Performance Measurement
Contents
- Overview
- Organizations
- Articles, Papers and Reports
- Washington Local Government
- Out-of-State
- Performance Measures by Functional Area
Overview
This webpage is intended as a resource for Washington local government elected officials, managers and staff who are developing and implementing performance measurement systems.
Why Measure Performance?
The use of performance measures in local government is being driven by increased citizen demands for government accountability, greater interest on the part of local legislators in performance related information to assist in program evaluation and resource allocation decisions, and the efforts of various organizations and professional associations to make governments more results-oriented.
Performance measurement allows policy makers, managers, and citizens to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of government services. Performance measures include inputs (resources used), outputs (program activities), efficiency measures (ratio of inputs to outputs), and outcomes (the actual results of programs and services). Many performance measurement systems are limited to measuring program inputs and outputs. Ideally, however, performance measurement efforts will also generate information about program results and outcomes.
Supporting Organizations
Performance measurement is supported and encouraged by a number of organizations and professional associations, including the International City/County Management Association, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, and the Government Finance Officers Association.
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) supports performance measurement research and development through their Center for Performance Measurement. The program provides on-site training in performance measurement concepts and data collection techniques and access to a database of comparative performance information from participating city and county governments. Several Washington cities and one county (Bellevue, Bothell, Burien Clyde Hill, Kent, Kirkland, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Medina, Mercer Island, Pasco, Redmond, Renton, Richland, Sammamish, Shoreline, Tacoma, University Place, Kitsap County, Vancouver, and Yakima) have joined in ICMA's performance measurement program.
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) has been promoting performance measurement since the early 1980's. In 1990, GASB began publishing a series of research reports on "Service Efforts and Accomplishments Reporting" to assist governments with the development of performance measures. In 1994 the GASB issued Concepts Statement No. 2, stating that "service efforts and accomplishments information - including both financial and nonfinancial performance measures - is an essential aspect of the measurement of governmental performance and is necessary for assessing accountability and making informed decisions."
Since 1997, GASB's research has been funded by grants from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The objective of this project is to encourage use and reporting of performance measures and, based on their use, to determine whether performance measures have developed to the point where the GASB will consider establishing service efforts and accomplishments (SEA) reporting standards or guidelines for inclusion in the general purpose external financial reports.
The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recommends that program and service performance measures be developed and used as an important component of long term strategic planning and decision making which should be linked to governmental budgeting.
Organizations
- International City/County Management Association - Center for Performance Measurement
- Governmental Accounting Standards Board - Performance Measurement for Government
- Government Finance Officer's Association - Performance Management: Using Performance Measurement for Decision Making (2002 and 2007) - Updated Performance Measures (
) (2007) (GFOA recommended practice)
- Rutgers University, School of Public Affairs and Administration - The National Center for Public Performance
- Association of Government Accountants - Performance and Accountability
- Fund for the City of New York - Center on Municipal Government Performance
- National Governor's Association - Best Practices in Managing for Results
Articles, Papers and Reports
- Performance Management: When Results Matter, International City/County Management Association - This document provides an overview of the benefits of implementing a successful performance management system.
- Performance Measurement in Practice, International City/County Management Association, Center for Performance Measurement, 2007 - Case study reports from De Kalb, Illinois, Bellevue, Washington, Westminster, Colorado, and Miami-Dade.
- Performance Measurement Resources for Local Government, International City/County Management Association and Government Finance Officers Association - guide provides you with resources you need to implement and maintain a performance measurement system in your local government.
- Guide to Performance Measure Management, (
) 2006 Edition, State of Texas
- Performance Measures Best Practices - National Performance Review, June 1997.
- Linking Performance Measures to Resource Allocation," (
) Philip B. Scheps, Government Finance Review, June 2000
- Performance Measurement: The Link to Effective Government, (
) Government Finance Officers Association, Research Bulletin, April 1994
- GASB State and Local Government Case Studies - As a part of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board’s (GASB) long-term performance measurement project, during 1999 the GASB's researchers conducted intensive interviews in 26 state and local governments across the country.
- Open Memorandum to: Government Executives, From: Executive Session on Public Sector Performance Management, Re: Get Results through Performance Management - State/Local Edition (
) - Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, June 2001.
- Selected MRSC Library Holdings - Performance Measurement. [Note: Clicking on this link will take you to a list of documents available on loan through the MRSC library.]
- Primer on Performance Measurement, U.S. Office of Management and Budget, February 28, 1995.
- A Brief Guide for Performance Measurement in Local Government, National Center for Public Performance, Rutgers University.
- Case Studies, National Center for Public Performance, Rutgers University - Narratives of citizen-driven initiatives that involve citizens in the measurement of government performance.
- Implementing Performance Measures, Liane Levetan, American City & County, Sep 1, 2000
- The Oregon Option: Early Lessons from a Performance Partnership on Building Results-Driven Accountability, Barbara Dyer, Partner, The Public's Work for The Alliance for Redesigning Government of the National Academy of Public Administration, July 1996 - This report was developed to "describe the evolving concept of accountability for results that are crucial to the Oregon Option."
- Managing for Results - Analytic Challenges in Measuring Performance (
), U.S. General Accounting Office, May 1997. - Performance Measurement: The Link to Effective Government, (
Washington Local Governments
Bellevue
- Report to Bellevue Citizens (September 2010): Four-page report focusing on Bellevue's vital signs and overall performance.
- 2010 Performance Measures Survey Report - Scientifically valid annual citizen survey that assesses how residents view the city's services and overall performance.
- 2008 Budget Survey Report (March 2008): Conducted every two years to learn about resident budget priorities, the importance and level of satisfaction with city services and the value residents feel they get for their tax dollars.
- 2009 Annual Performance Report - Citizen-based performance measures and community indicators called "Bellevue Vital Signs" gives the reader a sense of the city's overall health. Departments report their performances in annual "scorecards."
- 2006 Comparative Cities Performance Report - Participating in a national program sponsored by the International City and County Management Association, the city regularly produces a report comparing Bellevue to other local and national jurisdictions.
- 2005 Citizen Forum Report
- 2005 Annual Performance Report, (
) City of Bellevue, June 2006
- 2004 Comparative Cities Performance Report, (
) City of Bellevue, January 2006
Kent
King County
- 2009 King County AIMs High: Annual Indicators and Measures
- 2008 King County AIMs High: Annual Indicators and Measures
- 2007 King County AIMs High: Annual Indicators & Measures
- King County Benchmark Reports (Monitoring growth management efforts in King County)
Kirkland
- Performance Measures Web page
- Performance Measures 2008 Packet
- Performance Measures 2007 Packet
- Performance Measures 2006 Packet
Lynnwood
- Annual Performance Report, July 25, 2005
- Annual Performance Report (
) - City of Lynnwood, May 2003
- Lynnwood Municipal Code Ch. 2.70 - Performance Measurement and Results
- The National Citizen's Survey 2002 (
) - Report of Normative Comparisons for the City of Lynnwood, Washington - National Research Center, Inc., August 2002
- The National Citizen's Survey - Report of Results for the City of Lynnwood, Washington (
) - National Research Center, Inc., August 2002
Mercer Island
- Performance Measures - Mercer Island Dashboard
- 2010 Mercer Island Dashboard Report
- 2009 Mercer Island Dashboard Report
- 2008 Mercer Island Dashboard Report
Redmond
Tacoma
- Performance Management 2009 Report to Citizens (
)
- Performance Management 2008 Report to Citizens
- Performance Management System
- Performance Measures
Vancouver
- 2010 Performance Report (
)
- 2009 Performance Report (
)
- Performance Measurement and Management
- Performance Snapshots and Business Plans
Out-of-State
Austin, Texas
- Performance Measures Database - The database provides the citizens an opportunity to review performance measures by overall department, department programs, or specific department activity.
- City of Austin Community Scorecard - The City of Austin provides information on how the city is delivering services in four major categories: Public Safety; Youth, Family and Neighborhood Vitality; Sustainable Community; and Affordability.
- Monthly Performance Reports - The city reports detailed financial information every month.
- Quarterly Performance Reports - The City reports detailed financial and performance information every quarter.
- Managing for Results - Business Planning Guide.
Charlotte County, Virginia
- Performance Management and Strategic Planning
- Strategic Planning Handbook - Charlotte's Model for Integrating Budget and Performance Management (
)
Denver, Colorado
Fairfax County, Virginia
- Basic Manual for Performance Measurement (
)
- Data Collection for Performance Measurement Manual (
)
- Surveying for Customer Satisfaction Manual (
)
- Managing For Results (Advanced) Manual (
)
- Performance Measurement Matters - A quarterly newsletter
- Performance Measurement Training Slide Show (
)
Maricopa County, Arizona
- Managing for Results - Strategic Plans and Performance Measures
- Managing for Results Reports and Publications
- Community Indicators
- Citizen Satisfaction Survey
North Carolina
- North Carolina Benchmarking Project - University of North Carolina School of Government
Phoenix, Arizona
Portland, Oregon
- Managing for Results
- Developing Program Performance Measures - September 21, 2005
- City of Portland Service Efforts and Accomplishments: 2006-07
- Service Efforts and Accomplishments: 2002-03 (
)
Performance Measures by Functional Area
Administration
- Recommended Service Reporting Indicators for City Clerks, David N. Ammons, "Municipal Benchmarks: Assessing Local Performance and Establishing Community Standards," Sage Publications, 1997, pp. 35, 36-40.
Economic Development
- Recommended Service Efforts And Accomplishments (Sea) Reporting Indicators For Economic Development, Citizen-Driven Government Performance, The National Center for Public Productivity.
Information Technology
- City of Kirkland - 2008 "Information Technology" Performance Measures
- Information Technology Department 2010-1011 Annual Performance Measures (
112 MB)
Law Enforcement
- Law Enforcement Tech Guide for Creating Performance Measures That Work - A Guide for Executives and Managers (
), U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2006
- City of Kirkland 2006 Police Performance Measures
- Recommended Service Efforts and Accomplishment (SEA) Reporting Indicators for Police, Citizen-Driven Government Performance, The National Center for Public Productivity
- Center for Program Evaluation and Performance Measures, Bureau of Justice Assistance
- Police and Law Enforcement Performance Standards and Levels of Service, MRSC
- Police and Law Enforcement Services Organization and Management, MRSC
- Police Levels of Service, (
), from Level of Service Standards: Measures for Maintaining the Quality of Community Life, MRSC, Report 50, 1994
Parks
- City of Kirkland 2006 Parks Performance Measures
- Recommended Service Efforts And Accomplishments (SEA) Reporting Indicators For Parks And Recreation, Citizen-Driven Government Performance, The National Center for Public Productivity
Public Health
- Recommended Service Efforts and Accomplishments (SEA) Reporting Indicators For Public Health, Citizen-Driven Government Performance, The National Center for Public Productivity
Risk Management
- Benchmarking, Best Practices, and Performance Measurements for Public Entity Risk Management Guidelines, (
) Colorado Chapter of the Public Risk Management Association, November 1999
Streets, Roads, Traffic
- City of Kirkland - 2006 "Highways and Roads" Performance Measures
- Recommended Service Efforts and Accomplishments (SEA) Reporting Indicators For Road Maintenance, Citizen-Driven Government Performance, The National Center for Public Productivity
- Recommended Service Efforts And Accomplishments (SEA) Reporting Indicators For Street Sweeping, Citizen-Driven Government Performance, The National Center for Public Productivity
Related MRSC Resources

