Benefiting from Comparative Performance Statistics in Local Government

About

As the largest
university-based local
government training,
advisory, and research
organization in the United
States, the School of
Government serves more
than 12,000 public officials
each year.

Browse by Role

The School provides
content and resources for a
wide array of local
government and judicial
officials in North Carolina.

Select your role to explore
all related content.

Browse by Topic

The School provides content
and resources on a wide array
of topics in local government
and judicial administration in
North Carolina.

Select a topic to explore all
related content.

Courses

The School of Government
offers up to 200 courses,
workshops, webinars, and
professional conferences
each year.

Publications

The School of Government
publishes essential books,
manuals, reports, articles,
bulletins, and other print and
online content related to state
and local government.

Blogs

Faculty write for a number
of School of Government
blogs providing timely
updates on emerging issues.

Resources

The School of Government
offers information and
services related to a wide
range of topics relevant to
government and judicial
officials—in-person and on a
variety of platforms.

Blog Posts

Timely updates on emerging issues

Centers and Services

Specialized training/research hubs and consulting services

Frequently Asked Questions

Aggregated answers to common questions on a variety of topics

Knapp Library

Print and online materials and research expertise

Legal Summaries

Brief descriptions of legal cases, bills, or legislative activity

Listservs

Information exchanges for peers and faculty experts

Microsites

In-depth or aggregated content for local government and judicial officials

Tools and Apps

Online and mobile tools for employees on-the-go

Master of Public
Administration Program

The UNC MPA program prepares public service leaders. The program is offered in two formats: on-campus and online.

For more information, visit mpa.unc.edu

Giving

The School of Government depends on private and public support for fulfilling its mission. Your gift will make a lasting impact on the quality of government and civic participation in North Carolina.

Knapp Library

The Joseph Palmer Knapp Library houses a large collection of material on state and local government, public administration, and management to support the School's instructional and research programs and the educational mission of the Master of Public Administration program. Reference and research services are available to all residents of North Carolina, and additional assistance is available to state and local government personnel, both elected and appointed.

This article describes how the municipalities are using performance and cost data from the benchmarking project to improve the efficiency and the effectiveness of service delivery, including how one municipality used the data to prompt an analysis of fleet maintenance. It also discusses the importance of focusing on the higher-order measures of efficiency and effectiveness, and the benchmarking project’s contribution to improving the quality of performance measures.

Citation:

Rivenbark, William C., David N. Ammons, and Dale J. Roenigk. "Benefiting from Comparative Performance Statistics in Local Government." Popular Government 72.3 (2007): 34-42.

Download (pdf, 2.45 MB)

Public Officials - Local and State Government Roles

City and County Managers

Managers and Supervisors

Tax and Finance Officials

Budget Officials

Topics - Local and State Government

Leadership and Management

Measurements and Benchmarks

Local Government Finance

Budgeting

Purchasing and Contracting

Benefiting from Comparative Performance Statistics in Local Government

Faculty Coordinators