Performance Management in the Public Sector

Summary

This presentation explores performance management in the public sector, focusing on productivity, common governmental challenges, and two key approaches: New Public Management (NPM) and New Public Service (NPS). It defines productivity as the relationship between results and resources, highlighting inefficiencies like idle time and non-productive activities. The script delves into the evolution of public management during the Clinton administration, introducing NPM's market-based principles and customer-centric services. It contrasts NPM with NPS, which emphasizes democracy, citizen involvement, and public interest over market-driven approaches. The presentation offers a comprehensive overview of public sector management, touching on both historical and modern perspectives.

Takeaways

• 😀 Performance management in the public sector focuses on improving efficiency by measuring the relationship between results produced and the resources required.
• 😀 Governments often face challenges such as idle time, slow work pace, and non-productive activities, which can be addressed through performance standards and work scheduling.
• 😀 Performance management involves linking goal achievement to budgetary allocations, making decision-making more results-driven.
• 😀 The Clinton administration's 1990s initiative on reinventing government emphasized cutting waste and improving efficiency using market-based customer service principles.
• 😀 The era of new public management (NPM) was shaped by an emphasis on treating citizens as customers and applying private-sector practices to public services.
• 😀 NPM led to a shift towards fee-for-service models in local governments, reflecting the privatized, market-based approach.
• 😀 Critics of NPM argue for a return to democratic values and citizenship, focusing on the public interest rather than market-driven efficiency.
• 😀 New public service (NPS) advocates for government services to be rooted in democratic theory, emphasizing dialogue and deliberation about shared values.
• 😀 In NPS, public servants are motivated by societal contribution and adherence to law and community values, rather than serving individual customer interests.
• 😀 NPS differentiates between citizens and customers, viewing citizens as active participants in the democratic system, not just recipients of services.
• 😀 The public interest in NPS is seen as an aggregation of individual citizen interests, reflecting the need for government action on vital public functions.

Q & A

What is productivity in the context of public sector performance management?

Productivity in the public sector is defined as the measurable relationship between the results produced and the resources required for production. It serves as a quantitative measure of efficiency.

What are some common problems that governments face in performance management?

Governments often face problems such as idle time, slow work pace, wasting time on non-productive activities, and inefficiencies due to excessive travel times.

How do governments address performance management challenges?

Governments address these challenges by implementing performance standards, improving scheduling, and taking corrective actions to reduce inefficiencies and increase productivity.

What is the relationship between goal achievement and budgetary allocations in performance management?

Performance management seeks to link goal achievement to budgetary allocations by ensuring that resources are used effectively to meet desired outcomes, emphasizing results-driven decision-making.

What role did the Clinton administration play in public sector management?

The Clinton administration focused on reinventing government by applying market-based, customer service principles to improve government efficiency, cutting waste, and reducing the size of government.

What is New Public Management (NPM)?

New Public Management is an approach to public administration that emerged in the 1990s, emphasizing efficiency, market-based principles, and viewing citizens as customers in a way that mirrors private-sector management.

How did NPM influence the Clinton administration's approach to government?

NPM influenced the Clinton administration by promoting a market-driven, quality-focused approach to government, which included initiatives to reduce government waste and emphasize customer service.

What are the criticisms of New Public Management?

Critics of NPM argue that it prioritizes market efficiency over democratic values, focusing too much on cost reduction and efficiency rather than public engagement, citizenship, and democratic governance.

What is New Public Service (NPS), and how does it differ from NPM?

New Public Service focuses on the idea that government services should reflect democratic theory and public interest. It contrasts with NPM by emphasizing citizen engagement, public service, and the importance of community values over market-driven approaches.

How do advocates of New Public Service view citizens in relation to government?

Advocates of NPS view citizens as integral participants in the governmental system who contribute to decision-making processes, in contrast to viewing them as mere customers in a marketplace.