Transcript USE
USING PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF GOVERNMENT: A "MEGA-TREND" IN INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC MANAGEMENT National Civil Service Institute Examination Yuan Steve Kelman Weatherhead Professor of Public Management Harvard Kennedy School USE OF PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT A “MEGA-TREND” IN PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND (1980s) UK “TARGETS” UNDER THATCHER/MAJOR/BLAIR US GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS ACT (1993) CHINA (MOSTLY FOR PROMOTION/DISCIPLINE OF SENIOR OFFICIALS) INTEREST IN PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT = INTEREST IN RESULTS GOVERNMENT DELIVERS PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE THE PUBLIC SECTOR'S EQUIVALENT TO THE PROFIT MEASURE FOR BUSINESS FIRMS! UK – COVENTRY YOUTH OFFENDING SERVICE TWO VIEWS OF PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT RECORDING – LIKE A THERMOMETER THAT MEASURES TEMPERATURE WITHOUT CHANGING IT A PAPER EXERCISE! PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT / BEHAVIOR CHANGE “USE IT OR USELESS!” PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT APPROACH: WAYS MANAGERS CAN USE PERFORMANCE MEASURES COMMUNICATION/FOCUS MOTIVATION LEARNING RESOURCE ALLOCATION PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT APPROACH COMMUNICATION/FOCUS PRIORITIES: “WHAT GETS MEASURED GETS NOTICED” (CHINA ENVIRONMENTAL TARGETS ADDED TO GDP GROWTH) SMALL NUMBER: “IF EVERYTHING IS A PRIORITY, NOTHING IS A PRIORITY” PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FROM TOP OF THE ORGANIZATION MOTIVATION LEARNING RESOURCE ALLOCATION PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT APPROACH COMMUNICATION MOTIVATION GOALS MOTIVATE VS. “DO YOUR BEST” MOTIVATION OCCURS EVEN WITHOUT FINANCIAL REWARDS! BEST GOALS ARE NOT TOO EASY BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE KENNEDY: “MAN TO THE MOON IN 10 YEARS” BASIS FOR INDIVIDUAL AND/OR GROUP REWARDS? LEARNING RESOURCE ALLOCATION PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT APPROACH COMMUNICATION MOTIVATION LEARNING NEED DATA ABOUT PERFORMANCE AS BASIS FOR LEARNING ABOUT WHAT’S WORKING AND NOT WORKING FEEDBACK ON YOUR OWN PERFORMANCE OVER TIME – LEARNING TO THROW DARTS IN A PUB COMPARISON ACROSS UNITS DOING SIMILAR THINGS “THERE IS NO GREATER WASTE THAN A GOOD IDEA USED ONLY ONCE.” RESOURCE ALLOCATION PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT APPROACH COMMUNICATION MOTIVATION LEARNING RESOURCE ALLOCATION TIME/ATTENTION CONCENTRATE ON WORST? BUDGET ALLOCATION WITHIN ORGANIZATION PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT… THE GOOD NEWS: YOU GET MORE OF WHAT YOU MEASURE THE BAD NEWS: YOU GET MORE OF WHAT YOU MEASURE PROBLEM: “TEACH TO THE TEST” “TEACH TO THE TEST” (I): GOAL IS FINE, MEASURE OF THE GOAL IS POOR “TEACH TO THE TEST” (II): MEASURE IS FINE MEASURE OF GOAL, BUT IGNORES OTHER GOALS “TEACH TO THE TEST” (III): GAMING/CHEATING “TEACH TO THE TEST” (I): GOAL IS FINE, MEASURE OF THE GOAL IS POOR • USING SHORT-RUN EARNINGS INCREASES FOR JOB TRAINING PROGRAM GRADUATES AS A MEASURE OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS “TEACH TO THE TEST” (II): MEASURE IS FINE MEASURE OF GOAL, BUT IGNORES OTHER GOALS “TEACH TO THE TEST” (III): GAMING/CHEATING “TEACH TO THE TEST” (I): GOAL IS FINE, MEASURE OF THE GOAL IS POOR “TEACH TO THE TEST” (II): MEASURE IS FINE MEASURE OF GOAL, BUT IGNORES OTHER GOALS • QUANTITY/SPEED VERSUS QUALITY “TEACH TO THE TEST” (III): GAMING/CHEATING “TEACH TO THE TEST” (I): GOAL IS FINE, MEASURE OF THE GOAL IS POOR “TEACH TO THE TEST” (II): MEASURE IS FINE MEASURE OF GOAL, BUT IGNORES OTHER GOALS “TEACH TO THE TEST” (III): GAMING/CHEATING • AIRLINE ONTIME PERFORMANCE • CHINA PRISONS FOR PETITIONERS PROBLEMS DON’T NECESSARILY MEAN DON’T USE PERFORMANCE MEASURES EVERY MEASURE DISTORTS DON’T LET THE PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD Performance Using Imperfect Measures ? Performance Using Perfect Measures ? Worst Performance Best Performance Performance Using No Measures Performance Using No Measures SUMMARY MESSAGE: INCORPORATE PERFORMANCE MEASURES AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE WAY YOU MANAGE AND LEAD YOUR ORGANIZATION USE PERFORMANCE MEASURES NOT JUST TO RECORD YOUR ORGANIZATION’S PERFORMANCE, BUT TO IMPROVE IT http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/ http://www.nyc.gov/html/ops/cpr/html/home/home.shtml http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/showdoc.html?id=7100 Shelley Metzenbaum “Performance Accountability: The Five Building Blocks and Six Essential Practices” http://www.businessofgovernment.org/pdfs/M etzenbaumReport2.pdf -EndThank You.