Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Making Government Work: The Promises and Pitfalls of Performance-Informed Management, Volume 1

In this book, Barrett and Greene present evolving theories of performance management, the practices necessary for a good performance-based government, and the pitfalls that can easily be encountered along the way-and how to avoid them. As performance management has evolved, it has encompassed many different tools and approaches including measurement, data analysis, evidence-based management, process improvement, research and evaluation. In the past, many of the efforts to improve performance in government have been fragmented, separated into silos and labeled with a variety of different names including performance-based budgeting, performance-informed management, managing for results and so on. Making Government Work: The Promises and Pitfalls of Performance-Informed Management by Katherine Barrett and Rich Greene is loaded with dozens of stories of what practitioners are currently working on-what's working and what's not. The benefits are ample, so are the challenges. This book describes both, along with practical steps taken by practitioners to make government work better. Readers will discover that while the authors strive to meet the documentation standards of carefully vetted academic papers, the approach they take is journalistic. Over the last year, Barrett and Greene talked to scores of state and local officials, as well as academics and other national experts to find out how performance management tools and approaches have changed, and what is coming in the near-term future. Performance management has been in a state of evolution for decades now, and so Barrett and Greene have endeavored to capture the state of the world as it is today. By detailing both the challenges and conquests of performance management in Making Government Work: The Promises and Pitfalls of Performance-Informed Management, Barrett and Greene ensure readers will find the kind of balanced information that is helpful to both academics and practitioners-and that can move the field forward. Review The Promises and Pitfalls of Performance-Informed Management offers many examples of performance management exemplars and miscues, and does so in a readable relatable style that will appeal primarily to practitioners. The book's coverage of the topic is wide-ranging, if occasionally thin in detail. This book could prove interesting for a classroom environment, as it is replete with points that could offer opportunities for discussion and debate.--International Journal of Public Administration Barrett and Greene take a journalistic approach to assessing the state of performance improvement efforts, building on years of work on the Government Performance Project and as columnists at Governing magazine. The result is a readable and timely set of stories--both laudatory and cautionary--about the contemporary landscape. Each chapter includes specific case studies of on-the-ground initiatives.--Route Fifty Making Government Work is a must read for policymakers and program managers alike. Through many interviews and case studies, Barrett and Greene provide a "ringside view" of the state of performance management in government. Their detailed account of the "bumpy road" state and local governments continue to travel gives an insight into the do's and don'ts of performance management.--Rakesh Mohan, Director, Office of Performance Evaluations, Idaho Legislature A much-needed complement to the scholarly research on public sector performance management, The Promises and Pitfalls of Performance-Informed Management presents an insightful look at what happens when managers implement performance management in the public sector--and as a bonus, includes guidance and advice on the next steps for every public performance management program.--Deborah L. Kerr, Professor, Texas A&M University B & G have done it again! Drawing on their deep historical knowledge, encyclopedic network of experts, and keen reporter's skill at telling a story, Barrett a