Performance Management in Local Government is a comprehensive guidebook for local public managers on the effective use of performance management systems to improve public outcomes. Drawing on practical experience, case studies, and decades of research, this book demystifies the performance management process for local government leaders, offering actionable strategies for implementation, integration, and sustainability. Author Obed Pasha explores the historical evolution of performance management, its symbiotic relationship with strategic planning, and the ecosystems required for success. Addressing common pitfalls, such as data manipulation and goal displacement, he provides tools for fostering a performance-oriented organizational climate, gaining workforce support, and navigating political realities.
Through detailed chapters on measurement, analysis, decision-making, and action planning, readers learn how to design robust systems that balance effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. Case studies – including the City of Mesa’s “Trees Are Cool” initiative – illustrate real-world application and the impact of performance management on community outcomes. Serving as
both a practical manual and a scholarly resource, Performance Management in Local Government blends theory with practical guidance to help public managers make evidence-informed decisions that enhance organizational performance and public trust. The book is ideal for practitioners in city and county management, department heads, and supervisors across all local government entities in the United States. Elected officials and academics, as well as students in public administration programs and professional development courses, will also find the book invaluable.
Table of Contents:
Introduction Section I: Defining Performance Management 1 What Is Performance Management? 2 Effective Performance Management Section II: Strengthening The Organizational Factors 3 Mission-Oriented Climate 4 Gaining Employee Support 5 Organizational Integration 6 Tools of Integration 7 Gaining Political Support Section III: Strategic Planning 8 Preparing for the Planning Process 9 Vision, Mission, and Goals 10 Setting Clear Objectives 11 Action Development, Planning, and Implementation Section IV: Performance Measurement 12 Measuring What Matters 13 Getting to Know Your Data Section V: Data Analysis and Decision-Making 14 Data Comparisons 15 Data Disaggregation 16 Analysis By Dialogue 17 Making Evidence-Informed Decisions Section VI: What’s Next? 18 Performance Reporting to the Board and Beyond 19 Maintaining a Healthy System Section VII: Case Studies 20 Mesa’s Trees Are Cool 21 New Performance Management System in Freddieville Appendix: Methodology Index
About the Author :
Obed Pasha is Associate Professor of Public Management and Director of the North Carolina Benchmarking Project in the School of Government at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
Review :
“Obed Pasha demystifies how performance data can be used in government, masterfully connecting measurement tools to the broader organizational environment in which they operate. This book distills decades of hard-won wisdom into an accessible format that should be of interest to anyone who wants to make government work better.”
Don Moynihan, Professor of Public Policy, University of Michigan
“An incredibly helpful, beautifully written, and highly readable book for government practitioners, with key concepts concisely identified and illustrated. The book will benefit not only local government officials, but also federal, state, and other governments in the United States and abroad to advance social outcomes.”
Shelley Metzenbaum, Former Associate Director for Performance and Personnel Management at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Fellow to the National Academy of Public Administration
“Performance Management is dynamic and continues to evolve amid constant advances in technology and the tools available, and ever‑increasing pressures on local government staff and elected officials to deliver results. This timely book brings the field up to date with the latest thinking and practical examples of what the work can look like in our city halls and the communities we serve when we bring data and evidence to bear.”
Dave Gottesman, Assistant City Manager, City of Rockville, Maryland
