Public Service Performance: Perspectives on Measurement and Management

The performance of governments around the globe is constantly in the spotlight, whether as a celebration or indictment of their activities. Providing evidence on strategies to improve the performance of public agencies is therefore essential to the practice of public management. Originally published in 2006, this important contribution to the debate explores issues of measurement, research methodology, and management influences on performance. It focuses on three key questions: what approaches should be adopted to measure the performance of public agencies? What aspects of management influence the performance of public agencies? As the world globalizes, what are the key international issues in performance measurement and management? In examining these questions, the contributors debate both methodological and technical issues regarding the measurement of performance in public organizations, and provide empirical analyses of the determinants of performance. The book concludes with groundbreaking work on the international dimensions of these issues.

"In both theory and practice, the notion of 'performance' has become one of the big drivers of public sector action. But there's been painfully little careful thinking about what it is, how it works, and how it might transform democratic government. This book is a superb and path breaking contribution-one that builds a strong, effective foundation on which further work in this burgeoning field can build."
-Donald F. Kettl, Director, Fels Institute of Government, University of Pennsylvania

"This is a terrific collection, featuring most of the international heavyweights. If you want an expert perspective on public service performance, this is it."
-Christopher Pollitt, Professor of Public Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam and Scientific Director, Netherlands Institute of Government

"This important contribution to the debate explores issues of measurement, research methodologies, and management influences on performance."
-Abstracts of Public Administration, Development, and Environment

An important 2006 contribution to the debate about how to improve the performance of public organizations.

The performance of governments is constantly under scrutiny. Providing evidence on strategies to improve the performance of public agencies is therefore essential to the practice of public management. This important 2006 contribution to the debate focuses on the key issues of measurement, research methodology, and management influences on performance.

1. Introduction George A Boyne, Kenneth J. Meier, Laurence J. O'Toole, Jr. and Richard M. Walker; 2. Subjective and objective measures of organizational performance: an empirical exploration Rhys Andrews, George A. Boyne and Richard M. Walker; 3. All measures of performance are subjective: more evidence on US federal agencies Gene A. Brewer; 4. A qualitative evaluation of public sector organizations: assessing organizational performance in healthcare Rachael Addicott and Ewan Ferlie; 5. Quantitative approaches towards assessing organizational performance Peter C. Smith; 6. Consequences of goal ambiguity in public organizations Young Han Chun and Hal G. Rainey; 7. Performance control and public organizations Patrick Kenis; 8. Bureaucratic red tape and organizational performance: testing the moderating role of culture and political support Sanjay J. Pandy and Donald Moynihan; 9. All that glitters is not gold: disaggregating networks and the impact on performance Kenneth J. Meier, Laurence J. O'Toole, Jr. and Yi Lu; 10. Network evolution and performance under public contracting for mental health services Keith G. Provan, H. Brinton Milward and Kimberley Roussin Isett; 11. The design and management of performance-based contracts for public welfare services Youseok Choi and Carolyn J. Heinrich; 12. Outsourcing government information technology services: an Australian case study Graeme Hodge and Anne Rouse; 13. International comparisons of output and productivity in public service provision: a review Mary O'Mahony and Philip Stevens; 14. Public management and government performance: an international review Melissa Forbes, Carolyn J. Hill and Laurence E. Lynn, Jr.; 15. What drives global e-government? An exploratory assessment of existing e-government performance measures Eric W. Welch, M. Jae Moon and Wilson Wong; 16. Public management and organizational performance: an agenda for research George A. Boyne, Kenneth J. Meier, Laurence J. O'Toole Jr. and Richard M. Walker.