The Iron cage recreated: The performance management of state organisations in New Zealand

Abstract

Recreating the Iron Cage explores the results of a major three-year research project on the use of performance information in the New Zealand state sector by a team of academic researchers and public officials. It examines the formal design of the performance management system, how this system has evolved over time, and uses survey and case study evidence to show how performance information has been used in state sector organisations. The title of this book reflects the surprising research finding that while there is much dull compliance, performance information of various kinds is actively used by decision-makers at all levels of executive government. This information is not, however, used in the ways envisaged by the designers of the formal system. The book concludes with proposals for ongoing development of performance management in New Zealand.

Contents: Tables -- Figures -- Foreword -- Preface -- Contributors -- 1 Part One: Organisational performance management concepts and themes from the literature -- Introduction to Part One -- Derek Gill 2 Organisational performance management: concepts and themes -- Derek Gill and Tyson Schmidt -- Part Two: The formal system for organisational performance in the state sector -- Introduction to Part Two -- Susan Hitchiner and Derek Gill -- 3 The formal system as designed -- Susan Hitchiner and Derek Gill -- 4 The formal system as it evolved -- Susan Hitchiner and Derek Gill -- 5 The formal system: themes and conclusions -- Susan Hitchiner and Derek Gill -- Part Three: research: case studies and survey results, findings and themes -- Introduction to Part Three -- Derek Gill -- 6 Findings and cross cutting themes from the case study research -- Rodney Dormer -- 7 Case Study -- child, youth and family: drivers of the need for information -- Rob Laking -- 8 Case Study -- Department of Conservation: moving from measuring outputs to managing for outcomes -Bill Ryan -- 9 Case Study -- Department of Corrections: how the department defines and assesses performance and how its operational arms regards performance information -- Bill Ryan. Derek Gill and Rodney Dormer -- 10 Case Study -- Work and Income: how staff define their role and the performance information they use -- 11 Case Study -- Ministry of Women's Affairs: from poor performer to award-winning public sector organisation -- Lynley Hutton -- 12 Working across Organisational Boundaries: network policy-making in the transport and justice sectors -- Rob Laking -- 13 Case Study -- Justice sector and effective interventions: use of performance information by a cross agency network -- Derek Gill -- 15 Information that managers use: results from managing organisational performance survey -- Derek Gill, Lucas Kengmana and Rob Laking -- Part Four: Breaking open the iron cage: improving performance management of state organisations -- Introduction to Part Four -- Derek Gill -- 16 Conclusions: how public organisations are controlled and governed -- Rob Laking -- 17 Getting in the road: why outcome-orientated performance monitoring is underdeveloped in New Zealand -- Bill Ryan -- 18 Achieving a step change -- Derek Gill and Susan Hitchiner -- References.