ABSTRACT
This chapter examines strategies for improving the performance of public organizations. It discusses the many social factors that influence organizational performance and deals with a discussion of the privatization of government services. Public organizations need to unearth the mountains of available information by sharing experiences, participating in conferences, and joining Internet-based networks. Many public organizations suffer from the mistaken belief that government work is simple—that it can be learned rather quickly by virtually anyone. Governmental activities need to be identified clearly and separated into distinct programs. A program is a collection of activities that provides a specific public service. Each performance target needs to be monitored. Public managers can then make corrective changes if the performance data indicate a potential problem. Performance reporting is an essential link between performance measurement and improvement. It provides stakeholders—citizens, elected officials, community and interest groups, businesses, the media—with necessary information on organizational activities.
