [Root cause analysis](./root-cause-analysis.md) for Red KPIs
- [KRI framework specification](../finance/kri-framework-spec.md) for risk indicators, which complement performance indicators

## Glossary

- **KPI:** key performance indicator, a measure tied to a strategic objective.
- **Perspective:** one of the four balanced scorecard groups of objectives.
- **Baseline:** the reference value fixed when the target was set, used to measure progress. Keep it unchanged for the life of the target.
- **Progress:** the share of the gap between baseline and target that has been closed.

## Standard and licence note

Structure aligned with the balanced scorecard concept introduced by
Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton in "The Balanced Scorecard:
Measures That Drive Performance", Harvard Business Review, January to
February 1992 (https://hbr.org/1992/01/the-balanced-scorecard-measures-that-drive-performance-2).
The perspective names are cited (the 1992 article names the fourth
perspective innovation and learning; Kaplan and Norton's 1996 book, The
Balanced Scorecard, Harvard Business School Press, uses learning and
growth); the progress formula, status
thresholds, section text and fictional Glenvarrow example are original
and are one possible method, not part of the published concept. Check
current practice in your sector before use. Template licence: MIT.