ABSTRACT
Measuring and evaluating performance is a common feature of public management. At the federal level, the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 requires officials to measure and report on their performance in pursuit of goals developed and set forth in performance management plans (see Box 5.1). GASB standards for state and local governments stress the importance of performance information in external financial reporting, and the organization has offered guidance on measuring performance.1 A survey of municipalities with a population of 25,000 or more found that 38 percent have programs designed to monitor performance.2 About 34 percent of counties use some form of performance measurement according to another report.3 All but three states, research shows, have requirements for performance management systems.4
