ABSTRACT
This entry introduces the concept of the Balanced Scorecard as a self-assessment tool for organizational development in the public services. It describes how the use of one version of this, in its manifestation as the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), has helped governments in many countries to monitor and evaluate the progress of their performance improvement initiatives. In the case of public services that are subject to modernization or reform programs, such self-assessment could follow on from structural and functional reviews. Alternatively, it could precede such a review and could inform restructuring where this is deemed desirable for continuous improvement in service delivery. The entry also touches briefly on key requirements for the success of such an initiative.
