Research institutions in Ghana are facing various challenges. It is the contention that viableresearch and development institutions are needed for achieving sustainable change in areas ofnational importance. A key aspect of institutional viability is strong performance management.This implies clear and workable approaches to performance measurement. This paper looks atthe initial experiences in a collaborative effort to develop a performance measurementframework for the Food Research Institute (FRI) and the application of the Balanced ScoreCard (BSC) at institutional level. The process of diagnosing and analysing institutionalmonitoring and evaluation capacity and systems is described using a mix of diagnostic tools.Stages in applying the BSC approach are documented and the added value of the scorecardperspectives in highlighting focal areas for performance measurement and management withinFRI. These are placed in the context of ongoing changes in the external environment posingboth threats and opportunities. Changes implied by the introduction of the concept arediscussed in the context of current constraints and the way forward is mapped out in terms ofenhancing FRIs’ impact orientation through the application of improved performancemeasurement and management.