acceptable instrument or process. It is much less difficult, however, to argue that the acceptability of a performance evaluation instrument or process cannot be judged only on the basis of these three criteria. In addition to objectivity, validity, and reliability, a performance evaluation instrument or process must also be relevant and equitable, and it must provide for accountability (Mackenzie, 1988).
For an evaluation instrument or process to be relevant, it must measure directly all of the components of performance, as opposed to including only those which are either easy to measure, which are non-controversial, or which will provide an appearance of evaluation, without really providing one. Thus, a relevant evaluation instrument or process would measure results, as well as procedures.
For an evaluation instrument to be equitable, it must insure that one individual is not penalized in relation to another. As an example, using education again for illustration, if student competency were a part of
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