Performance art: Enabling better management in the public services

The Institute conducted a project examining government performance management from April to November 2008.

The research included over 100 interviews with politicians and practitioners at all levels of government, comparisons with governments overseas, and widespread consultation with key stakeholders.

We focused particularly on two of government's main performance management frameworks, Public Service Agreements (PSAs) and Local Area Agreements (LAAs), which were significantly revised from April 2008.

We found that the changes to these frameworks improved government performance management – in particular, through the emphasis on reducing micro-management and encouraging collaboration across public services.

But our evidence also showed that more needed to be done, both to improve relationships across the government system and to refine the mechanics of government’s performance regimes. The report recommends how to achieve these goals.