<P> Performance measurement are carried out in the design, building, operation and maintenance of systems, machines, devices, structures, materials and processes . In design, performance measurement can be of physical properties, parameters, etc., while in maintenance, repair, and operations, and reliability engineering, failures, availability, maintainability and OEE are common measures . Within maintenance, EN 15341 lists 71 performance indicators, whereof 21 are technical indicators . Based upon the structure of EN 15341, a review of railway infrastructure indicators is offered by Stenström et al . </P> <P> According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.4 million nonprofit organizations in the United States alone . Measuring the success of a nonprofit at achieving its mission is a common practice and at times is needed in order to secure funding . It is important to measure the success of nonprofit organizations in order to improve its performance and ensure accountability . However, there is no standard method used to measure the success of nonprofits since they vary in their size, structure, and mission . A survey conducted by the Social Enterprise program at Harvard Business School found that nonprofit organizations' board members frequently considered performance measurement to be one of their top three concerns . </P> <P> Performance measurement is not a new concept, but rather an old concept of renewed importance today . In 1943, the International City Management Association published an article on measuring the performance of municipal activities . During the Kennedy administration, systems analysis processes were introduced to the Department of Defense which fueled interest in performance measurement in the federal government . Other agencies began experimenting in performance measurement when the Johnson administration introduced what they called planning - programming - budgeting system (PPB). Eventually more and more state and local governments began using performance measurement to improve their management and budgeting . The use of performance measurement became a common practice in the 1970s with the introduction of new social programs that needed to be assessed . However, interest in performance measurement did dwindle in the 1980s, as people did not perceive benefits of using performance measurements in making decisions . In the 1990s, performance measurement was reenergized as the demands for holding government entities accountable to public increased . A number of resolutions were passed by associations such as the National Academy for Public Administration, urging government to set goals and measure their performance and in 1993, The Government Performance and Results Act was passed by the federal government requiring their agencies to become involved in strategic planning, goal - setting, and performance measurement . </P> <P> The Balanced Scorecard "translates an organization's mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures that provide the framework for a strategic measurement and management system". It was originally made for the private sector to "overcome deficiencies in the financial accounting model". </P>

What is meant by performance evaluation what are the criteria for performance evaluation