Each Boston About Results scorecard contains a wealth of information about the activities and performance of the department, program, or initiative that is being tracked.
The most important performance metrics are found under the tab labeled “Key Performance Indicators.” These measures track those items that are among the most critical functions of the program or department in question; for example, this is where the Police Department reports the number of homicides in the city.
The tab labeled “Administrative Measures” contains measures that are similar for most departments and programs. This includes measures of overtime, workforce diversity, and other statistics that are relevant throughout City government.
The last tab, “Budget Info,” has information on the department’s or program’s finances as laid out in the most recent City budget.
READING THE SCORECARD
Due to the varying nature of performance measures collected by departments, not all measures are collected monthly. Some measures are collected annually, semi annually, or quarterly, leading to a lack of data for some measures on a quarterly basis. Where possible, differences in measure frequency are noted in the Measure Notes section of the Mayor's Managements Reports.
| Symbol | Description | |
 | This symbol means that performance is better than or equal to the target. | |
 | This symbol means that performance does not meet the targeted level, but is within ten percent (10%) of the target. | |
 | This symbol means that performance deviates more than ten percent (10%) from the target. | |
 | This symbol means performance is not scored for this measure but is tracked for context. | |
 | This symbol means data is missing and the measure cannot be scored until the department provides necessary information. |
Due to the varying nature of performance measures collected by departments, not all measures are collected monthly. Some measures are collected annually, semi annually, or quarterly. The frequency of measure collection is evident in the horizontal axis of the graph.
Finally, it is important to note that a red symbol alone does not indicate insufficient performance. Instead, it helps prompt investigation so that we can better understand what factors may be causing lower than expected results and work efficiently to improve services for all Bostonians.
Graphing Measures
When you select a metric, a graph will take shape below the scorecard. This graph compares the performance level and target over time, going back several years. This allows you to see how goals and performance have changed for a given City service.
