ABSTRACT

Throughout the 1980s the British Civil Service devoted much time and energy developing indicators to measure the performance of government. Never before had so much stress been placed on accountability and performance; a trend which will be reinforced as government continues to devolve activities to agencies and looks for methods to assess their performance.
How Organisations Measure Success analyses existing methods from their origins in the 1960s to their revival in the 1980s as part of the Financial Management Initiative and its apotheosis in the 1990s Next Steps Initiative.
How Organisations Measure Success reports on two years of field research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and will be of great interest to students of social policy and public administration as well as professionals working in government and public sector management.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|20 pages

Revolution or resurrection?

The history of a concept

chapter 2|27 pages

Models, measures, and muddles

Organisational and conceptual dimensions of performance indicators

chapter 3|37 pages

The criminal justice system

Police, courts, and prisons

chapter 4|29 pages

The welfare system

Social Security and the National Health Service

chapter 5|20 pages

The private sector

Banks, building societies, and retail stores

chapter 6|27 pages

Managing monopolies

Railways, water, and airports

chapter 7|19 pages

Performance indicators in the 1990s

Tools for managing political and administrative change