U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 Metrics are used
to help monitor, recognize, and correct problems as early as
possible. Metrics need to be measured against a references so
that deviations will trigger actions. Good metrics are
meaningful [i.e., they represent the progress of the project or
expected performance of the system], easy to collect, and help
make a decision. There are both technical and project management
metrics. Technical metrics track how well the finished project
will meet its performance objectives. Project management metrics
are whatever should be tracked during each process step to
reduce project risks and get what is expected. Cost and schedule
are key project management metrics for any project. Other
metrics may come out of the risk management process or
performance requirements. Each activity described in Chapter 3
includes a list of suggested metrics to be tracked during or in
support of that activity. CONTEX