Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Intermediate outcome measures play a crucial role in performance measurement by acting as indicators of progress toward achieving long-term outcomes. Although long-term outcomes are essential for understanding the overall impact of a program or initiative, intermediate outcome measures focus on the results that occur in the shorter term which are necessary stepping stones to achieve the ultimate goals.

These measures help organizations assess how effective their strategies are at making changes that will eventually lead to desired long-term outcomes. For example, if a program aims to reduce poverty, intermediate measures could include increases in employment rates or improvements in educational attainment. These metrics serve to guide decision-making and adjustments in program implementation to ensure that efforts are on track to achieve the more distant objectives.

In contrast, other options either misinterpret the function of intermediate measures or address different aspects of performance measurement. The purpose of focusing on intermediate outcomes isn’t primarily about measuring satisfaction with services or employee performance, nor does it concern determining results that are far into the future, which are better suited for long-term outcome measures. Thus, the correct answer highlights the significance of intermediate outcomes in assessing progress toward immediate results that contribute to long-term goals.