KPIs and Dashboards
Definition
KPIs (key performance indicators) and dashboards turn the campaign’s evaluation plan into a small, owner-assigned set of indicators that the team reads at a regular cadence — so that strategy shifts are triggered by signals, not by anecdote.
The discipline distinguishes leading indicators (which predict the outcome, e.g. number of volunteer shifts booked this week) from lagging indicators (which measure the outcome, e.g. doors knocked this week) — and treats the dashboard as a leading-indicator tool, since by the time a lagging indicator moves it is usually too late to act.
Most campaigns over-build their dashboards (fifteen indicators, three colours, weekly emails nobody reads) and under-build the review rhythm (who reads it, when, with what decision rule) — the practitioner literature treats the latter as the active ingredient.
FAQ
What are KPIs and dashboards?
KPIs and dashboards are a small, owner-assigned set of indicators that translate the campaign’s evaluation plan into signals read at a regular cadence. They let the team detect whether strategy is working or drifting, and trigger adjustments before anecdotal evidence accumulates. The practice treats the indicator set itself as secondary to the review rhythm that consumes it.
What is the difference between leading and lagging indicators?
Leading indicators predict outcomes, and lagging indicators measure them. Volunteer shifts booked this week is leading because it precedes the result; doors knocked this week is lagging because it only registers work already done. The dashboard is treated as a leading-indicator tool, because once a lagging indicator moves, the moment to act has usually passed.
Why do most campaign dashboards fail?
Most campaign dashboards fail because they are over-built and under-consumed. Teams add fifteen indicators, three colours, and weekly email summaries that nobody opens, while neglecting the review rhythm — who reads the dashboard, when, and with what decision rule. The practitioner literature treats the review cadence as the active ingredient, not the visual layer.
What role does the review rhythm play?
The review rhythm is the operational layer that gives the indicators their meaning. Without a fixed cadence, named readers, and explicit decision rules, a dashboard becomes decoration. The literature treats the rhythm as the active ingredient: it is what converts indicator movement into a strategy shift, instead of leaving the data unread.
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