Includes bibliographical references and index.

"In times of rising expectations and decreasing resources for the public sector, performance management is high on the agenda. Increasingly, the value of the performance management systems themselves is under scrutiny, with more attention being paid to the effectiveness of performance management in practice. This new edition of Performance Management in the Public Sector explores performance, as well as performance measurement, and making performance information useful for management. The book includes: - situates performance in some of the current public management debates, including some emerging discussions on the new public governance and neo-Weberianism; - discusses the many definitions of performance and how it has become one of the most contested agendas of public management; - examines the use as well as the non-use of performance information; - conveys a nuanced discussion of the so-called perverse effects of using performance indicators; - discusses the technicalities of performance measurement in a five step process: prioritising measurement, indicator development, data collection, analysis and reporting; and - explores the challenges and future directions of performance management Performance Management in the Public Sector 2nd edition offers an approachable insight into a complex theme for practitioners and students alike. For scholars, the book directs attention to key research issues, most pressingly the use of performance information"--