The Dynamics of Performance Management: Constructing Information and Reform (Public Management and Change)

We live in an era of governance by performance management, awash in performance data that supposedly will create superior efficiency and accountability. Proponents of the performance management movement argue that this abundance of information is the panacea that can solve all the problems of bureaucracy, from strategic planning through desired results. The few critics have called attention to the many complexities ignored by the movement. Donald Moynihan focuses on the ambiguity inherent in much of the performance information gathered and analyzes how this information is actually interpreted and used in state and federal agencies. Moynihan traces the development of performance information systems in the U.S. and probes when, how, and by whom this information is used. He considers the ways that different actors use them, considers their institutional interests, and assesses the varying potential for learning from the data in different contexts. Although critical of performance management, this book offers evidence of where and how performance information can be profitably used, given a more realistic set of expectations about the difficulties involved and the types of success possible.