ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the conceptualization of performance measurement as a complex process. It discusses two overarching themes that emerged from the survey results and the follow-up telephone interviews: that performance measurement is a complex process and that use of information is more than what most people think it is. The chapter presents excerpts of the experiences of state and local governments that exemplify the nature of the process of utilization and the amount of time, effort, and negotiation that is required to develop a system that is credible and acceptable to those affected by the information. In the state of Utah, the impetus for strategic planning and performance measurement started with strong advocacy from members of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the late 1980s. In 1998 the Illinois Department of Human Services began an effort to develop a performance management system for its newly created Teen Responsibility, Education, Achievement, Caring, and Hope program.
