KPI for DBM

Sunshine Reinken Watson

What is a measurable KPI to show how well a Database Manager is doing their job? Simple is best.

Laura Easterly

A few things that come to mind...

• How many QC (quality control) queries they have created and how often they run them.
• What policies and procedures/documentation they've prepared.
• Turn-around time on various requests.

Austen Brown

I agree with what Laura has said. I also track how I am spending my time: total time spent on projects, goals, and job responsibilities (that can be compared - weekly, monthly, and yearly).

Faith Murray

Hmm, one of my former bosses wanted those types of data, so I would send a weekly email counting total # of records changed, # addresses updated, mailing/email lists, reports run, # imports or projects completed. And then once a month or so I would send him a list of upcoming goals for the coming month (which is way easier than trying to track hours spent on particular projects). I've included an edited version of one of them from 2017 below. But you know, after I threw enough of these reports at him for a few months, he really didn't seem interested in receiving them anymore. He had been new to his position and I think after he got an idea what all work I did, he felt confident enough in my role that he didn't need a list anymore. None of my other bosses have ever asked for one.


The problem with trying to create metrics for a DBM, especially for a shop with split roles, is that most DBMs inherit less-than-efficient databases. So the real worth of a DBM is seen in how well they make the database usable to other users and how well they clean and re-organize the data stored. In other words, not how much time the DBM spends on tasks, but on how much time their implemented processes save time for others within the database. Data entry tasks can be easily scored by metrics (number of addresses cleaned, new donors entered, etc.). But a truly effective DBM is most recognized by a list of projects completed that will never be repeated again such as code table cleanup, new user security optimization, Business Rule efficiencies, and software integration mappings. In creating this type of job performance metric system, I urge you to avoid systems that would measure your DBM in terms of their lower-level data entry skills, and look instead at the true sign of a skilled DBM: their optimization capacities.


Anyhows, here's my "Sample 2017 Monthly Goals report for then-boss":

Data Cleanup/DBM
College mailing list - restructure Contacts system
Conversion system Action tracks entry
Spring Appeal & Newsletter address updates
RE Foundations flagging system
Sustainers coding
Data scorecard for BlackBaud assessment
Create Data Scrub strategy
Help Director formulate Sustainer policies
New NCOA address updates
Cleanup prep for June Annual Report pulls
Write off bad pledges/recurring gifts
Audit Reports for Treasurer May 31

Data Entry
Departing students
New Acquisition donors
New scholarships contacts
Alumni appointments
Import/update Spring emails
5K Run new people

Direct Mail/Lists
Analyze Acquisition results by May's end
Solidify Summer Acquisition plan (lists, testing)
Pull Fall Event Mailing list
Fall in-kind donor list
Recommend Sustainer prospect criteria
Discuss Lapsed donor strategy

Proposed Skills Improvement (with approval)
Conference webinar (Data Mining)
Blackbaud webinar (RE Action Tracks)
University class (Grant Metrics/Reporting)

Jason Hamman

Faith Murray:

Hmm, one of my former bosses wanted those types of data, so I would send a weekly email counting total # of records changed, # addresses updated, mailing/email lists, reports run, # imports or projects completed. And then once a month or so I would send him a list of upcoming goals for the coming month (which is way easier than trying to track hours spent on particular projects). I've included an edited version of one of them from 2017 below. But you know, after I threw enough of these reports at him for a few months, he really didn't seem interested in receiving them anymore. He had been new to his position and I think after he got an idea what all work I did, he felt confident enough in my role that he didn't need a list anymore. None of my other bosses have ever asked for one.


The problem with trying to create metrics for a DBM, especially for a shop with split roles, is that most DBMs inherit less-than-efficient databases. So the real worth of a DBM is seen in how well they make the database usable to other users and how well they clean and re-organize the data stored. In other words, not how much time the DBM spends on tasks, but on how much time their implemented processes save time for others within the database. Data entry tasks can be easily scored by metrics (number of addresses cleaned, new donors entered, etc.). But a truly effective DBM is most recognized by a list of projects completed that will never be repeated again such as code table cleanup, new user security optimization, Business Rule efficiencies, and software integration mappings. In creating this type of job performance metric system, I urge you to avoid systems that would measure your DBM in terms of their lower-level data entry skills, and look instead at the true sign of a skilled DBM: their optimization capacities.


Anyhows, here's my "Sample 2017 Monthly Goals report for then-boss":

Data Cleanup/DBM
College mailing list - restructure Contacts system
Conversion system Action tracks entry
Spring Appeal & Newsletter address updates
RE Foundations flagging system
Sustainers coding
Data scorecard for BlackBaud assessment
Create Data Scrub strategy
Help Director formulate Sustainer policies
New NCOA address updates
Cleanup prep for June Annual Report pulls
Write off bad pledges/recurring gifts
Audit Reports for Treasurer May 31

Data Entry
Departing students
New Acquisition donors
New scholarships contacts
Alumni appointments
Import/update Spring emails
5K Run new people

Direct Mail/Lists
Analyze Acquisition results by May's end
Solidify Summer Acquisition plan (lists, testing)
Pull Fall Event Mailing list
Fall in-kind donor list
Recommend Sustainer prospect criteria
Discuss Lapsed donor strategy

Proposed Skills Improvement (with approval)
Conference webinar (Data Mining)
Blackbaud webinar (RE Action Tracks)
University class (Grant Metrics/Reporting)

I appreciate this response. Yes, you can hire a DBM to do task-oriented reporting to ensure they're busy but what are the long term benefits of this measure. To grow the person professionally and strengthen the organization, you need someone who can correct data as well as optimize, troubleshoot, and think creatively to solve data and organizational challenges that support the larger team.


As a DBM, I might also look at:

• What key reports require manual manipulation each time due to dirty data?
  • Have those been identified and prioritized?
  • Have they been fixed/cleaned?
• Are routine data audits being performed? From them, is the DBM able to see trends that inform their next projects and actions?
  • I look for common mistakes people make and often just talk with colleagues to learn how they use the database (or not) and what could be done to make it a more painless process through building a dashboard, adding new data fields, or training on where to find the data they need.