ABSTRACT
Tracking and trending how well an environmental compliance program is performing is an essential and ongoing necessity for a sustainable compliance program. An overarching characteristic of a high-functioning compliance program is the ability to continually adjust and make improvements based on performance. Tracking performance issues and trends can provide invaluable insight into program aspects that may be experiencing compliance issues or program elements that are not in alignment with the company mission or established strategy. In order to track performance that is meaningful to the compliance program and the company, relevant metrics must be identified and measured in a manner that enables a company to make focused adjustments to program aspects or processes that are not meeting company expectations, regulatory compliance obligations or external stakeholder expectations. The actual metrics and performance indicators to be used to measure a company’s environmental performance will most certainly be based on the specifics of each individual company and associated circumstances. Identifying the right set of metrics can be challenging and most often is an iterative process that requires refinement over time and continual process improvement.
