In Pursuit of Performance: Management Systems in State and Local Government

Front Cover
Patricia W. Ingraham
JHU Press, Apr 15, 2007 - Political Science - 272 pages

Based on five years of extensive research by the Government Performance Project, this volume offers a comprehensive analysis of how government managers and elected officials use management and management systems to improve performance. Drawing on data from across the nation, it examines the performance of state, county, and city governments between 1997 and 2002 within the framework of basic management systems: financial information, human resources, capital and infrastructure, and results evaluation.

Key issues addressed:
• How governments strategically select elements of management to emphasize the role of leadership
• How those governments that aim to improve performance differ from those that do not
• What "effective management" looks like

Through this careful, in-depth investigation, the contributors conclude that the most effective governments are not those with the most resources, but those that use the resources available to them most carefully and strategically. In Pursuit of Performance is an invaluable tool for government leaders and the scholars who study them.

 

Selected pages

Contents

Why We Need to Do It
1
Managing the Finances of State and Local Governments
15
Capital and Infrastructure Management in State and Local Government
57
Human Resource Management in States Counties and Cities
82
Information Technology Management in States Counties and Cities
117
Managing for Results in State and Local Government
151
Chapter 7 Integration of Management Systems in State and Local Government
178
Applying the GPP Model to Other Governments
195
Chapter 9 Counting the Ways Management Matters to Performance
212
The Analytical Model for the GPP
233
Criteria Used by GPP Analysts
235
Governments Evaluated by the GPP
237
List of Contributors
243
Index
247
Copyright

Common terms and phrases

ability accounting achieve activities Administration adopted agencies analysis annual applications appropriate areas assessment assets average balance better budget building capacity capital management central chapter cities citizens collected communicate conducted cost counties created criteria debt decisions departments developed effective efforts elected employees estimation evaluation example executive expenditure financial management Finding fiscal formal functions fund goals Government Performance grades hiring human resource management implementation important improvement indicate Information Systems information technology integration investment involvement leaders leadership legislative limited maintenance management capacity management systems managing for results means measures ment municipalities needs noted objectives officials operating organizations overall percent performance performance information political positive practices present Public questions reform reported require responses Review sector specific strategic planning survey Table tion University workforce

About the author (2007)

Patricia W. Ingraham is Founding Dean at the College of Community and Public Affairs, Binghamton University. She is the author of The Foundation of Merit: Public Service in American Democracy and coauthor of Government Performance: Why Management Matters, both published by Johns Hopkins.

Bibliographic information

TitleIn Pursuit of Performance: Management Systems in State and Local Government
Johns Hopkins Studies in Governance and Public Management
EditorPatricia W. Ingraham
Editionillustrated
PublisherJHU Press, 2007
ISBN0801891930, 9780801891939
Length272 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Political Science / American Government / State
Political Science / General
  
Export CitationBiBTeX EndNote RefMan