ABSTRACT
This chapter examines public outputs and outcomes and performance management in the public services. It investigates how this can be understood in a world where the cause of social problems and the effect of policy interventions is complex, highly unpredictable and difficult to reduce to simple elements of cause and effect. The chapter explores realistic ways of achieving improvements in performance, given the complexity of the public services environment. It argues that performance in public service might bear some resemblance to performance models in the private sector. Some research argues that the implementation of performance management regimes can make important efficiency gains, especially in the early stages of public service reforms. Complexity theory implies that it is the feedback process itself that offers us the best understanding of how performance is constructed. It is argues that true value maximization has largely been ignored in public services given the dominant austerity focuses on quantitative performance indicators and economy of inputs.
