President Bush set enactment of a national oil law that centralizes development and ensures an equitable division of the profits as a key benchmark of progress.
So far, these problems have proved insurmountable, and the oil law, one of President Bush's benchmarks of progress in Iraq, has stalled.
But as criticism of the assault has risen, it has brought into question another American benchmark of progress in Iraq: political reconciliation.
Both parties said the critical question would be how or whether to hold the Iraqis responsible for meeting benchmarks of progress.
While few expect the process to be perfect, electing a new president to replace the two-term Hamid Karzai has become a crucial benchmark of progress.
A boycott would frustrate attempts to push through crucial legislation sought by Congress as benchmarks of progress in Iraq, and would be a serious setback to reconciliation between the country's Shiite majority and its once ruling Sunni Arab minority.
(One slightly odd note: Petraeus cited, as a benchmark of progress, the security of Kabul, saying, in the Times's words, that in 2009 "there was talk of the capital's falling to the insurgents". How near a thing was that? And are we winning because the capital isn't falling? It is as hard here as everywhere to judge just how well things are going in Afghanistan).
As research and knowledge are cumulative processes, such global gatherings have been useful in establishing benchmarks of progress, pointing to future priorities, and facilitating cooperation among different actors.
Successful institutions also supplement such "stepped-up recruitment efforts with specific plans to support and retain students after they arrived on campus … [including] targeted scholarships, strengthened mentoring, support of graduate student groups for peer mentoring, and earlier and more frequent benchmarking of student progress toward the degree," the authors write.
"Due to the lack of benchmarks for progress, Colombia could still have a record year of assassinations and the action plan would be declared a success," Miller said.
