IF WE VALUE WHAT WE MEASURE, IT IS TIME TO INVEST IN BETTER WATER DATA SYSTEMS

摘要

Lately, I have been thinking quite a bit about the measurement and use of water resources data, and the need to develop, maintain, and make accessible water data sets that can aid in managing a wide range of hydroser-vices. I believe this can be summed up in a quote that I am probably butchering, and I do not know who to attribute it to, but I believe it goes something like "You only value what you measure." There are many interpretations related to this quote, or quotes like this, such as the article by Dan Ariely in the Harvard Business Review entitled "You are what you measure" (June 2010, p. 38). The basic premise of the article is that developing a particular metric, or measure, of the performance of a company will drive the behavior of that company. What this quote, and its many interpretations point out, is that to effectively manage any process, system, entity, or function requires access to reliable information in a timely fashion that is directly related to its objectives. It is clear that the idea of the development of performance metrics, and the underlying need for robust data collection efforts, is taking an ever important place in our society. This includes developing data collection processes and attempting to create metrics to assess the performance, and guide the policies related to, educational programs, a wide variety of governmental functions, and even to manage professional sports (think Money Ball). Thus, it should be no surprise that to effectively plan and manage any water resources system requires a robust data collection and management effort.