| Introduction | | | | Nigeria. |
| Education is sacrosanct to national development. | | | | 1. Select Balanced Scorecard Team |
| Education and national development are the two sides | | | | A team should be selected and charged with a |
| of a coin that mutually reinforce and challenge each | | | | responsibility to design and implement the balance |
| other. Jega [1997] affirmed, "Education is generally | | | | scorecard. The team will evaluate the institution's |
| regarded as a necessary and essential requirement | | | | mission, core beliefs, public expectations, budgetary |
| for national development. It is central to socioeconomic | | | | position, short- and long-term goals and outline value |
| and technological advancement, and it is critical to | | | | creation parameters for stakeholders. It should obtain |
| self-sustaining and self-generating process of positive | | | | resource requirements to develop and sustain the |
| transformation of modern society." | | | | scorecard, and develop a rollout communications plan |
| The government appreciates the significance of | | | | for teachers' buy-in and resultant support for the |
| education to national development and will marshal its | | | | changes from stakeholders. This communications plan |
| resources to attain its avowed goal of a reinvigorated | | | | will involve internal and external public information |
| public service. Odumosu [2004] said, "Education in | | | | activities to educate teachers and stakeholders about |
| Nigeria is ... a huge government venture that has | | | | the Balanced Scorecard initiative and how it works. |
| witnessed evolution of government complete and | | | | 2. Clarify Institutional Strategy & Objectives |
| dynamic intervention and active participation. The | | | | The institution will design a number of overarching |
| Federal Government has adopted education as an | | | | themes that will be crafted into specific institutional |
| instrument per excellence for effective national | | | | strategies. Examples could be to Improve Teacher |
| development." | | | | Education, Upgrade Quality of Teaching Materials or |
| It is antithetical that service delivery in the education | | | | Create a New Venture. Certain level of creative |
| sector is unattractive despite its strategic role in | | | | thinking from the rank and file of teachers is required in |
| effective national development. It is palpable that the | | | | order to achieve results at this stage. The team should |
| sector is a not-for-profit public enterprise. There is, | | | | collation of these themes. In the process, it should not |
| however, a general consensus among stakeholders | | | | impose any premeditated themes on the process. This |
| ranging from government supervisory agencies, | | | | will eliminate hidden agenda from any interest group |
| practitioners, parents and the press to learners that the | | | | and allow for effective selection of specific strategies |
| standard of education falls far below expectations. | | | | for adoption. |
| Who is a Teacher? | | | | The next level is to split the chosen institutional |
| Achimugu [2000] stated that Nigerian Teachers Union | | | | strategy smaller components is called objectives. The |
| NUT (1994) defines a teacher "as a person who has | | | | objectives are the basic building blocks of strategy, |
| the registrable professional qualification, which enables | | | | that is the components that make up complete |
| him to be appointed to teach at any appropriate level | | | | strategies. In this instance, the strategy of a central |
| of recognized education in any nation and who is of | | | | theme of Improve Teacher Education or Create a |
| sound mind and who is mentally alert." | | | | New Venture could have such objectives as Deploy |
| The World Book Encyclopedia [1985] expanded the | | | | effective teaching methodology and traditional discipline, |
| scope to include "those of a school counselor, school | | | | Increased Teacher trainers expertise, skills and abilities, |
| psychologist, general supervisor or supervisor of a | | | | Improved Technology Capacity or Effective and |
| subject area, reading specialist, coordinator of | | | | Effective and Efficient Corporate Governance, |
| guidance, school principal, director of vocational | | | | Improved Service Value, Reduce Reliance on |
| education, teacher of handicapped children, | | | | Government Allocation among others. |
| superintendent of schools, director of instruction, dean | | | | 3. Design Strategic Map |
| of students, college administrator, or teacher in a | | | | The team, at this stage, will build a strategic map for |
| demonstration school." | | | | the institution's overall business strategy. This map is |
| In Search of A Better Performance Management | | | | the mechanism that shows how an objective [effect] |
| System | | | | is dependent on another objective [cause], and how, |
| The traditionally appraisal method of evaluation that | | | | taken together, they form a strategic thread from |
| polarize the performance of teachers between | | | | activities to desired end outcomes. It usually will use the |
| qualitative and quantitative indices is an annual or | | | | cause-effect linkages [i.e. if-the logic connections]. |
| biennial ritual in the school system today. Unfortunately, | | | | Thereafter, the components [objectives] of strategy |
| it has become a routine. It is ineffectual because of the | | | | are connected and placed in appropriate scorecard |
| prevalence of teachers' suboptimal performance and | | | | perspective categories. The relationship among |
| poor service delivery. The method is subject to abuse | | | | strategy components is used to identify the key |
| by supervising officers who disregard meritocracy for | | | | performance drivers of each strategy that, taken |
| the 'Nigerian Factor' variables such as nepotism, length | | | | together, chart the path to successful outcome as will |
| of service and godfather syndrome to adjudge | | | | be perceived through the eyes of customers and |
| teachers' performance and promote the lucky few | | | | stakeholders. |
| despite glaring gaps in output and absence of total | | | | 4. Develop Performance Measures |
| quality management. | | | | The team will develop performance measures to track |
| The major problem policy makers and administrators | | | | both strategic and operational progress. At the stage, |
| face aside getting teachers with requisite quality is that | | | | the desired outcomes and the processes that are |
| of guaranteeing quality service from these teachers. | | | | used to produce these outcomes are clearly spelt out. |
| The recommendation of Afe [2001] that "When | | | | Desired outcomes are measured from the perspective |
| well-qualified people are recruited into teaching, high | | | | of internal and external outcomes, and processes are |
| standards are ensured" cannot achieve this objective. | | | | measured from the perspective of the process |
| The performance of these qualified and productive | | | | owners and the activities needed to meet customer |
| teachers will not be measured and sustained if the | | | | requirements. Relationships among the anticipated |
| system of performance management is defective. | | | | results and the process needed to get the results |
| Concept of Balanced Scorecard | | | | should be fully understood before the team can assign |
| Kaplan and Norton [1992] developed Balanced | | | | meaningful performance measures. Specifically, the |
| Scorecard [BSC] in 1992 at Harvard Business School | | | | Strategic Map should be used to develop meaningful |
| in United States of America. The Balanced Scorecard | | | | performance measures for each objective. |
| is a strategic management system that enables | | | | 5. Champion New Initiatives |
| institutions to spell out their vision and strategy, and | | | | The team will now identify new initiatives that are |
| transform them in actions capable of achieving its | | | | needed for implementation to ensure that the new |
| mission. It is fundamentally used to determine | | | | strategies evolved are successful in the institution. The |
| organizational performance using financial and | | | | focal point of Steps 1 to 4 is that it will lead the team |
| non-financial measurement in four perspectives: | | | | to evolve new initiatives. These new initiatives |
| financial, customer, internal process, and learning and | | | | developed at the end of the scorecard building |
| growth. | | | | process are more strategic than if they are developed |
| Kaplan & Norton [2002] said, | | | | in the abstract. |
| "We created the Balanced Scorecard because | | | | 6. Implementation |
| financial measurements had become insufficient for | | | | This stage involves the implementation of the new |
| contemporary organizations. Strategies for creating | | | | initiatives developed through the balanced scorecard |
| value had shifted from managing tangible assets to | | | | by transmitting the details of implementation milestones |
| knowledge-based strategies that created and | | | | and responsibilities throughout the institution to the |
| deployed an organization's intangible assets, including | | | | various schools and departments, and ultimately to |
| customer relationships; innovative products and | | | | teachers, non-academic staff and students. The |
| services; high-quality and responsive operating | | | | corporate scorecard will be translated into the various |
| processes; skills and knowledge of the workforce; the | | | | schools and departments scorecards that are aligned |
| information technology that supports the workforce | | | | with the institutional strategy. The team should note |
| and links the firm to its customers and suppliers; and | | | | that the most effective way of achieve this is to start |
| the organizational climate that encourages innovation, | | | | with the objectives and measures from the |
| problem-solving, and improvement." | | | | institution-wide strategy map, and develop supporting |
| The Balanced Scorecard is a performance | | | | objectives [and measures] for the various schools and |
| management approach that is flexible and adaptable | | | | department, teachers, non-academic staff and |
| to fit any size institution. It aligns vision and mission with | | | | students. |
| stakeholders' expectations and the day-to-day | | | | 7. Post Implementation Review |
| activities of the institution, manages and evaluates | | | | At this stage, the Balanced Scorecard gains |
| strategy and guides operation efficiency plans. It also | | | | advantage over other traditional methods of appraisal |
| assists to develop organization capacity. The | | | | because it allows of the inbuilt mechanism of |
| scorecard allows the institution to measure financial | | | | post-implementation auto-evaluation. The success of |
| and customer results, operations, and organization | | | | the institutional strategies adopted is reviewed to |
| capacity as shown in Figure 1 below: | | | | determine whether the anticipated results have been |
| Figure 1: Balanced Scorecard Links Performance | | | | attained. The team will need to align the overall |
| Measures [Source: Kaplan S. R. & Norton P. D. | | | | strategy of the institution [that is, the mission] to ensure |
| [1992] The Balanced Scorecard - Measures that Drive | | | | that there is no deviation. Feedback mechanism is |
| Performance, Harvard Business Review Magazine - | | | | created to test the strategy assumptions to determine |
| January-February 1992 Edition, Boston, Massachusetts] | | | | their effectiveness. This feedback is analyzed and |
| Figure 2: Howard Rohm's Design of Balanced | | | | public expectations are factored into the analysis for |
| Scorecard Performance System [Source: | | | | effective review. |
| Performance Management in Action - A Balancing | | | | Recommendations |
| Act. Perform Volume 2, Issue 2] | | | | The following recommendations are offered to the |
| Balanced Scorecard in Education | | | | Federal Ministry of Education to consider Balanced |
| The Balanced Scorecard takes into cognizance that | | | | Scorecard approach for achieving better teachers' |
| mission is the key driver of the performance of | | | | performance management in the education sector in |
| institutions in the public sector. In application to the | | | | Nigeria. |
| education sector, therefore, the scorecard framework | | | | 1. Balanced Scorecard should be adopted as a |
| will change from profit making in Figure 2 to reflect its | | | | performance management system for teachers and |
| mission-driven nature stated in Figure 3. The Federal | | | | administrators in the school system. The scorecard is |
| College of Education [Technical] Akoka as a | | | | not expensive to implement because it can build on |
| not-for-profit institution has a mission to train quality | | | | existing appraisal methods and synchronize methods |
| teachers that would in turn educate learners in lower | | | | into a single platform of performance management. |
| levels of the education sector, and empower | | | | 2. A national central working committee comprising of |
| entrepreneurs to establish micro businesses to boost | | | | team of seasoned professionals drawn from the |
| the economy of the nation. Balanced Scorecard will | | | | academia and Organized Private Sector should be set |
| entrench strategies to measure the performance of | | | | up to advance the study of Balance Scorecard |
| teachers in the College to determine their operational | | | | beyond the precursory template of this paper and |
| efficiencies in curriculum implementation and classroom | | | | conduct extensive research with the objective of |
| teaching towards the actualizing of its mission. | | | | designing a national strategic map for the different |
| Figure 3: Design of Education Sector Balanced | | | | levels of educational institutions in Nigeria from the |
| Scorecard [An adaptation from Howard Rohm design | | | | Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education. |
| of public sector balanced scorecard] | | | | Competent and resourceful professionals should be |
| There is a paradigm shift of emphasis in the focus and | | | | appointed into the various scorecard teams at the |
| positions of the perspectives of the basic design of | | | | national and local levels. |
| the public sector scorecard system in Figure 3 in | | | | 3. A phased introduction and implementation of |
| contrast to the generic Balanced Scorecard | | | | Balanced Scorecard over a period of twelve to |
| performance system in Figure 2 because of the | | | | twenty-four is advocated. This will allow for effective |
| emphasis on Mission in the former. Employees & | | | | orientation and dissemination of the communications |
| Institutional Capacity in Figure 3 substitutes Learning | | | | plans to carry along all stakeholders. Change |
| & Growth in Figure 2 to underscore the relative | | | | management will be effective to eliminate resistance |
| significance of teachers as a leading element to | | | | and sabotage of the scorecard will be taken care of |
| synchronizes other components for achieving | | | | with this strategy. |
| institutional mission. Again, budget in Figure 3 is | | | | 4. Government should have the national will to approve |
| preferred to financial perspective in Figure 2 because | | | | the adoption of Balanced Scorecard and make |
| of the importance of budget formulation and execution | | | | adequate funds and resources like technology, and |
| processes in the management of government funds. | | | | literature available for its successful implementation. |
| Balanced Scorecard Benefits to Education | | | | 5. There should be knowledge exchange programme |
| 1. The Balanced Scorecard invents the concept of | | | | through the use of resource community at the local |
| continuous learning in performance management | | | | and international level. This activity will deepen the |
| system of the institutions. It aligns all the staff to | | | | knowledge and competence of the local and national |
| strategy in a single framework and eliminates | | | | teams that are empowered to facilitate the |
| multiplicity of strategy institution-wide implementation. It | | | | introduction and implementation of the scorecard. |
| involves the selection of metrics for the measurement | | | | References |
| processes, selection of initiatives, cohesively mould | | | | Achimugu, L. [2000], The agonies of nigerian teachers: |
| these initiatives into a single platform for strategic | | | | nut - friend or foe. |
| deployment and Spartan allocation of resources to | | | | Kano: Baron Press Limited |
| eliminate waste. | | | | Afe, J.O. (2001), Reflections on becoming a teacher |
| 2. It entrenches strategic planning as a way of life | | | | and: challenges ofteacher education. University of |
| rather than as a convenient alternative. It helps to build | | | | Benin: Inaugural Lecture Series 64 |
| a rational budgeting system in a tightly regulated | | | | Aghenta, J.A. (1991) Teacher effectiveness in the |
| economy with finite national financial resources. It ties | | | | nigerian educationalsystem. Edited by B.C. Emenogu, |
| resource allocations to performance and replaces | | | | O.V.N. Okoro et al Onitsha, Orient Publishers Ltd. |
| reliance on intuition in decision making to a systematic | | | | Berkman, Eric [2002] How to use the balanced |
| fact-based executive decision-making. It forecasts | | | | scorecard, CIO Magazine Issue of |
| future outcome by generating cause-effect predictions | | | | May 15, 2002. International Data Group Company |
| and creating scenarios. | | | | Federal Republic of Nigeria (1998). National policy on |
| 3. It assists to improve the institution's facilities, | | | | education. Lagos, |
| perception and rating of teachers in the mind of the | | | | Jega, A.M. (1997): The state and education in Nigeria |
| stakeholders as well as raises visibility of teachers' | | | | today, paper presented atthe "Kano Week '97, |
| activities in implementing government's reform | | | | organized by the Kano State Students' Association, |
| programmes, facilities feedback and entrench a culture | | | | Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, September 15. |
| of public accountability. | | | | Kaplan S. R. & Norton P. D. [1992] The balanced |
| 4. It enables institutions to benchmark best practices in | | | | scorecard - measures thatdrive performance, Harvard |
| terms of teachers' performance and output of service | | | | Business Review Magazine - January-February |
| delivery by using performance measurement data | | | | 1992 Edition, Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business |
| collected as a basis of comparison with global data | | | | School Press |
| resources. | | | | Kaplan S. R. & Norton P. D. [1996] The balanced |
| 5. It alleviates the funding burden on government. | | | | scorecard: translatingstrategy into action, Boston, |
| Education is not only a costly venture but also an | | | | Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press |
| economic venture without immediate return. Balanced | | | | Kaplan S. R. & Norton P. D. [2001] The |
| Scorecard will clarify the budgetary goals of the | | | | strategy-focused organization: howbalanced |
| institution and accelerate its budgeted economic | | | | scorecard companies thrive in the new |
| returns. As Colleges of Education gains funding | | | | businessenvironment, Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard |
| autonomy, the scorecard will entrench a culture of | | | | Business School Press |
| budgetary prudence and fiscal discipline. | | | | Kaplan S. R. & Norton P. D. [2002] Partnering: the |
| Building & Implementing A Balanced Scorecard | | | | new face of leadership, |
| This paper proposes a seven-step framework for the | | | | AMACOM |
| implementation of balanced scorecard for measuring | | | | Odumosu, A. I. O. [2004] Basic principles of education |
| teachers' performance in the education sector in | | | | and methods ofteaching. |