Detailed Performance Measure Descriptions

Performance measures are used to track progress toward project goals and desired outcomes.  They provide a means of reliably measuring and reporting the outcomes and effectiveness of a project and how the project outcomes contribute to the SNC’s larger programmatic goals. 

All grantees are required to report on performance measures for SNC-funded projects. 

All grantees will be asked to consider a set of four quantitative performance measures and report on the ones that relate to their individual project(s).  These four quantitative performance measures are identified with an asterisk in the list below. 

In addition, each grantee will be required to report on one to three project-specific performance measures that will help describe project outcomes in a measurable way.  Applicants will be asked to: 1) identify these performance measures and associated targets in their grant applications, and 2) include in their applications any staff time, data collection costs, etc., necessary to meet the reporting requirements outlined for each measure.

To assist applicants in choosing the appropriate performance measures for their projects, the SNC has developed a list of suggested measures for specific project types.  This information can be found in Appendix C of each of the Grants Application Packets (GAP).  The detailed performance measure descriptions accessed through the links below will provide you with additional information to assist you in choosing performance measures for your project and determining the need to build additional tasks into your project workplan and budget.

Please note that the names of some of the performance measures have been refined since the publication of the GAP. For those with different names than what appears in the GAP, the name as it appears in the GAP is shown in parentheses at the end of each link below.

Performance Measure

Acre Feet per Annum of Streamflow Improved
(listed as “Cubic Feet per Second of Streamflow Improved” in GAP)

Acre Feet per Annum of Water Supply Conserved or Enhanced
(listed as “Acre Feet of Water Supply Conserved or Enhanced” in GAP)

Acres of Land Conserved

Acres of Land Improved or Restored

Feet of Trail/Path Constructed or Improved
(listed as “Feet of Trail/Path Length Constructed or Improved” in GAP)

Kilowatts of Renewable Energy Production Capacity Maintained or Created

Linear Feet of Stream Bank Protected or Restored

Mass of Pollutant Reduced Per Year

Measurable Changes in Knowledge or Behavior

*Number and Diversity of People Reached
(listed as”Number of People Reached” in GAP)

*Number and Type of Jobs Created

*Number and Value of New, Improved or Preserved Economic Activities

Number of Collaboratively Developed Plans and Assessments

Number of New Recreation Access Points

Number of Significant Sites Protected or Preserved
(listed as “Number of Special Significance Sites Protected or Preserved” in GAP)

Percent of Pre-project and Planning Efforts Resulting in Project Implementation

*Resources Leveraged for the Sierra Nevada
(listed as “Dollar Value of Resources Leveraged for the Sierra Nevada” in GAP)

Tons of Carbon Sequestered or Emissions Avoided

 

As you review the Performance Measures list, you may find that none of the suggested project-specific measures is relevant to your project. If that is the case, we encourage you to work with SNC staff to develop a performance measure or measures that are more appropriate for your project.  Keep in mind that proposed measures need SNC approval and that new measures should directly relate to a specific project goal, outcome or deliverable.  Additionally, performance measures must be able to be tracked using accepted methods to ensure that your data is consistent and defensible.  If you choose to propose your own performance measure(s), please provide the following information for each one:

1. a clear definition
2. a description of data collection method(s)
3. data source information
4. target values.

If you have questions or concerns about choosing an appropriate set of performance measures for your project, please contact the SNC staff person assisting you with the development of your application.