Estudio De Indicadores De Medicion Fuerza Aerea Real

Management Case Study Measuring and Managing Performance in the Royal Air Force

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Measuring and Managing Performance in the Royal Air Force
By Bernard Marr* and Ian Shore
Abstract: This management case study illustrates the

implementation of a strategic performance management system in the Royal Air Force. It outlines how a scorecardreporting approach was designed and implemented, in particular, it highlights the importance of integrating performance management with risk management, it discusses the problem of objective versus subjective measurement and it outlines the challenges of automating the system using a custom-built performance management software application.

Release Version: Sep 2007

* corresponding authorBernard Marr is the Chief Executive and Director of Research at the Advanced Performance Institute. E-mail: bernard.marr@ap-institute.com Ian Shore is a Wing Commander at the Royal Air Force Air Command.

Disclaimer: Any views expressed herein are personal and are not necessarily the views of the Ministry of Defence.

The Advanced Performance Institute is a world-leading independent researchand advisory organisation specialising in organisational performance. It provides expert knowledge, research, consulting and training to performance orientated companies, governments and not-for-profit organisations across the globe. For more information please visit: www.ap-institute.com

How to reference this case study: Marr, B. and Shore, I. (2007) Measuring and Managing Performance in theRoyal Air Force, Management Case Study, The Advanced Performance Institute.

© 2007 Advanced Performance Institute, BWMC Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Measuring and Managing Performance in the Royal Air Force

Introduction
The United Kingdom’s war-fighting capability in the air environment is provided by the Royal Air Force (RAF), one of the nation’s three Armed Services. TheRoyal Air Force’s aim is to achieve precise effect at range and in time when called upon to do so. Air Command1 is the front line of the Royal Air Force. It is charged with meeting the Royal Air Force’s aim by training the personnel and operating the cutting edge aircraft, weapons and supporting equipment, supplied by the Defence Equipment and Supply Organisation.

Air Command has 42,000 servicepersonnel, 9,800 civilian staff and more than 1000 aircraft located on over 70 stations or units. Air Command supports operations in the Gulf region, Kosovo and Afghanistan as well as maintaining a RAF presence in Cyprus, Gibraltar, Ascension Island and the Falkland Islands. Its key peacetime responsibility is to maintain the required readiness levels of its forces (e.g. the Harrier, C17Globemaster, and Sentinel aircraft and their crews) in support of the requirement to operate as an expeditionary air force.

While this case study illustrates the implementation of a performance measurement and management system, it particularly highlights the importance of integrating performance management with risk management, discusses the problem of objective measurement and reviews the challengesof automating the system using a custombuilt software application.

Why Performance Measurement?
In 1968 the Fulton Committee on the Civil Service declared that “Accountable management means holding individuals and units responsible for performance measured as objectively as possible. Its achievement depends upon identifying or

1

On 1 April 2007 the then two RAF Commands, Strike Commandand Personnel and

Training Command were amalgamated into a single Command, called Air Command

© 2007 Advanced Performance Institute, BWMC Ltd. All rights reserved.

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establishing accountable units within government departments – units where output can be measured as objectively as possible and where individuals can be held personally responsible for their performance.”...