Training for performance measurement success: An effective training program can help get performance measurement off the ground and sustain the system as it matures into a catalyst for government accountability and improvement.(Brief Article)

Developing and maintaining a successful performance measurement effort is contingent upon three critical factors--top-level support, a clear-cut methodology, and a comprehensive and ongoing training system. In this sense, performance measurement is much like a three-legged stool: take away one of the legs and you will soon find yourself on the floor. Indeed, many initiatives fail to deliver promises of improved government accountability and performance because one or more of these factors are either missing or ineffective.

In some jurisdictions, the impetus and direction for performance measurement come from the governing body. In others, the chief executive or ...