Measurement and Analysis Infrastructure Diagnostic, Version 1.0: Method Definition Document

This document is a guidebook for conducting a Measurement and Analysis Infrastructure Diagnostic (MAID) evaluation. The MAID method is a criterion-based evaluation method that is used to assess the quality of an organization’s data and the information generated from that data. The method is organized into four phases: (1) Collaborative Planning, (2) Artifact Evaluation, (3) On-site Evaluation, and (4) Report Results. Using the MAID evaluation criteria as a guide, a MAID team systematically studies and evaluates an organization’s measurement and analysis practices by examining the organization’s data and observing how the data is manipulated during its lifecycle, from the collection of base measures to the information provided to decision makers. The outcome of a MAID evaluation is a detailed report of an organization’s strengths and weaknesses in measurement and analysis.