“Measuring up”: a systematic literature review of performance measurement in Australia and New Zealand local government

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary C. Johnsson ◽  
Matthew Pepper ◽  
Oriana Milani Price ◽  
Lauren P. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Systematic Review Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point

Purpose Measurement practices have long been considered vital for informing the management of performance in organisations. Their application to local governments is a more recent, yet multi-decade phenomenon facilitated by New Public Management trends. This paper aims to review the landscape of publications that discuss performance measurement (PM) practices in Australian and New Zealand local government contexts and identify implications for future research. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review methodology was used to identify a shortlist of publications. Next, a rating-based researcher appraisal process was applied. Multiple iterations of search and appraisal were conducted to form the basis for inductive thematic analysis and synthesis. Findings Analysing 65 PM publications, two interrelated themes, namely, discourses of performance as efficiency, accountability or strategic growth and change were identified, which influence the adoption of local PM tools and frameworks. As demands for strategic growth and more complex service delivery increase, strategic and localised adaptation of PMs may be required to integrate learning and communicative competencies with technical and operational capabilities. Research limitations/implications The systematic review methodology has been applied to address some of the limitations of publication and reporting biases in literature. This research provides a starting point for future investigations and broadening of discourse in local government contexts. Originality/value This paper represents the first systematic review of 1995–2020 publications on performance management practices used by local governments in Australia and New Zealand.

scholarly journals New directions in New Zealand local government

2010 ◽  
pp. 158-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter McKinlay
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Proper Role ◽  
Starting Point

The purpose of this paper is to provide a ‘work in progress’ report on some initiatives emerging from local government practice in New Zealand which should help us consider how we think about the role of local government in a world which is undergoing dramatic change. The starting point is work which the writer undertook with the support of Local Government New Zealand (the national association) and a number of New Zealand councils considering the ‘proper role’ of local government. The context is an ongoing public debate driven substantially by the New Zealand business community from a perspective that this ‘proper role’ should be restricted to the delivery of local public goods, narrowly defined. This has included argument that local governments themselves should be structured substantially to promote the efficient delivery of services generally within the now well understood prescriptions of the ‘new public management’. One implication which the business sector in particular drew in looking at the workings of local government was that there should be economies of scale through further amalgamation of councils (the local government sector having been through a major amalgamation process in 1989 which eliminated a large number of special purpose authorities and reduced the number of territorial local authorities from more than 200 to 73). Debate continues, with the latest manifestation being the National Party led government's proposals for the restructuring of local government within the Auckland region, New Zealand's major metropolitan area. The initiatives discussed in this paper are partly a response, but more significantly a result of selected local authorities reflecting on the nature of their role, and the opportunities for being proactive in using their statutory privileges in ways that could produce benefits for their communities without any associated increase in the cost of local government itself.

An overview of environmental policies of local government organizations in the Republic of Serbia

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jozefina Beke-Trivunac ◽  
Larisa Jovanovic ◽  
Života Radosavljevic ◽  
Milan Radosavljevic
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Pollution Abatement ◽  
Wastewater Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
The Republic

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the structure of local government environmental expenditures by purpose, term and economic type, as well as the sources of their financing. Design/methodology/approach – Research and data analysis were carried out on the basis of relevant sources of data gathered from the publicly available decisions on annual statements of accounts for 2011, published on local governments’ internet pages. Findings – The main domains of expenditures are pollution abatement, waste and wastewater management and protection of biodiversity. The most of expenditure relates to operating expenses, while only a few percent relates to long-term investments. The most of environmental protection expenditures are financed from the local government organization's (LGO) general budget. Practical implications – In the field of environmental protection, the most significant direct responsibility lies with local governments. On the other hand, information on the structure of environmental protection income and expenditures at the local government level is very limited and highly defragmented. The study may represent a starting point for further research in this field. Originality/value – The methodology and the results reported in this research could be used for exploring environmental policy of LGOs in other European countries.

Disaster risk reduction and empowering local government – a case comparison between Sri Lanka and New Zealand

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 318-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen MacAskill ◽  
Peter Guthrie
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Comparison

Purpose This paper examines the role of government in New Zealand in facilitating the development of resilience in the built environment, with reference to the post-earthquake recovery of Christchurch. A cross-case comparison of the institutional structures and arrangements for disaster risk management (DRM) between Sri Lanka and New Zealand provides a useful basis to consider the broader implications of the findings from both countries. Particular consideration is given to the role of community participation in DRM decisions. Design/methodology/approach Malalgoda and Amaratunga (2015) recently published an article on empowering local governments to develop resilience in the built environment in Sri Lanka. This paper provides a response to their discussion in conjunction with a New Zealand case study. Findings Despite being one of the most advanced countries in the world with regards to DRM, New Zealand faces significant challenges in implementation, chief amongst which is that local governments have yet to truly prioritize DRM in urban development. While community consultation is embedded in the legislative framework, requirements for consultation were somewhat misjudged by the local government in Christchurch’s recovery. A lesson to be learnt from Christchurch’s experience is that even if the Sri Lankan authorities follow Malalgoda and Amaratunga’s recommendations for greater devolution of powers to local government, there will be tensions if community expectations over consultation are not met. Originality/value The cross-case analysis offers a helpful lens through which it is possible to examine DRM. It is useful for informing governments and other stakeholders, helping them to understand the challenges their institutions may face in facilitating DRM and building resilience.

Financial determinants of local government debt in New Zealand

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 512-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimu Ehalaiye ◽  
Nives Botica-Redmayne ◽  
Fawzi Laswad
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Government Debt ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Variables ◽  
Low Interest Rates

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the financial determinants of local government debt in New Zealand. Design/methodology/approach To investigate the financial determinants of local government debt in New Zealand, the authors analyse the relationship between key financial variables with local government debt in New Zealand based on the theories of fiscal accountability and moral hazard using a panel data methodology, specifically the pooled ordinary least squares regression model. Findings The findings suggest that council income is the major financial determinant of local government borrowing in New Zealand rather than infrastructural spending and that during the global financial crises (GFC) borrowing levels of New Zealand local councils was not significantly impacted. However, the findings indicate that post the GFC, low interest rates have stimulated increased borrowing activity by New Zealand local governments to fund infrastructure. Originality/value This paper is the first to examine the determinants of local government debt in New Zealand. The findings of this study contribute to better understanding of local government/municipality debt in New Zealand and internationally by providing evidence on the financial determinants of debt of local governments and the indirect use of government policy to control local government borrowing. The findings of this study are anticipated to affect local government practices and national government policies in relation to local government finances.

Entrepreneurship Management at the Local Government Level: The Experience of the Cities for Entrepreneurs Program

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 388-407
Author(s):  
Patricio Gigli ◽  
◽  
Donatela Orsi ◽  
Marisel Martín Aramburú ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
National Level ◽  
Development Issue ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Government Level

This paper aims at describing the experience of the Cities for Entrepreneurs Program (Ciudades para Emprender or CPE) of the National Directorate of Community and Human Capital (which belongs to the SEPYME), National Ministry of Production. This paper starts from the premise that entrepreneurship takes place at the most micro level of the offer and, therefore, is a concept associated with the characteristics of the environment closest to that offer: the local territory. However, there is little history in the country of public policies relating the issue of entrepreneurship with the local management. That is why we take as a starting point the conceptualization of the chosen framework: local governments and the development issue, seen from the perspective of entrepreneurships. Moreover, an overview is given on the structural characteristics of municipalities in Argentina. In addition, some international experiences and attempts to promote entrepreneurship at a national level are analyzed. Finally, the Cities for Entrepreneurs Program (CPE) is outlined, based on a summary of the diagnoses of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystems of the selected cities and the tools used and their execution status at the time of publication of this paper.

Local government website usability on mobile devices: test results and recommendations

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karol Król ◽  
Dariusz Zdonek
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Recent Decade ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Computer Tools ◽  
Website Usability ◽  
Social Importance ◽  
Government Website

Purpose The range of official business that can be handled online has grown in the recent decade. In many cases, e-services are a must. At the same time, the economic impact and social importance of mobile technology have increased. Mobile devices are becoming more and more popular, and their applications diversify. It comes as no surprise that mobile users expect e-services and official information to be available through this channel. The purpose of this paper is to identify problems (difficulties) occurring when browsing websites of local government units (LGU) on mobile devices. Design/methodology/approach The comfort of website browsing depends mostly on the development technique, and the way content is published. Responsive websites are much easier to view on mobile devices than “static” ones. The study involves 400 websites of LGU in Poland. The websites were subjected to quantitative and qualitative analyses with selected techniques and computer tools. Findings The set of 400 websites contained 119 (29.75%) that were not responsive. It exhibited a substantial potential for the optimisation of websites for mobile devices. The study revealed the most common usability failures such as distorted images, “scattered icons”, partial responsiveness and bothersome messages in pop-ups. Originality/value The research identified the most widespread problems with the tested websites. The study yielded recommendations for local governments, which may be useful when managing content, upgrading the website or replacing it with a new one.

Understanding the impact of mandatory accrual accounting on management practices: interpretation of Japanese local governments’ behavior

2021 ◽  
pp. 002085232198895
Author(s):  
Makoto Kuroki ◽  
Keiko Ishikawa ◽  
Kiyoshi Yamamoto
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Accrual Accounting ◽  
Logistic Analysis ◽  
The Impact

Accompanying the spread of “new public management” since the 1980s, accrual accounting and results-based management has become a global standard. However, whether accrual accounting results in successful outcomes and which drivers lead to the intended impacts of the reform have been contested. Given the mixed arguments in the literature, we set out two research questions: (1) “Have public sector organizations realized any positive impacts on management practices by adopting mandatory accrual accounting?”; and (2) “What are the primary drivers of such impacts?” To answer these questions, we examine the impact on management practices by analyzing a survey to ascertain how financial department officers in Japanese local governments perceive the benefits of adopting mandatory accrual accounting on management practices. The results indicate that they have so far not recognized the intended benefits, though they had expected higher benefits in internal control. Then, we use technical-rational, socio-political, and institutional isomorphic perspectives in a comprehensive approach to understand the impacts on management practices. The logistic analysis shows that financial managers in local governments that do not have a majority party in the assembly, but consist of several parties in power, as well as in those with greater financial dependence on the central government, perceive higher benefits. Further, we find that financial managers that imitate other local governments as a form of mimetic pressure perceive fewer benefits. The results show that some technical-rational tools, socio-political conditions, and institutional pressures change the perceived benefits for public managers of adopting mandatory accrual accounting. Points for practitioners We find that some technical-rational, socio-political, and institutional factors explain the intended internal benefits of the mandatory adoption of accrual accounting. In practice, financial managers in local government feel the merits of accrual accounting in less autonomy in not only politics, but also finance, and few mimetic conditions. It might be understood that difficult situations would drive practitioners to use mandatory information.

scholarly journals Transparency of local government in Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Made Pradana Adiputra ◽  
Sidharta Utama ◽  
Hilda Rossieta
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Political Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Audit Opinion ◽  
Government Response ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence about the influence of the size of local government, the quality of local government financial statements, the level of local government response to the disclosure of financial information and the local political environment on the transparency of local government in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach The study sample consisted of 34 regional governments (provinces) in Indonesia in 2016, using purposive sampling and multiple regression analysis. Findings The results showed that the quality of financial reporting through the audit opinion and political environment have a significant positive effect on the transparency of local government in Indonesia. On the other hand, the size of the local government and local government response rate on the regulation do not affect the transparency of local government in Indonesia. Originality/value The agency, legitimacy and institutional theory have an important role in the underlying local government transparency practices in Indonesia. The results of this study should be used as the basis of thought and study to determine the factors that affect the performance of local governments from the financial and non-financial aspects.

scholarly journals Measuring and assessing the impact of using volunteers in UK libraries: issues and methods

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Broady-Preston
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Third Sector Organisations ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine a range of issues and methods in relation to measuring the impact of volunteer labour on the design and delivery of all types of library services. With the increasing use of volunteers to deliver library and information services in all sectors, managers need to assess their effectiveness and evaluate the impact of their use in relation to operational service design and delivery, and on the development of the profession and professional practice as a whole. Presented here is an initial scoping study, outlining a range of issues, methods and challenges for more detailed future investigation. Design/methodology/approach – A number of methodological challenges and perspectives are identifiable. Contemporary libraries exhibit increasing similarities with Third Sector organisations, namely a complex stakeholder community, and increasing use of volunteers to supplement or replace services delivered by professional staff. Therefore, a starting point for the research is a systematic review and analysis of the methodologies developed by the Third Sector Research Centre, and those studies in the ESRC contemporary Developing Impact Evaluation strand. As a rich picture is required, both quantitative and qualitative approaches are necessary, with the overall study adopting a mixed methods approach. Findings – This paper reports the findings of the preliminary documentary analysis, literature review and scoping aspects of a large-scale study. Originality/value – Research undertaken to date (June 2014) has failed to identify any published systematic review and examination of these issues.

scholarly journals Agile and Lean approaches: possibilities of application in local self-government bodies of Ukraine

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 70-80
Author(s):  
Olena Bortnik
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Mutual Influence ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Iso Standards ◽  
Private And Public

The article considers the concepts and history of Agile and Lean, the possibility of application in local self-government in Ukraine, analysis of the experience of local government in other countries. The aim of the article is to find ways to learn the best experience to improve the work of local self-government in Ukraine.Foreign publications related to the possibility of implementing the Agile methodology in the field of public administration and local self-government are analyzed. Examples of interaction and mutual influence of Agile and Lean are given. Demonstrates how references in international ISO standards to the above-mentioned methodologies, values and ways of thinking are used. ISO standards for management systems are universal and can be applied by both private and public sector organizations. One of the main ideas behind the standards is continuous improvement based on the PDCA cycle, and organizations that have implemented management systems such as ISO 9001 can use international best practices, tools and techniques to improve efficiency and effectiveness, satisfaction of customers and other interested parties and reduce unwanted losses. Such methods are those which are considered in this article. Historically, most management practices have emerged in the private sector, driven by a competitive environment. And then adapts to public administration and local government. In Ukraine, the process of decentralization of local self-government is gaining momentum. Sustainable development of local self-government is the basis for ensuring the comfort and quality of life of the local communities. In a rapidly changing environment, there is a need to find new management approaches. It is proposed to conduct short-term pilot projects to test the Agile method in local governments. It is advisable to include consideration of the methods specified in the article in training and retraining of employees. Continuous improvement requires, first of all, a change in organizational culture and awareness and involvement of staff for the most effective implementation of world best practices.

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