A. Benchmarks should be based on best practices. In benchmarking, the best performance anywhere can be used as a standard to be attained. The best performance of a competitor with a similar operation is a good "best practice" to emulate.

B. Benchmarks should be based on best practices. In benchmarking, the best performance anywhere can be used as a standard to be attained. Comparing similar units under similar economic conditions is acceptable as a benchmarking standard.

C. Benchmarks should be based on best practices. In benchmarking, the best performance anywhere can be used as a standard to be attained. The best performance of a unit in comparable past periods is a good "best practice" to emulate.

D. Benchmarks should be based on best practices. In benchmarking, the best performance anywhere can be used as a standard to be attained. The unit’s previous year's performance may have been outstanding, or it may have been average, or it may have been a disaster. Unless the previous year's performance was outstanding, it cannot be used as a benchmark, so the previous year’s performance is not an example of a benchmarking standard.