ABSTRACT
Productivity improvement represents favorable changes in the ratio of outputs and outcomes to inputs. Thus, it is important to recognize the differences between various ratios of improvement. Productive management, public and private, has evolved from simple "common sense" in the late nineteenth century to complex systems in the late twentieth century. Concerns with public sector productivity measurement have been as constant as concerns with high taxes, corruption, or incompetence. Advanced technologies are as important to the public as to the private sectors, and the public sector has often pioneered new systems. In government, management improvement programs operate under many labels. The most innovative and productive public agencies integrate advanced management techniques into a comprehensive approach to productivity improvement. They institutionalize productivity improvements by identifying, implementing, measuring, and rewarding major cost savings and performance enhancements in their agency. They benchmark their efforts against similar organizations across the nation.
