Use Of Performance Information Research Articles

The uninformed budge yet the misinformed buck: performance information and citizen satisfaction

ABSTRACT This article examines the impact of performance information on citizen satisfaction in the context of an environmental information disclosure programme in the U.S. Through a survey experiment on a nationally representative sample, it finds that the impact depends on disconfirmation, which is the difference between performance information and citizens’ prior perceptions. However, the impact extends only to the uninformed, who do not have strong prior perceptions, but not to the misinformed, who confidently hold incorrect perceptions. With the misinformed consisting a large portion of the population, the findings have important implications for the use of performance information in public management.

Fostering the “Performativity” of Performance Information Use by Decision-Makers through Dynamic Performance Management: Evidence from Action Research in a Local Area

A local area configures a socio-economic system in which several institutions interact. As stakeholders hold different values and perhaps conflicting interests, managing local area performance is a dynamic and complex issue. In these inter-institutional settings, performance management may help address such complexity. Traditional performance management approaches, mostly based on static and linear analysis, fail to capture the dynamic complexity of local-area performance, bounding decision-makers’ mindsets to an organizational view of performance. Overcoming such limitations requires methods oriented to grasp a better understanding of the social reality in which their institutions operate. This contribution aims to illustrate how the Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) approach may foster a “performative” use of performance information by decision-makers in inter-institutional settings. To this end, the article highlights the importance of designing conducive learning settings (i.e., action research enhanced by a system dynamics-based interactive learning environment) to support decision-makers make such a cognitive leap. Drawing from empirical evidence on destination governance studies, the article shows that enriching performance management with system dynamics modeling may help decision-makers to reflect on key issues impacting local area development, sparking a discussion on potential actions to balance economic, social, and competitive dimensions of performance. Findings reveal that DPM insight modeling holds explanatory and communicative potential in real forums by providing decision-makers with an understanding of the means-end relationships linking strategic resources to outcomes through value drivers. The use of such performance information can help local area stakeholders to (re)conceptualize the social reality in which their institutions operate. By acting as a “maieutic machine”, DPM fosters a shift from an organizational and static to an inter-organizational and dynamic view of local area performance. Implications of the study include the opportunity to provide training to strengthen the active use of performance information by decision-makers in inter-institutional settings.

Use of Performance Information and External Accountability: The Role of Citizen Oversight in Mitigating the Motivated Evaluation of Body-Worn Camera Evidence

Despite being touted as a game-changing technology, studies on the influence of body-worn cameras (BWCs) on policing outcomes have produced mixed results, with the underlying reasons for such findings unclear. Drawing on the sociology of culture and organizational theory, we argue that BWCs often have mixed impacts due to deeply ingrained, valued occupational assumptions and practices shaped by the structural and organizational context. These assumptions and practices, collectively known as the police métier, are not politically neutral and can lead to motivated decisions rather than accurate ones. We suggest that such motivated reasoning can be mitigated by changing the structural or organizational context, such as establishing a citizen oversight agency (COA), which could decrease racial disparities in policing outcomes. To test these arguments, we examined the impact of BWCs on racial disparities in two types of policing outcomes: police homicides of citizens and disorderly conduct arrests (DCAs). Our findings indicate that while the adoption of BWCs does not impact racial disparities in DCAs or police homicides of citizens, there is a significant decrease in racial disparity in DCAs when BWCs and COAs are used in conjunction. Additionally, while the racial disparity in police homicides of Blacks and Whites does not decrease when BWCs and COAs are used together, there is an overall decrease in police homicides across both racial groups. Overall, our study demonstrates that technology's impact on bureaucratic performance is influenced by occupational assumptions and practices, which can be altered by external accountability mechanisms such as COAs.

Characterising the performance measurement and management system in the primary health care systems of Malawi.

Performance Measurement and Management (PMM) systems are levers that support key management functions in health care systems. Just like many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), Malawi strives to improve performance via evidence-based decision making and a suitable performance culture. This study sought to describe PMM practices at all levels of primary health care (PHC) in Malawi. This study targeted three levels of PHC, namely the district health centres (DHCs), the zones, and the ministry headquarters. This was a qualitative exploratory research study where decision-makers at each level of PHC were engaged using key-informant interviews (KII) and focus group discussions (FGDs). We found that there is a weak link among levels of PHC in supporting PMM practices leading to poor dissemination of priorities and goals. There is also failure to appropriately institute good PMM practices, and the use of performance information was found to be limited among decision-makers. Though PMM is acknowledged to be key in supporting health service delivery systems, Malawi's PHC system has not fully embarked on making this a priority. Some challenges include unsupportive culture and inadequate capacity for PMM.Contribution:This study contributes to the understanding of the PMM processes in Malawi and further highlights the salient challenges in the use of information for performance management. While the presence of policies on PMM is acknowledged, implementation studies that deal with challenges are urgent and imperative.

Exploring how to trigger the use of patient-reported information for quality improvement in multi-stakeholder governance

PurposeValue-based healthcare suggested using patient-reported information to complement the information available in the medical records and administrative healthcare data to provide insights into patients' perceptions of satisfaction, experience and self-reported outcomes. However, little attention has been devoted to questions about factors fostering the use of patient-reported information to create value at the system level.Design/methodology/approachAction research design is carried out to elicit possible triggers using the case of patient-reported experience and outcome data for breast cancer women along their clinical pathway in the clinical breast network of Tuscany (Italy).FindingsThe case shows that communication and engagement of multi-stakeholder representation are needed for making information actionable in a multi-level, multispecialty care pathway organized in a clinical network; moreover, political and managerial support from higher level governance is a stimulus for legitimizing the use for quality improvement. At the organizational level, an external facilitator disclosing and discussing real-world uses of collected data is a trigger to link measures to action. Also, clinical champion(s) and clear goals are key success factors. Nonetheless, resource munificent and dedicated information support tools together with education and learning routines are enabling factors.Originality/valueCurrent literature focuses on key factors that impact performance information use often considering unidimensional performance and internal sources of information. The use of patient/user-reported information is not yet well-studied especially in supporting quality improvement in multi-stakeholder governance. The work appears relevant for the implications it carries, especially for policymakers and public sector managers when confronting the gap in patient-reported measures for quality improvement.

Assessing the role of gender-related aspects in public budgeting debates: A view of the central level in Germany

The paper explores how members of parliament (MPs) address gender-related aspects in the budgeting process at the central level in Germany, a country that pursues gender equality as a global objective but has not implemented gender budgeting (GB) (yet). Nevertheless, from a budgeting perspective the German context is interesting, as parliament has unrestricted powers to amend the budget draft. The study follows approaches in performance management literature streams that have explored different types of performance information use. Building on a qualitative analysis of parliamentary budget debates, our results show that gender-related aspects matter in budgeting even when GB is not implemented. However, resources are less often referenced than programmes and policies in the budget debates. We find that MPs address gender-related aspects in a differentiated way (reflected in four types of performance information use), and that this is affected by user characteristics: the MPs’ gender, their party affiliation, committee membership and in some aspects, their age. While it may not come as a surprise that female MPs act as advocates for gender-related aspects, it is interesting that female MPs are more likely to reference resources when addressing gender-related aspects than male MPs. Further, our analysis of types of performance information use shows that a party's position as either a part of a governing coalition or opposition, as well as party lines across the opposition, affect the way in which gender-related aspects are addressed: exerting supportive use types (i.e., legitimizing, highlighting) and rather challenging use types (i.e., de-legitimizing, deflecting). Points for practitioners Even in a context where gender budgeting is not implemented, members of parliament (MPs) reference gender equality in budget debates. The frequency and the way in which gender-related aspects are referenced mirrors MPs’ stance towards gender equality (rather supportive/rather challenging). Female MPs are more likely than male MPs to draw attention to the allocation of resources for gender-related issues. More female MPs in parliament may strengthen advocacy for gender-related aspects, particularly if budget documents do not contain gender-related performance goals.

Unlocking politicians’ potential: what fosters purposeful use of performance information in support of voice?

ABSTRACT Pivotal for decision making quality in representative governing boards of local authorities is that performance information is used in a purposeful way by its members to challenge the status quo and express constructive changes in support of collective learning (i.e., voice). However, despite the presumed importance of purposeful use of performance information and voice, empirical insights on the relationship between both constructs as well as the motivational mechanisms fostering voice are limited. To address this omission, we build on motivated information processing theory and develop a model that includes a person-based and situation-based pathway. Data from 520 politicians populating the representative governing boards of 242 local authorities in Belgium are used to test the developed model. Results indicate that the studied drivers help explain the detected variance in purposeful use of performance information and voice, but that the role of individual antecedents like public service motivation and open-mindedness is predominant.

Managing total knee replacement under value-based payments.

To evaluate opportunity gaps and set outcome goals in knee replacement (KR) between a primary care group taking financial risk for managing its patients and 6 fee-for-service (FFS) orthopedic groups that serve their patients. The opportunity gap analysis was a cross-sectional evaluation of the outcomes of interest on a risk-adjusted basis using orthopedic groups, the primary care group's patients, and regional comparisons. The impact evaluation was a historical cohort comparison tracking outcomes of interest over the time frame of the intervention. Using risk-adjusted Medicare data, we defined opportunity gaps in the following outcomes: density of KR surgery, site of KR surgery, postacute care placement, and complications. Opportunity gap analysis demonstrated the following variation on a regional basis: a 2-fold difference in density of KR, a 3-fold difference in outpatient surgery, and a 2.5-fold difference in institutional postacute care placement. In the impact evaluation comparing 2019 with 2021, the primary care group's patients had reduced density of KR surgeries from 15.5 per 1000 to 13.0 per 1000, an increase in outpatient surgery from 31.0% to 81.6%, and a reduction in institutional postacute care utilization from 16.0% to 6.1%. Less pronounced trends were seen in the region for all Medicare FFS patients. These results were achieved with stable complication rates, which had an observed/expected ratio of 0.61 in 2019 and 0.63 in 2021. We achieved alignment of incentives through use of performance information with specific goals and promise of referrals to value-based partners. This approach resulted in improved value to patients with no evidence of harm and is translatable to other specialty care and markets.

Analysis of The Implementation of Performance-Based Budgeting For Village Funds (Case Study In Berau District)

This study aims to examine the relationship between several variables, namely: the implementation of performance-based budgeting, budget absorption, accountability, and the use of performance information in formulating plans and budgets. The research was conducted at the Village Government in Berau Regency which achieved the status of an Independent Village by using all Village Officials as research objects. The research respondents were village apparatus who were directly involved in planning and budgeting formulation practices, as well as village performance accountability reporting. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed, and only 97 were completely filled out and testable. Hypothesis testing was carried out using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) approach. The results of the study show that performance-based budgeting is positively related to budget absorption and accountability of village officials. In addition, good accountability also makes relevant village government officials use accountability reports as a reference in planning and budgeting for the next period in village governments with independent village status.

Association between use of clinician performance information and patient experience.

To study the association between the collection and use of clinician performance information in physician practices and patient experience in primary care. Patient experience scores are calculated from the 2018-2019 Massachusetts Statewide Survey of Adult Patient Experience of Primary Care. Physicians were attributed to physician practices using the Massachusetts Healthcare Quality Provider database. Scores were matched to information on the collection or use of clinician performance information from the National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems using practice name and location. We conducted observational multivariant generalized linear regression at the patient level where the dependent variables were 1 of 9 patient experience scores and the independent variables were 1 of 5 domains in the collection or use of performance information of the practice. Patient-level controls included self-reported general health, self-reported mental health, age, sex, education, and race/ethnicity. Practice-level controls include the size of the practice and the availability of weekend and evening hours. Nearly 90% of practices in our sample collect or use clinician performance information. High patient experience scores were associated with whether any information was collected and used, especially with whether the practice shared this information internally to compare. Among practices that used clinician performance information, patient experience was not associated with whether the information was used in more aspects of care. The collection and use of clinician performance information were associated with better primary care patient experience among physician practices. Deliberate efforts to use clinician performance information in ways that cultivate clinicians' intrinsic motivation may be especially effective for quality improvement.

The Effect of Adequacy of Information System Design and Organizational Support on Organizational Performance with the Use of Performance Information as a Mediator (Study at the National Bureau of Statistic Indonesia)

This research was conducted to obtain evidence of the importance of using performance information in improving organizational performance. Because the real end goal is not the use of performance information but rather the improvement of the organization’s performance. Bureaucratic reform of government agencies demands improved performance in all respects. This encourages all parts of the organization to maximize existing resources through information systems and support for using the information. This research was conducted within the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) throughout Indonesia, where questionnaires were distributed to budget managers of BPS Work Units throughout Indonesia because they are the main users of performance information, in this case, the Budget Implementation Performance Indicator (IKPA). This research uses quantitative data analysis tools using the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The software used to operate SEM analysis is SmartPLS. This study found evidence that the adequacy of information design and Organizational support has a positive and significant effect on the use of performance information and the organization’s performance.

Delivering Janitorial Supplies to a Large International Organization

The Best Value Approach (BVA) has been in research and development for 30 years [1992 – 2022]. The approach has been successfully tested in the procurement of over 2,000 projects [98% customer satisfaction, minimized contractor change orders to 1% and reduced cost of 5 to 30%] (PBSRG, 2022). The BVA has been successful in delivering construction projects but has not been sufficiently tested in the delivery of contractual services. In 2018, a large organization tested the BVA on procuring recycling services. In 2019, the organization ran a second BVA test to procure the delivery of janitorial products to 7,000 facilities. The BVA utilizes the use of performance information to identify and utilize expertise to dramatically reduce their cost. The case study shows how a vendor can use performance information to define their expertise and value. The paper tracks the performance of the expert vendor for three years [2019 – 2021]. The case study also shows the value of the expert vendor’s project manager as the project manager was the only person in the vendor’s organization who understood the importance of using performance information.

What characteristics of performance information matter to citizens? Evidence from a survey experiment in South Korea

ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of multiple types of performance information on citizens’ performance evaluations of the energy voucher programme in South Korea, using an online survey experiment. We also investigate the moderating effect of political ideology in analysing citizens’ performance information use. Our results reveal that the impact of performance information is more positive and stronger when presented in the form of the output than the outcome of the energy voucher programme. Contrary to the implicit assumption in the literature, reporting output information rather than outcome information tends to increase citizens’ positive evaluation of programme performance. We also find that citizens make reference-dependent decisions in their judgement of public services. Our study highlights the heterogeneous effects of each reference point on citizens’ perceived performance, depending on the type of performance information.

Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) for measuring efficiency in the defense sector

The way to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public spending, which is a top priority for any government in any country, implies the introduction of Performance-Based Budgeting (PBB). One of the more advanced government-wide performance budgeting systems that uses performance information systematically in the preparation of the government budget is program budgeting. It is important to keep in mind that without systematic development and use of program performance information and adequate and effective performance indicators, program budgeting in the defense sector does not make sense as a tool to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the defense resource management process. Only by defining and tracking success can it be known if the defense organizations and units perform efficiently and effectively. In this article, data envelopment analysis (DEA) was considered as an excellent mathematical programming tool that can be used to measure, evaluate, and analyze the efficiency of the defense organizations, in particular of the infantry battalions of the infantry brigades under the Eastern and Western Commands of the Georgian Defense Forces (GDF), on the delivery of readiness. A sample DEA model was proposed to measure the efficiency of the abovementioned units. Some recommendations to facilitate the use of the DEA and other statistical tools to measure and evaluate the performance of the GDF units were also proposed.

Characterising performance information use in the primary healthcare systems of El Salvador, Lebanon and Malawi: multiple qualitative case study protocol

IntroductionGovernments in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and official development assistance agencies use a variety of performance measurement and management approaches to improve the performance of healthcare systems. The effectiveness...

A behavioural model of managerial performance information use: evidence from survey experiment in South Korea

ABSTRACT There has been increased scholarly interest in behavioural perspectives on performance information use. However, limited information about how public managers process performance information is available. We performed a survey experiment focusing on a sample of public managers with the same job attributes and analysed the impacts of comparison type and performance gap on the assessment of performance information. Our findings reflect the fact that the cognitive processes of public managers using performance information are contingent on context – type of reference point, performance gap, and type of performance indicator – under performance regimes with strong external control.

Performance Information Use in a Purpose-Oriented Network: A Relational Perspective

Abstract Performance information use is an essential component of performance management, which is an important tool to manage purpose-oriented networks (PONs). Conceptualizing performance information use in PONs as network members’ presentation, discussion, and interpretation of performance information during their interactions and communication, this study explores its drivers. Extant studies on performance information use in PONs point out an association between its use and the relationships among network members, but they lack specificity regarding the association. This study focuses on and theorizes that association, relying on network theory (especially the embeddedness approach) and resource dependence theory. Network analysis techniques (Multiple Regression Quadratic Assignment Procedure and Exponential Random Graph Modeling) are applied to investigate the theory empirically, using a pair (dyad) of network members as the unit of analysis. The data were collected from 21 members in a health and human services network serving children and youth with serious emotional disturbance in a US county. Two types of performance information were used in the PON: internally and externally produced information. Despite differences in the breadth and decision-making relevance of using information from these two sources, network analyses identify three relational characteristics consistently associated with the dyads’ use of internal and external performance information: (1) frequency of communication; (2) centrality of position; and (3) extent of mutual dependency. These findings suggest that network members are likely to use performance information in relationships where the benefits of developing a shared understanding of network performance outweigh the costs of using it.

Grading Teacher Performance Appraisal Systems: Understanding the Implications of Student Test Scores and Performance Information Use

Accountability and performance management scholars have called for more attention to the micro-level consequences of performance regimes, including the effects of performance information use. Reflecting these themes, this study considers the degree to which accountability regimes in schools, imposed by U.S. states, and encouraged by the federal government, relate to teachers’ job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Using data from the 2015 to 2016 National Teacher and Principal Survey, we consider the degree to which the following relate to teacher attitudes: (1) the inclusion of student achievement growth on standardized tests in teacher performance appraisals, (2) using additional sources of performance information in the appraisal beyond the student achievement scores, and (3) the differential effects of developmental and administrative uses of appraisal ratings. Our results show that when schools include student growth on standardized tests in appraisals, teachers report lower satisfaction and a higher turnover intention. Using additional sources of performance information, however, relates to improved satisfaction and decreased turnover intentions. Using student standardized test information to inform both positive and negative administrative consequences is associated with lower satisfaction but is not associated with turnover intentions.

Reducing COVID-19 Racial Disparities: Why Some Counties Make Data-driven Decisions and Others Do Not?

Despite the progress in understanding the theoretical underpinnings behind governments’ use of performance information, there is limited understanding of whether governments use performance data to reduce racial and ethnic inequalities. This study uses the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study to examine what actions local governments have taken to remedy the disproportionally negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial and ethnic minorities. Specifically, the study examines the antecedents of the use of disaggregated performance data and studies the influence of the organizational culture and organizational learning on the use of disaggregated data in decision-making. An online survey was administered to 295 counties in the U.S., and the results indicate that attention dedicated to discussing and analyzing COVID-19 data and developmental organizational culture are positively associated with making data-driven decisions. Contrary to the widespread expectations, the percentage of minority population and prevalence of COVID-19 cases do not result in greater efforts to assist minorities in dealing with the pandemic.

Organizational Social Capital and Performance Information use: The Mediating Role of Public Service Motivation

This article examines the mediating role of public service motivation (PSM) between organizational social capital and performance information use. This topic is worth studying since it allows to understand how organizational level factors and individual level traits interact. Using a multiple informant survey distributed to county managers in Florida, this article finds support that organizational social capital is an important predictor of performance information use, and that this relationship is mediated by the role of PSM. The article concludes with recommendations on how to capitalize on these internal resources for the effective implementation of performance management reforms and practices.