As concern for accountability has taken center stage, many human service organizations have responded by bolstering their ability to assess the services they provide. The concept accountability refers to efficiency as well as effectiveness. Efficiency...
As concern for accountability has taken center stage, many human service organizations have responded by bolstering their ability to assess the services they provide. The concept accountability refers to efficiency as well as effectiveness. Efficiency is a measure of how much each unit of output costs. Effectiveness is a measures of the quality or that output.
Both efficiency and effectiveness are important. But when human services organizations measure their performance, they often ignore their efficiency. Efficiency is not cost cutting; not is it being businesslike. It does not mean a lack of concern for quality; nor does it lead to rule by irrational standards. Properly understood and used, efficiency would work against the unreason that is an aspect of all of the above conditions. The search for efficiency is the search for a better relationship between means and ends. When more is accomplished with the same amount of resources, better relationship has been achieved.