Measuring State and Local Government Performance

Abstract

This chapter identifies issues that governments should consider before implementing a performance measurement system. A comprehensive performance measurement system might give information about how well a government, or single governmental agency, is operating in terms of all these performance dimensions. This chapter discusses the factors generally involved in deciding what performance dimensions the system addresses. It focuses on the particular problems of measuring program benefits or impacts and explores the consequences of omitting this dimension. The chapter looks at the role that goals should play in setting the scope of the performance measurement system. It considers the fact that performance measures can themselves affect performance and examines whether such reactive measures should be excluded from the system. One approach for deciding the scope of the performance measurement system might be to limit those goals used as guides in identifying what is to be measured to corrections-oriented goals and to exclude non-corrections-oriented goals.

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