The Scottish Government’s system of organisational performance management: a case study of a concrete experience

This paper considers the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework as the overarching aspiration of the Scottish Government which in turns informs and guides public managers across Scotland’s public services. The focus in the workshop paper is therefore on understanding this system of organisational performance management and the demands of ‘performance governance’ on Scotland’s public services and their management and incorporates responses to all six of the critical issues identified for the ‘Azienda Pubblica’ Workshop.
•The adoption of performance management systems by public organisations
•The use of performance measures
•The drivers for organisational performance management in public bodies
•Organisational performance management and public policy networks
•The symbolic purposes of organisational performance management systems
•The future of organisational performance management in public bodies

Governments and public organisations internationally have been changing their approach to management of public services. For many years there has been a focus on inputs, processes and outputs, and performance was largely assessed on how allocated budgets were spent and how processes were followed. There has been a shift in approach to enable governments to promote and measure progress in relation to ‘well-being’ and to consider this in terms of outcomes - or what makes a meaningful difference to the quality of people's lives.