Performance measurement is essential for organizational innovation, learning, and success. Nonprofits, however, must evaluate social or environmental outcomes as well as financial performance, and the ideal metrics are not always easy to identify. Indeed, to improve the effectiveness of a nonprofit organization—especially when tackling society's toughest challenges—senior executives and board members must prioritize assessment of organizational performance. In this live online program, you will explore how to align mission and strategy through performance measurement.

This program is presented jointly by the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative and The Hauser Institute for Civil Society at Harvard University.

Summary

This program is presented jointly by the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative and The Hauser Institute for Civil Society at Harvard University.

Key Benefits

With a stronger performance management strategy in place, your organization will be better positioned to achieve its objectives. This virtual program features sessions on innovation and organizational learning; generating evidence about an intervention's effectiveness; building a culture of performance measurement; and managing for collective impact amid the challenges of today's rapidly changing world. As a participant, you will learn to think conceptually about performance measurement and prepare to lead performance-focused initiatives that will empower your organization and drive new levels of success.

DetailsExpand All Collapse All

Maximize impact by aligning mission, strategy, and performance Maximize impact by aligning mission, strategy, and performance

Develop a culture of learning and innovation within your organization
Identify key metrics for measurement
Assess and communicate outcomes to partners and stakeholders
Institute and sustain organizational performance measurement

Expand your personal and professional networks Expand your personal and professional networks

Extend your network by connecting and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

Key Benefits

Details

Maximize impact by aligning mission, strategy, and performance

Develop a culture of learning and innovation within your organization
Identify key metrics for measurement
Assess and communicate outcomes to partners and stakeholders
Institute and sustain organizational performance measurement

Expand your personal and professional networks

Extend your network by connecting and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

Who Should Attend

Chief executive officers, presidents, executive directors, board members, and other senior executives in nonprofit organizations (typically with annual budgets in excess of $1 million) who are committed to improving performance measurement and management. Note that this program is focused on organization-level performance measurement and management, not individual-level or human resource-focused performance measurement.

Attendance by multiple organization representatives will foster teamwork and enhance the program's impact.

Limited need-based scholarship funding may be available. Visit the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative website for scholarship information.

Dive Deeper into the Experience

See how exchange with faculty and peers yields new insights into critical business trends.

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Global perspectives > Leadership growth > Organizational impact.

Who Should Attend

Attendance by multiple organization representatives will foster teamwork and enhance the program's impact.

Limited need-based scholarship funding may be available. Visit the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative website for scholarship information.

Dive Deeper into the Experience

See how exchange with faculty and peers yields new insights into critical business trends.

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Global perspectives > Leadership growth > Organizational impact.

Admissions Criteria and Process

We admit candidates to specific sessions on a rolling, space-available basis, and encourage you to apply as early as possible. Although most programs have no formal educational requirements, admission is a selective process based on your professional achievement and organizational responsibilities.

Answering Your Questions

Our Program Advising team can help you at any stage of the admissions process—starting with identifying the program that best addresses your learning and development goals. Contact a program advisor via email or call 1.800.427.5577 (outside the U.S., call +1.617.495.6555).

Application Submission

We recommend that you apply at least four weeks before the program start date. You may use our online form or download an application. HBS maintains all application information in strict confidentiality. We acknowledge receipt of applications via email. In the unlikely event that you do not receive an acknowledgment, please email us at exed_admissions@hbs.edu or call us at +1.617.495.6226.

Application Review

To optimize the learning experience and maximize the exchange of ideas, our Admissions Committee makes selections that balance each participant's experience, scope of current responsibilities, and type of organization. HBS seeks candidates who reflect a broad range of industries, functions, countries, and backgrounds. We review applications monthly and will contact you via email with the Admissions Committee's decision.

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

The program fee covers tuition, e-books, and online case materials. No payment is necessary until you have been accepted. Payment is required prior to the program start date. If you need to cancel or defer participation, you must submit your request in writing more than 30 days before the start of the program to receive a full refund. Cancellations or deferrals received 14 to 30 days prior to the start of the program are subject to a fee of one-half of the program fee. Requests received within 14 days are subject to full payment.

Admissions Criteria and Process

Answering Your Questions

Application Submission

Application Review

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

What You Will Learn

This program helps nonprofit executives like you to think conceptually about organizational performance measurement. Through a powerful combination of faculty presentations, case studies, classroom exercises, and group discussions, you'll examine the rationale behind performance measurement and gain valuable insight into its critical aspects.

What You Will Learn: This program helps nonprofit executives like you to think conceptually about organizational performance measurement. Through a powerful combination of faculty presentations, case studies, classroom exercises, and group discussions, you'll examine the rationale behind performance measurement and gain valuable insight into its critical aspects.

Program Format

The program will take place over five half days: Thursday, June 2 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM Eastern Time (ET), and Monday, June 6 through Thursday, June 9 from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET daily. Live online classes will run 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET. Participants will spend one hour with their discussion groups in the mornings before classes on Monday, June 6 through Thursday, June 9 from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM ET. Select days will also feature open conversations with faculty. The program sessions take place via the Zoom platform. Please note that there are no live program sessions scheduled from Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 5.

Collaborative learning is an integral part of the experience. To maximize the benefit for everyone, you are expected to attend every session, complete all assignments, and contribute effectively in the class and in small groups. We recommend setting aside 10-15 hours over the course of the program for self-paced work, including case prep.

Program Format

Key TopicsExpand All Collapse All

Aligning mission and organizational performance management Aligning mission and organizational performance management

Linking organizational performance, mission, and impact
Recognizing what is being measured and what is being delivered
Developing a theory of change and logic model

Challenges and obstacles to managing organizational performance Challenges and obstacles to managing organizational performance

Building a performance-based culture
Developing capacity within the organization
Implementing a performance management strategy

Innovation through measurement Innovation through measurement

Designing experiments to develop new interventions and improve existing programs
Fostering a learning mindset within the organization

Collaborating with partners Collaborating with partners

Using data to communicate social and environmental outcomes to key stakeholders
Dealing with the forces that shape the nonprofit environment

Sustainable performance management systems Sustainable performance management systems

Understanding and overcoming implementation challenges
Institutionalizing continuous improvement in your organization
Assessing communication issues

Key Topics

Aligning mission and organizational performance management

Linking organizational performance, mission, and impact
Recognizing what is being measured and what is being delivered
Developing a theory of change and logic model

Challenges and obstacles to managing organizational performance

Building a performance-based culture
Developing capacity within the organization
Implementing a performance management strategy

Innovation through measurement

Designing experiments to develop new interventions and improve existing programs
Fostering a learning mindset within the organization

Collaborating with partners

Using data to communicate social and environmental outcomes to key stakeholders
Dealing with the forces that shape the nonprofit environment

Sustainable performance management systems

Understanding and overcoming implementation challenges
Institutionalizing continuous improvement in your organization
Assessing communication issues

The HBS Advantage

Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by top faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Faculty Chair

Herman B. 'Dutch' Leonard

Harvard Business School:

Eliot I. Snider and Family Professor of Business Administration

Harvard Kennedy School:

George F. Baker, Jr. Professor of Public Sector Management Teaching Programs

HBS Unit:

General Management

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Faculty

James P. Honan

Harvard Graduate School of Education:

Senior Lecturer on Education

Read Full Bio

Mitchell B. Weiss

Professor of Management Practice, Richard L. Menschel Faculty Fellow

HBS Unit:

Entrepreneurial Management

Read Full Bio

Julie Boatright Wilson

Harvard Kennedy School:

Harry S. Kahn Senior Lecturer in Social Policy

Read Full Bio

The HBS Advantage: Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by top faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Faculty Chair

Herman B. 'Dutch' Leonard

Harvard Business School:

Eliot I. Snider and Family Professor of Business Administration

Harvard Kennedy School:

George F. Baker, Jr. Professor of Public Sector Management Teaching Programs

HBS Unit:

General Management

Read Full Bio

Faculty

James P. Honan

Harvard Graduate School of Education:

Senior Lecturer on Education

Read Full Bio

Mitchell B. Weiss

Professor of Management Practice, Richard L. Menschel Faculty Fellow

HBS Unit:

Entrepreneurial Management

Read Full Bio

Julie Boatright Wilson

Harvard Kennedy School:

Harry S. Kahn Senior Lecturer in Social Policy

Read Full Bio