Introduction

The multidimensional nature of performance in most public agencies is a theme that runs through this book. Most of the chapters argue that private sector businesses mainly focus on the bottom line of profits and there is no doubt that without adequate profits such businesses disappear – either through failure or takeover. Financial aspects are not so central in a public agency, though they cannot be ignored. Managing in the public service is rather like flying a commercial airliner in the days before autopilots and GPS-based navigation. The pilot’s aim is clear: getting the passengers safely to their destination more or less on time. Doing so requires careful navigation, attention to fuel loads and speed, avoidance of bad weather and skilled use of aircraft surfaces to achieve these ends. In addition, if the airline wants repeat business, it had better treat its passengers well, or get them from A to B at a low price. Though the public manager may be clear about her mission, in terms of desired outcomes, she must pay attention to many other factors to achieve it, rather like the airline pilot. An old-style airline cockpit was a very confusing place for a novice, with many dials and indicators spread around the flight deck, each providing information thought to be needed by the aircrew. A public manager is in a similar position, with performance measures and indicators providing data that must be turned into intelligent information to understand how well an agency is performing.