ABSTRACT
Performance measurement is the activity of documenting the activities and accomplishments of programs. It is about showing, for example, how well a school system is teaching children, how well the criminal justice system resolves its cases, how well the military fights war, and how well environmental management protects coastlines, air quality, and endangered species. It is about measuring what programs are really achieving. Many people want to know how public monies are being spent and what they are achieving. Accountability is about providing such information to elected officials, oversight bodies, managers, citizens, and others, and of justifying that the activities and choices that were made were legitimate, effective, and in the public interest. Performance measurement systems provide considerable detail about programs, and the accountability that is provided by public officials often relies on performance measurement, which is presented in reports and at public hearings (Poister 2003; Guajardo and McDonnell 2000; Walters 1998).
