Performance Based Government

This report presents an overview of performance-related pay policies (PRP) for government employees in selected OECD member countries over the past two decades. Both the strengths and the weaknesses of PRP policies are assessed. The report explores ...

In this book, Barrett and Greene present evolving theories of performance management, the practices necessary for a good performance-based government, and the pitfalls that can easily be encountered along the way—andhow to avoid them. As performance management has evolved, it has encompassed many different tools and approaches including measurement, data analysis, evidence-based management, process improvement, research and evaluation. In the past, many of the efforts to improve performance in government have been fragmented, separated into silos and labeled with a variety of different names including performance-based budgeting, performance-informed management, managing for results and so on. Making Government Work: The Promises and Pitfalls of Performance-Informed Management by Katherine Barrett and Rich Greene is loaded with dozens of stories of what practitioners are currently working on—what’s working and what’s not. The benefits are ample, so are the challenges. This book describes both, along with practical steps taken by practitioners to make government work better. Readers will discover that while the authors strive to meet the documentation standards of carefully vetted academic papers, the approach they take is journalistic. Over the last year, Barrett and Greene talked to scores of state and local officials, as well as academics and other national experts to find out how performance management tools and approaches have changed, and what is coming in the near-term future. Performance management has been in a state of evolution for decades now, and so Barrett and Greene have endeavored to capture the state of the world as it is today. By detailing both the challenges and conquests of performance management in Making Government Work: The Promises and Pitfalls of Performance-Informed Management, Barrett and Greene ensure readers will find the kind of balanced information that is helpful to both academics and practitioners—and that can move the field forward.

This book provides a fresh look at the process by which governments hold themselves accountable to their citizens for performance. Unlike the plethora of other books in the field, it examines all aspects of the Performance Management and Budgeting issue, not only from the federal, state, and local perspectives, but also internationally in both developing and developed countries.Covering both conceptual and theoretical frameworks in performance management and budget, the book analyzes the effectiveness of different approaches. Featuring insights from a group of distinguished contributors, it ties current performance management approaches into the century-old literature on public sector reform and management, and presents arguments for and against performance management as well as recommendations on how to improve the enterprise.

"Enhancing the performance of the civil service has been a central objective of the United States since the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 authorized a performance-based component to federal salary structures. In 2003, the National Commission on the Public Service, also known as the Volcker Commission, recommended that explicit pay-for-performance (PFP) systems be adopted more broadly throughout the federal government. The authors compare several proposals aimed at enhancing the role of PFP in the federal government: a White House proposal (the Working for America Act), which recommends that the entire federal workforce be converted to PFP systems by 2010; and three bills in the 110th Congress. This occasional paper examines the advantages and pitfalls of explicit PFP schemes compared with the largely seniority-based salary system that still covers more than half of federal civil servants. The authors consider why using PFP in the public sector is challenging, what can be learned from the social science literature, recent practical experience, and growing congressional opposition to PFP."--Rand web site

Book Review: Performance-Based Contracting Step by Step Process to Achieve - Checklists Toolkit Best Practices Multi-million and billion-dollar government contracts are increasingly being awarded as a result of performance-based statements of work developed by government acquisition teams. In the past, a federal agency would issue a statement of work setting out the work to be done, minimum requirements, performance dates and so on.Today, more and more federal agencies are requesting performance work statements (PWS) which turns the procedure around. Simply defined, performance-based contracting allows government to acquire services via contracts that define what is to be achieved, not necessarily how it is done. Contractors are required to develop the statement of work using performance metrics, measuring tools and a quality assurance plan. It enables contractors to follow an innovative development approach and allows the agency to evaluate each proposal for performance benefits before the contract is awarded.Writing a Performance-Based Statement of Work is not easy. Focusing on the product to be purchased and outcomes and not the process requires discipline and guidance. This book, Performance Based Contracting, is an invaluable guide in understanding this process and helping government put in place more effective, efficient acquisitions and industry to secure major federal contracts.The book shows you how to write a successful performance-based statement of work with lots of case studies and examples. Chapters lead you through all the steps necessary from planning and market research to writing the performance-based statement of work and everything in between.The book highlights the key elements of performance-based acquisition which encourage innovative business practices and emphasizes that performance-based acquisition requires the participation of all stakeholders the users, the acquisition workforce and industry to ensure the requirement is adequately satisfied.The book also stresses that it is vital that all stakeholders understand the importance of their role in the process which is comprehensive and must include the user, and many different functional team members including financial managers, legal advisors, program (project) managers, contracting officers, contracting specialists and so on. It is essential that industry be a key participant, especially, but not only, when the requirements are complex.This is a ''must read'' book for anyone and everyone involved in the federal contracting whether they are seeking to win contracts or are responsible for awarding and managing them.The authors have researched extensively through federal sources to bring the reader the most comprehensive desk reference available on all aspects of the performance-based contracting. This book has drawn heavily on the authoritative materials published by the a wide range of federal agencies including the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the General Services Administration (GSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Headquarters, Department of the Army. Then, the authors have organized the information into an organized and logical presentation, added their own experience and a high value step-by-step process to provide a valuable resource to contract veterans and newcomers alike.The easy to follow step-by-step process explains the duties and responsibilities of all parties in the acquisition process, key skill areas required and how these are applied throughout the contracting life cycle. Finally, the authors provide a wealth of forms, report formats, checklists checklists and more checklists that guide all key individuals through the performance-based process.Throughout this handbook, there are case studies, checklists, exercises and structured "if-then" guides designed to prepare contract writers and evaluators for the tasks in hand, give them a powerful set of management tools, motivate them to succeed and inspire them to adopt best practices in order to achieve even more positive performance outcomes.

​This book explains the basic concepts of the performance management, including the achievement of government goals, management capacity, administrative efficiency and policy effects. Taking Hangzhou, one of the largest cities in China, as an example, the book offers readers a new dimension through which the government can be understood and reformed—performance. Performance management has become an important component of public administration in China, and its use is beneficial in evaluating performance and social benefit. It also incentivizes civil servants to become more motivated and innovative, prevents the development of a bureaucratic atmosphere and facilitates communication between the public sector and the people. The book first introduces the concept of the performance management, providing a detailed description of its history, basic theories and its development. It then discusses the evolution of the system (from objective-based responsibility system evaluation to “vote for excellence”), its three basic areas (performance management on the national, local and municipal levels) and its key components: openness, democracy, accountability and performance. This book allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of government performance management in China and its contribution to the modernization of state governance and political legitimacy.