Tools and resources to put benchmarking and performance measurement into practice
Thank you to everyone who joined the From Data to Innovative Leadership: Benchmarking for Municipal Success masterclass on September 21, 2026.
Throughout the session, we explored how municipalities can move beyond simply collecting and reporting data—and use benchmarking and performance measurement to better understand results, identify opportunities for improvement, learn from others, and support better decision-making.
To help continue that work, I’ve put together key resources from the masterclass. These materials are designed to provide both a summary of the concepts we discussed and practical tools you can use within your own organization.
Masterclass Summary
A condensed version of the masterclass slide deck
This condensed deck brings together the key concepts, frameworks, and takeaways from the session. Use it as a quick reference when thinking about performance measurement, selecting meaningful measures, benchmarking results, and turning data into action.
Performance Measurement Toolkit
A practical resource for building better performance measures
The Performance Measurement Toolkit is designed to help you move from theory to practice. Use it as a working resource when developing, reviewing, or strengthening performance measures within your organization.
Whether you are starting from scratch or revisiting an existing set of measures, the goal is the same: measure what matters and use that information to make better decisions.
Forecasting Take-Home Exercise
Put the concepts into practice
The Forecasting Take-Home Exercise provides an opportunity to apply some of the analytical thinking discussed during the masterclass.
Work through the exercise at your own pace and consider not only the answer, but the process: What does the data tell you? What assumptions are you making? What additional information would improve your forecast?
From Data to Action
Benchmarking and performance measurement shouldn't end with a dashboard or a report.
The real value comes from using information to ask better questions:
Why are our results different? What can we learn from others? Where are the opportunities to improve? And what should we do next?
That is where data becomes a management tool—and where measurement can translate into better decisions, stronger organizations, and better outcomes for the communities we serve.
Measure. Compare. Learn. Improve.
GWC Consulting helps organizations build practical performance measurement, benchmarking, and process-improvement approaches that turn data into better decisions and measurable results.
