Assessing public sector performance and untangling the complexity of public performance measurement

This research conceptualizes a continuum approach to public performance across a variety of measurement dimensions and suggests that the focus of these dimensions may vary in management areas, including the types of reform, policies, service delivery methods and programs that are utilized by public organizations. The pairing of a continuum approach to performance measurement along with specific management activities provides public managers with a new understanding of how performance measurement systems may be designed to reflect the complexity of public organizations.