Anti-cyclical performance of public funding agencies in the period of 2013-2020: an evaluation of operational evidences

Purpose The cash flow from government agencies to contractors, called progress payment, is a critical step in public projects. The delays in progress payments significantly affect the project performance of contractors and lead to conflicts between two parties in the Turkish construction industry. Although some previous studies focused on the issues in internal cash flows (e.g. inflows and outflows) of construction companies, the context of cash flows from public agencies to contractors in public projects is still unclear. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to develop and test diverse machine learning-based predictive models on the progress payment performance of Turkish public agencies and improve the predictive performance of these models with two different optimization algorithms (e.g. first-order and second-order). In addition, this study explored the attributes that make the most significant contribution to predicting the payment performance of Turkish public agencies. Design/methodology/approach In total, project information of 2,319 building projects tendered by the Turkish public agencies was collected. Six different machine learning algorithms were developed and two different optimization methods were applied to achieve the best machine learning (ML) model for Turkish public agencies' cash flow performance in this study. The current research tested the effectiveness of each optimization algorithm for each ML model developed. In addition, the effect size achieved in the ML models was evaluated and ranked for each attribute, so that it is possible to observe which attributes make significant contributions to predicting the cash flow performance of Turkish public agencies. Findings The results show that the attributes “inflation rate” (F5; 11.2%), “consumer price index” (F6; 10.55%) and “total project duration” (T1; 10.9%) are the most significant factors affecting the progress payment performance of government agencies. While decision tree (DT) shows the best performance among ML models before optimization process, the prediction performance of models support vector machine (SVM) and genetic algorithm (GA) has been significantly improved by Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS)-based Quasi-Newton optimization algorithm by 14.3% and 18.65%, respectively, based on accuracy, AUROC (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics) and F1 values. Practical implications The most effective ML model can be used and integrated into proactive systems in real Turkish public construction projects, which provides management of cash flow issues from public agencies to contractors and reduces conflicts between two parties. Originality/value The development and comparison of various predictive ML models on the progress payment performance of Turkish public owners in construction projects will be the first empirical attempt in the body of knowledge. This study has been carried out by using a high number of project information with diverse 27 attributes, which distinguishes this study in the body of knowledge. For the optimization process, a new hyper parameter tuning strategy, the Bayesian technique, was adopted for two different optimization methods. Thus, it is available to find the best predictive model to be integrated into real proactive systems in forecasting the cash flow performance of Turkish public agencies in public works projects. This study will also make novel contributions to the body of knowledge in understanding the key parameters that have a negative impact on the payment progress of public agencies.

The performance of public sector social security in Kenya has not been adequate and many are facing dismal performance trends in the performance of social security. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of transformational leadership on the performance of public sector social security agencies in Kenya. The study was anchored on transformational leadership theory. A positivist research philosophy was utilized in the study. The study adopted a correlational research design. The target population of the study was 176 public sector social security agencies in Kenya. The study purposively selected two managers from each of the 176 public sector social security agencies, resulting in a sample size of 352 participants. SPSS version 26 was used in the analysis of the data. The quantitative data from the closed-ended questions was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The data was presented using tables and graphs. The correlation results showed that transformational leadership is positively and significantly associated with performance (r = 0.770, p=0.000). Regression coefficient analysis revealed that for every one-unit increase in transformational leadership, performance is expected to increase by 0.703 units, holding other factors constant. The study concluded that transformational leadership has a significant effect on performance of public sector social security agencies in Kenya. The study recommends that the management should adopt a transformational leadership style to enhance the performance of the agency. This can include seeking differing perspectives from employees, encouraging innovation and creativity, offering support and empowerment, promoting problem-solving, meeting employee needs, delegating tasks, fostering diversity, treating individuals as unique, delegating authority and sharing information. In addition, there is the need of encouraging cooperation, instilling belief in positive impact, taking risks, complying with organizational values, earning trust and respect, modeling ethical behavior, aligning behavior with organizational goals, and encouraging a high-performance culture. Keywords: Transformational leadership, performance, public sector social security agencies, Kenya.

The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of the balanced scorecard dimension including financial perspective, customer perspective, internal business process perspective, learning perspective and growth perspective on the performance of public service agencies through competitive advantages at the Mardi Waluyo Regional General Hospital, Blitar City. This study uses a quantitative method. The determination of the sample was carried out using the purposive sampling technique so that a research sample of 100 public service employees was obtained at the Mardi Waluyo Regional General Hospital, Blitar City. The data collection technique used by the researcher is a questionnaire. The data analysis method used is path analysis. The results of the study prove that the balanced scorecard dimension consists of a financial perspective, a customer perspective, an internal business process perspective, a learning and growth perspective that has a significant effect on competitive advantage. The balanced scorecard dimension consists of a financial perspective, a customer perspective, an internal business process perspective, a learning and growth perspective that has a significant effect on the performance of public service agencies. Competitive advantage has a significant effect on the performance of public service agencies. The balanced scorecard dimension consists of a financial perspective, a customer perspective, an internal business process perspective, a learning and growth perspective that affects the performance of public service agencies through competitive advantage.

Accreditation of state and local public health agencies is a major national priority. North Carolina, a national leader in the accreditation of local public health agencies, undertook a pilot project to evaluate a process for accreditation of the state health agency, the North Carolina divisions of public and environmental health. This pilot project evaluated the instrument and process of a state public health agency accreditation effort and provided information on agency performance. The pilot project used a modified national public health performance standards state instrument to assess state health agency capacity and performance. A site visit followed a self-assessment process conducted internally within the state health department. The pilot project revealed that public health performance standards are a useful framework for state-level standards, but that measurement should focus on stem questions to ensure measurement at an appropriate, not overly detailed, level and reduce the level of work needed to complete the self-assessment process. The project also identified major strengths within the North Carolina Division of Public Health and laid the foundation for ongoing performance improvement under the leadership of the state health director and senior staff. As a result of this experience, accreditation of state health agencies is feasible and provides immediate benefit to state health agency leadership with respect to performance and quality improvement.

This research is the result of an empirical study that shows facts in explaining the properties that occur in the object under study through statistical principles. The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze the factors that influence the performance of regional public health service agencies in the city of Pekanbaru such as financial management of regional public service agencies, quality of human resources and utilization of information systems with internal control as moderating variables. The object of this research is all public health centers of regional public service agencies which is in the city of Pekanbaru. The results showed that the financial management of regional public service agencies, the quality of human resources , and the use of information systems had a positive effect on the performance of public health centers and was strengthened by the presence of internal controls. This research has implications for public sector organizations that implement financial management of regional public service agencies such as community health centers as motivation and evaluation materials related to performance achievement through the process of improving the financial management of regional public service agencies, the quality of human resources , utilization of information systems and internal control. Keywords: Financial Management of regional public service agencies, quality of human resources, utilization of information systems, organizational performance of local public service agencies

There were clear differences in our study between the management strategies employed by public agencies and those favored by private agencies. These differences, however, appeared to reflect the realities of financing rather than any fundamental differences in their orientation toward public service. There was no clear evidence that particular management practices affected an agency's performance on measures of financial access or acceptance of referrals from public hospitals. Government regulation and pressure from advocacy groups probably helped to maintain private agencies' focus on these and other public goals. From a public policy perspective, choosing a provider solely on the basis of ownership status is, at best, a naive approach to providing public mental health treatment. Not only is there great variation in process and practices within both private and public groups, but external factors such as competition from private practitioners may also exert a stronger influence on agency behavior than does ownership status. Because most current proposals for health care reform rely heavily on increased competition among providers to achieve their goals, the importance of ownership status as a predictor of conduct or performance may be further diminished. The emphasis on competition could increase differences between urban agencies and those in rural areas where there is less competition and, therefore, require different contracting approaches. As we move toward a health care system based on competition, administrators and policy makers will be forced to abandon their reliance on stereotypical public/private agency behavior as guides for policy decisions. Instead, they will have to consider more carefully the effects of political and market influences as well as agency characteristics when choosing community mental health providers.

As managers of state finances, the performance of public agencies in Indonesia will always be an important discussion in an effort to increase public participation. The performance of public agencies is important to study in order to be evaluated in making public policy. This study aims to determine the relationship between the quality of financial statements and the performance of public agencies mediated by transparency and accountability. This research is a type of correlational quantitative research with data collection techniques using closed questionnaires to employees of the general subdivision of KPP Pratama in the Jakarta area. The test analysis in this study was carried out with the help of SPSS software to test the validity, reliability, and normality of data, and SmartPLS to test the research hypothesis. This study was conducted only at KPP Pratama in the Jakarta area and did not take into account other variables that may be related to the performance of public agencies.

Agency performance represents ongoing results of public organizational processes. Evaluating it has long been a central concern of public administration, in part because it is primary means of judging consistency of agency decisions with policy mandates, and in part because it provides principal way to observe how agencies satisfy diverse public needs in a plural society. In short, organizational performance is a basis for measuring agency accountability and reflects who gets represented more and who less in organization's complex allocation of public resources. Most of literature on performance, however, is disappointing. On whole, it does not incorporate some important realizations about how intergovernmental relations have changed in response to scarce (even nonexistent) resources and how agency constituencies need to be defined for a more competitive plural society. To wit, public agencies have operated for more than a decade under severe fiscal constraints brought on by taxpayer revolts, resulting in continued budget crises, service interruptions, and indecisive planning. For purpose of bringing cost savings and multiple perspectives to bear on these stubborn issues, response has been to take formerly loose-coupled agencies and make them parts of overlapping systems of planning and coproduction. Being especially visible at metropolitan level, we see cases of this where specific problems become joint responsibility of a set of agencies brought together by problem's overlapping reach into their respective jurisdictions. Take, for example, multiple and simultaneous effects of homeless on police, transit, and health services. The new realities have also meant a reallocation of resources away from fragmented entitlement programs and toward cooperative agency investments in regional economic development. The joint venture between City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and VIA (the regional transit authority) to build and operate Alamodome is an illustration of shift. Hence, agencies find themselves in a metapolicy' environment (Gustafsson, 1983) where they must consider policy making from several perspectives and design programs and services in light of their overlapping impacts (positive and negative) on each other. Such a setting involves widely varying but interdependent views on agency performance. In mass transit, for example, taxpayers expect use of quantitative business methods to yield more efficient operations. In conflict with this, other constituencies compel transit agencies to make policies consistent with nontransit service demands such as cooperative land-use planning, retrofitting for handicapped, providing de facto homeless shelters, and cost sharing of urban development projects of indirect value to transit. This metapolicy dash and others like it in education, water resources, health, and other areas bring us to realize how dicy agency performance evaluation has become from any single perspective. But it raises a second realization as well. Much of our current understanding about agency performance hinges on a singular dedication to the client. Probably influenced by literature on excellence (Peters and Waterman, 1982), many have lost sight of fact that a public organization has many different and frequently competing constituencies or stakeholders. Beside clients (who may be multiple and conflicting, there are also taxpayers, agency's service delivery workers, its executive managers, operations managers, and other groups having a derivative stake in agency's organizational processes. Their needs must be addressed as well if democratic administration is to be viable in an increasingly diverse society. Performance: Overlooking Multiple-Constituencies The metapolicy environment and this enlarged notion of constituencies are serious developments for those seeking to determine how well public organizations perform. …

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of transformational leadership on organizational performance in public sector agencies in Somalia.
 Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.
 Findings: Several studies have investigated the impact of transformational leadership on organizational performance within public sector agencies, revealing significant insights. Transformational leadership, characterized by inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and idealized influence, has been found to positively influence various aspects of organizational performance. These include improved employee job satisfaction, increased employee commitment, enhanced organizational citizenship behavior, and greater organizational effectiveness. Furthermore, transformational leaders in public sector agencies tend to foster innovation and creativity among employees, leading to improved service delivery and better outcomes for stakeholders. Additionally, transformational leadership has been linked to higher levels of employee engagement and motivation, resulting in increased productivity and performance within these organizations.
 Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social exchange theory, agency theory and social learning theory may be use to anchor future studies on assessing the impact of transformational leadership on organizational performance in public sector agencies in Somalia. Public sector agencies should invest in leadership development programs that focus on cultivating transformational leadership competencies among managers and executives. Public sector agencies should revise hiring and promotion criteria to prioritize candidates with demonstrated transformational leadership qualities.

Previous studies of public organizational performance have focused mostly on operating efficiency, without dealing with the complex accountability problems associated with plural public interests. The fact that an agency exhibits multiple and often paradoxical performances has not been of comparable concern. This failure to account for performance in a multiple-constituencies context has led to a narrow view of how well agencies do. To broaden the research on agency performance, a multiple-constituencies model is introduced and tested for statistically significant variances. The findings confirm the model's robustness in structuring a dependent variable for empirical research on why agencies perform toward different public ends. Using data from UMTA Section 15 reporting, the model is applied to urban mass transit.

A major problem in assessing bureaucratic performance is the difficulty in judging the final social outcomes stemming from the work of public agencies. As a result, public agencies are frequently evaluated based on the outputs they produce. Agency outputs (such as, criminal cases solved, inspections) are easier to measure than the actual contributions agencies make to social outcomes (such as, preventing workplace discrimination, protecting the environment). When agency performance is evaluated in terms of numerical outputs, bureaucrats have an incentive to maximize outputs, regardless of whether maximizing outputs is the preferred strategy for achieving desired social outcomes (a form of goal displacement). This incentive to maximize outputs may lead to organizational cheating, in which public agencies purposely manipulate output levels to portray their work in the best light possible.This study examines the problems of goal displacement and organizational cheating in Texas public schools. Specifically, we examine the degree to which school districts cheat to manipulate student pass rates on standardized exams. School districts “cheat” by liberally exempting certain students from these exams in hopes of raising overall district pass rates. Scarce institutional resources and extreme task demands are associated with cheating. From a management perspective, this study demonstrates the problems in implementing performance standards. From an academic perspective, it provides the first theory about when and why organizations cheat.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mencari bukti empirik apakah penerapan Tarif Menkes RI, Tarif Otonomi Daerah dan Tarif BPJS Berpengaruh terhadap Kinerja keuangan RSUP.Dr.Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar , untuk melihat pengaruh penerapan Tarif Pelayanan terhadap Kinerja Keuangan Badan Layanan Umum RSUP.Dr.Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar menggunakan tiga variabel yaitu, Tarif Menkes (X1), Tarif otonomi Direksi (X2), dan Tarif BPJS (X3). Dalam penelitian ini, sampel yang diambil adalah 50 orang dari pasien yang berkunjung dan pegawai di RSUP. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui observasi langsung dan survei yang diperoleh dengan cara pembagian kuesioner kepada para responden. Penelitian ini menggunakan model analisis regresi linier berganda dengan software SPSS V 20.. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Tarif otonomi Direksi dan Tarif BPJS berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kinerja keuangan Badan Layanan Umum RSUP. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar dan Tarif Menkes RI berpengaruh positif dan tidak signifikan terhadap Kinerja Keuangan Badan Layanan Umum RSUP. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar. Hal ini ditunjukkan dari hasil uji regresi linear berganda yang menunjukkan Y = 1,319 + 0,063 X1 + 0,183 X2 + 0,503X3 . Berdasarkan hasil kesimpulan penelitian ini Penerapan Tarif Menkes RI,Tarif otonomi Direksi dan Tarif BPJS berpengaruh positif terhadap Kinerja Keuangan Badan Layanan Umum RSUP. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar. This research aims to find empirical evidence whether the application of the Menkes tariff, regional autonomy tariff and BPJS tariff affect the financial performance of RSUP. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar, to see the influence of the implementation of service tariffs on the financial performance of the RSUP public Services Agency. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar uses three variables, namely Menkes Tariff (X1), the autonomy rate of the Board of Directors (X2), and the Tariff BPJS (X3). In this study, samples were 50 people from visiting patients and employees at RSUP. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar. Data collection is conducted through direct observation and surveys obtained by the distribution of questionnaires to respondents. This research uses multiple linear regression analysis models with SPSS V 20 software. The results showed that the autonomous tariff of directors and tariffs of BPJS have a positive and significant effect on the financial performance of the RSUP General Services Agency. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar and tariff Menkes RI effect positive and insignificant to the financial performance of public service agency RSUP. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar. It is shown from a double linear regression test result showing Y = 1.319 + 0.063 X1 + 0.183 X2 + 0, 503X3. Based on the results of the conclusion of this research implementation of tariff Menkes RI, the tariff and tariff autonomy of BPJS has a positive effect on the financial performance of public service agency RSUP. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar.

This project is a collaboration between Portland State University (PSU) and the Center for Infrastructure Transportation & Environment (CITE) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute seeking to develop performance measures for assessing the impacts of social media on promoting public transit. Revolutionary changes have occurred in the communication landscape, and there has been a rapid diffusion of social media use as a means of communicating transit information to the public. Significant resources are being directed to the use of social media in communication, yet little effort exists that measures the impacts of these popular vehicles of communication. Rarely studied is the role of social media in achieving the overarching goals of advancing the mission of transit agencies through increasing recruitment and retention of transit riders; increasing resources and customer satisfaction; addressing system issues, performance efficiency and effectiveness; and improving employee productivity and morale. There is a need to measure the impacts of social media and account for the cost effectiveness of its wide use as a means of communication in public transit agencies. This research intends to extend understanding about whether investments in social media tools effectively achieve their intended purposes. The goal of this project is to identify social media-related measures for public transit agencies that can comprehensively capture the impacts of social media use on agency performance. This project will rely on a review of the research and practice literature to document findings in other fields on performance measures used to assess the impacts of social media. Best practices will be identified. A survey of a random sample of public transit agencies nationwide will target identifying performance measures currently used to document impacts. Gaps will be identified. Investigators will compare and contrast measures used in transit agencies and other fields and identify a list of performance measures that are most effective for transit agencies.

The management of social security by some state agencies has been accused of the issue of low coverage and not affordability. Thus, the purpose of the study was to examine the mediating effect of social security administration on relationship between transformational leadership and performance of public sector social security agencies in Kenya. The study was anchored on institutional theory. A positivist research philosophy was utilized in the study. The study adopted a correlational research design. The target population was 176 public sector social security agencies in Kenya. The study purposively selected two managers from each of the 176 public sector social security agencies in Kenya, resulting in a sample size of 352 participants. SPSS version 26 was used in the analysis of the data. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The correlation results showed that social security administration is positively and significantly correlated with performance (r = 0.796, p=0.000).  Social security administration plays a significant role in mediating the relationship between transformational leadership and performance in the public sector social security agencies in Kenya.  The study concludes that social security administration encompasses several aspects, including having a clear vision and direction, inducing responsibility and technical expertise among employees. The study recommends that the management should prioritize having a clear vision and direction, instilling responsibility and technical expertise in employees. There is the need of maintaining an effective communication flow, promoting honesty and integrity, capitalizing on opportunities, prioritizing resource allocation based on urgency, investing financial resources wisely and keeping administration costs low. Social security agencies has to improve service delivery, communication and complaint platforms to be customer-centric. In addition, the government should develop a comprehensive social security policy for all citizens, including the informal sector. Keywords: Social security administration, transformational leadership, performance, public sector social security agencies, Kenya

This chapter focuses on the evaluation of public policy and administration. Institutionalized for decades in many places worldwide, policy evaluation has become a routinized and professionalized activity. However, assessing the performance of public agencies and the impact of the policies they implement is a highly political endeavor. As part of the executive branch and directly subordinate to governments, public agencies can be scrutinized and evaluated as an extension of political struggles. On the other hand, public agencies also use evaluation to advance their own objectives. This chapter examines the issues attached to the evaluation of public policies and administrative activity in relation to power games within and across the branches of government. It reveals how politicians and public servants can make strategic use of policy evaluations, as well as how this instrument serves not only reflexive and oversight purposes, but also agenda-setting ambitions. The chapter then presents an overview of the controlling, defensive and proactive functions of evaluation in policy struggles. Drawing upon these developments, the chapter underlines just how far from neutral evaluations can be in the politico-administrative game.