Performance agreement in Thai public sectors : A call for reconsideration at the provincial level

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine use of the performance agreement (PA) as well as the diagnostic control system that has been implemented at the provincial level of the Thai government. Design/methodology/approach – This is a qualitative study. Two qualitative methods – focus group and in-depth individual interviews – were employed. In addition, documents such as performance reports, forms, provincial strategic plans, and work manuals, were examined. Findings – Implementation of the PA at the provincial level has encountered some unexpected difficulties. Results of this study indicate that the PA and performance target-setting may contradict the “controllability” principle. In using the diagnostic control system, the two main challenges are: what to monitor and how to report it. Practical implications – This study is intended to be used as a guide in the use of the existing PA and diagnostic control system. The study also points to areas in which improvements can be made to increase the effectiveness of the PA in future use. Originality/value – This study calls for reconsideration in the implementation of the PA at the provincial level of the Thai government. Results show that the notion that “what gets measured gets done” is only half true at best.