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Report - a review of UK and international public sector performance frameworks & approaches

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Published Monday, 04 February 2008 14:30
The Improvement Service commissioned a report that provides a review of UK and international public sector performance management frameworks and indicators and highlights innovation from across the world. The report provides details on the most innovative and comprehensive performance frameworks from which Scottish local government can learn. The report begins by reviewing current practice across the UK, and in particular the new performance framework under development in England. This new framework is clearly signalling a shift from current performance assessment to that which focuses upon outcomes and ‘area' assessments. This is particularly interesting from the Scottish perspective, given the agreement between the Scottish Government and Scottish local government to move towards the development of Single Outcome Agreements.

The report then goes on to look at international approaches to performance assessment and measurement within the public sectors in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and finally the USA.

The report highlights the following key lessons, which are of value to Scottish local government in its drive to move towards more outcome focused performance management:

  • The management of the transition from input/output to outcome measurement is critical to the success of developing outcome focused approaches to performance management.
  • A structured approach to developing outcome measures is necessary in order to ensure measures are robust and consistent.
  • A performance system has to be adapted to the context within which it is going to operate if it is to be successful in supporting improvement within public services and promoting improvement in the accountability of public services.
  • Piecemeal tinkering with performance measurement at the fringes of a system is insufficient if we are going to achieve an outcome focussed approach to performance assessment and reporting.
Further information

A review of UK and international public sector performance management frameworks and approaches

 
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