Improving Government Performance

Improving Government Performance

The Clinton administration's National Performance Review of the federal government (also called the Reinventing Government Initiative) is the eleventh effort this century to improve the executive branch and reform the federal service. Most previous efforts have faltered. How can present and future recommendations avoid the same fate? This book provides practical and timely guidance to those trying to improve government performance. The focus of successful attempts, the authors argue, should be sustained evolution, not bursts of invention aimed at sweeping transformation. Specific proposals address ways to change government over the long term, ways to streamline bureaucracy, attract more resourceful and innovative workers, and make agencies more responsive to their customers, the citizens.

Improving Government Organization and Performance

Improving Local Government Performance through Benchmarking

Improving Local Government Performance through Benchmarking sets the record straight on benchmarking and its value for performance improvement in local government. Benchmarking is a widely adopted public management reform of recent decades; yet, it is often misunderstood by city and county governments; viewed too narrowly; or underappreciated by managers, elected officials, and students of local government for its potential as a tool. This book helps students of public administration and practitioners in local government—municipal and county government executives, department heads, program managers, and management analysts—to better understand the two major types of benchmarking in use by local governments in the US and beyond (metrics benchmarking and best practice benchmarking) and the promise and limitations of each type as tools of performance improvement. It lays out strategic decisions in the design and management of benchmarking projects and highlights common errors to avoid— preparing managers and analysts for greater benchmarking success. Written in an easy-to-read style, this book will provide practical assistance to local government officials and students of public administration who aspire to become practitioners in the future.