Performance in public services: a total productivity approach

Management control and decision-making are complex in public services because of their nature and culture. Productivity and performance measurement are perceived as the key to increasing "best value" and effectiveness and distilled for their relevance to the public sector. An integrated approach of seven generic performance dimensions is featured. The measures of real unit cost as well as quality of service reflect the success of a chosen strategy and can be combined to give a public performance index. Flexibility, speed of operation, innovation/creativity, capacity utilisation and social effectiveness are identified as the determinants to attain excellence. The performance relationships between total productivity, outcomes and social effectiveness are discussed and illustrated in a stakeholder context.