GUEST COLUMN.

When I was working in city government several years ago, there was no shortage of performance dashboards. I was even responsible for collecting the data and populating them. But what stuck with me was that even with the available data, it seemed that government leaders, managers, and staff were still figuring out how to actually use them. 

This is a challenge that many governments still face today.

Across the country, local governments have invested heavily in performance management. Strategic plans, dashboards, performance scorecards, and open data portals abound. These tools promise greater accountability, improved service delivery, and more informed decision-making. 

In a guest column I wrote for this website a couple of years ago, I discussed why governments adopt performance management practices in the first place. Many public leaders are motivated by a desire to improve services, communicate results to residents, and strengthen trust in government. Good governance, that is, which is the goal of most every, if not every, public administrator. 

But adoption is only the first step.

The more difficult question is why performance management works well in some governments but struggles to gain traction in others.

In some organizations, performance data becomes a regular part of decision-making. Managers reference it during staff meetings, use it to identify operational issues, and integrate it into strategic planning and budgeting conversations.

In others, the same tools exist but rarely influence decisions. Dashboards are maintained and reports are generated regularly, but the information seldom shapes how programs are managed or how policies and budgets are adjusted.

Performance Management Is an Organizational System

When governments discuss performance management, the conversation often centers on technical questions.

Questions like: 

• Which indicators should they track?

  
  

• What software platform should they use?

  
  

• How frequently should departments report results?

These are reasonable questions. But they can lead organizations to treat performance management primarily as a data or technology project.

In practice, performance management functions less like a technology system and more like a management system embedded within an organization.

Two governments may adopt nearly identical performance frameworks and still experience very different outcomes because their leadership dynamics, managerial authority, and organizational culture are different.

Many governments have successfully adopted performance management tools. The next challenge is ensuring those tools become integrated into everyday management practices.

Integration happens when performance information becomes a routine part of conversations about how the government operates. Metrics are referred to during management meetings. Data informs planning and budgeting discussions. Departments use performance information to identify issues and adjust their approaches in a timely way.

One useful way to think about this challenge is the difference between adopting a system and actually using it in day-to-day management.

Organizational Factors That Often Shape Results

In practice, several organizational factors often influence whether performance management becomes meaningful or merely procedural

·        Leadership commitment

Performance management initiatives may gain momentum when leaders consistently reference performance information and use it in conversations about priorities and results. When city managers, mayors, or department directors regularly ask about data and expect evidence to inform decisions, it signals that performance information matters.

·        Managerial authority

Data only becomes useful when managers have the capacity to act on it. If managers are expected to track metrics but lack the flexibility (or autonomy) to adjust programs, test improvements, or reallocate resources based on their most recent knowledge, performance systems can quickly become reporting exercises rather than tools for learning.

·        Organizational capacity

Sustaining performance systems requires staff time, analytical skills, and cross-department collaboration. Organizations that invest in training, data infrastructure, and internal analytical capacity are far more likely to translate data into operational improvements.

·        Organizational cohesion

Performance management works best when departments see data as a shared organizational resource rather than a compliance requirement. In collaborative environments, performance discussions tend to focus on problem solving and improvement rather than defensiveness.

Why This Matters Even More Today

These organizational questions are becoming even more important as governments expand their investments in data systems, analytics, and artificial intelligence.

Across the public sector, leaders are exploring how new technologies can help improve services and inform policy decisions. But technology alone will not determine whether those efforts do what they are intended to do.

Just like performance management systems, the effectiveness of data and initiatives around emerging technology will depend on the organizational environments in which they operate.

Governments that cultivate strong leadership expectations, empower managers to act on evidence, and build collaborative data cultures can be far better positioned to translate information into public value.

In the end, performance management is not simply about collecting data.

It is about how organizations choose to use it.

Note: I am continuing to do my research into this area and interested in input from local practitioners. To participate in my survey click here.

The contents of this Guest Column are those of the author, and not necessarily Barrett and Greene, Inc

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