Users' guide for measuring public administration performance

The proliferation of different public administration (PA) assessment tools has resulted in some confusion about which tools to use, how they should be applied and their weaknesses and strengths. This guide is intended for UNDP Country Offices and a wide range of national stakeholders for guidance on the multiplicity of tools and methods that are being used to measure assess and monitor the performance of public administration. The guide provides answers for how to:

• Select appropriate PA indicators
• Prepare and launch an assessment
• Secure national ownership of an assessment process
• Ensure that the assessment is rigorous and methodologically sound
• Address problems of sustainability, and
• What to do with the results.

The first part of the guide critically reviews the existing assessment tools and information sources which are readily accessible to potential users on the internet. The second part is an inventory of extant assessment tools and methodologies. The guide does not provide a new measurement or assessment methodology nor does it provide a specific blueprint to conduct such assessments. It identifies 25 assessment tools which it categorizes in the following manner:

• Purpose-built tools purporting to measure a particular aspect of PA performance
• Broader governance assessment tools which include a component on public administration
• Tools designed for a different purpose, but which measure the relevant processes

On ownership and sustainability, the guide recommends the following:

• Government ownership of the assessment tool is essential when its purpose is to monitor PA performance because the indicators must then be aligned with government’s reform strategy
• Involvement of government in the design of the assessment indicators and methodology is most critical factor in creating ownership
• It calls for the improvement of information systems and capacity away from one-off assessments because with external assessments, the data may not be available in some countries.

The guide presents four fictional case studies drawn from actual experiences to illustrate how some of the good practice guidelines can be applied in particular contexts.