Articles

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.

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The School of Government
offers up to 200 courses,
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The School of Government
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bulletins, and other print and
online content related to state
and local government.

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

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

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Timely updates on emerging issues

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Knapp Library

Print and online materials and research expertise

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Brief descriptions of legal cases, bills, or legislative activity

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

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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

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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.

The School offers the following articles relating to performance measurement and benchmarking.

Resources

Benefiting from Comparative Performance Statistics in Local Government

William C. Rivenbark, David N. Ammons, Dale J. Roenigk

Sunday, April 1, 2007

Article

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.

article4.pdf (pdf, 2.45 MB)

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Statement of Revenue-Neutral Tax Rate and Provision for Mid-Year Property Tax Rate Change

William C. Rivenbark

Monday, November 1, 2004

Bulletin

Discusses the application G.S. 159-11(e), which requires each taxing unit to disclose a revenue-neutral tax rate in its annual operating budget after a reappraisal year.

lfb32.pdf (pdf, 349.88 KB)

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Ensuring the Integrity of Crucial Data

William C. Rivenbark, Carla M. Pizzarella

Tuesday, January 1, 2002

Article

Auditing performance data (their accuracy, reliability, and comparability) is an essential component of performance measurement and benchmarking. Two specialists explain why.

article3.pdf (pdf, 575.26 KB)

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The Art of Using Performance and Cost Data

William C. Rivenbark

Sunday, October 1, 2000

Bulletin

Reviews the various ways in which participating jurisdictions in the North Carolina Benchmarking Project are using performance and cost data and presents examples of practical applications of data use for service or process improvement.

lfb31.pdf (pdf, 41.71 KB)

View Bulletin page

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