In recent years, a commitment to increased accountability and improved performance has become essential in both governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations. To help managers and executives in their ongoing quest for greater accountability and improved performance, Theodore H. Poister offers a comprehensive resource for designing and implementing effective performance measurement systems at the agency level. The ideas, tools, and processes in this vital resource will help organizations develop measurement systems to support such results-oriented management approaches as strategic management, results-based budgeting, performance management, process improvement, performance contracting, and employee incentive systems. Using this book as a guide, public and nonprofit organizations can accurately measure outputs, efficiency, productivity, effectiveness, service quality, and customer satisfaction, and use the resulting data to strengthen decision-making and improve agency and program performance. Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organizations shows how to identify outcomes and other performance criteria to be measured, tie measures to goals and objectives, define and evaluate the worth of desired performance measures, and analyze, process, report, and utilize the data. This important resource also shows how to tailor performance measurement systems to support particular management and decision-making processes. Specific applications of performance measurement include strategic planning and management, budgeting, performance management, process improvement, and comparative benchmarking.

In addition, the book identifies common methodological and managerial problems that often confront managers in developing such systems, and presents a number of targeted strategies for the successful implementation of measurement systems in public and nonprofit organizations.