The Status of Productivity Measurement in the Public Sector

Abstract

Unless you are keeping score, it is difficult to know whether you are winning or losing. This applies to ball games, card games, and no less to government productivity for specific services and activities. Productivity measurements permit governments to identify problem areas and, as corrective actions are taken, to detect the extent to which improvements have occurred. This status report deals first with what productivity measurement is, then presents a viewpoint on the current status of productivity measurement in government in the United States, and-finally-briefly examines the likely prospects for the future, including consideration of facilitating and inhibiting factors.