These are challenging trends. Performance measurement could have a fundamental role in
responding to them. Done well, performance measurement helps managers know what they are
achieving, and adjust the focus of their attention on to those things they need to
improve. Done well, performance measurement enables politicans to demonstrate the impact
of their policies to the public and provides hard evidence for future policy-making. Done
poorly, performance measurement feeds cynicism and provides excuses to argue about the
system of measurement, rather than which services need to be improved.
It is crucial that government departments make their PSAs more than just a paper
exercise – that they use them as an effective tool to secure continuous improvement
as part of modernising government. The twelve key questions attached at Annex A will help
people at all levels challenge themselves about how effective their own systems of
performance measures and targets will be.
We would welcome comments on any aspect of this paper.
