Measuring performance on a local government level in a transitional country: the case of Serbia

Abstract

Purpose

The paper seeks to discuss the process of performance management and measurement system‐building in the public sector in a transitional country, with particular reference to Serbia.

Design/methodology/approach

A short description of the general legal framework within which the local governments in Serbia operate is given, followed by a discussion of the usual, and to some extent well‐known, problems of performance management system‐building and implementation.

Findings

The detailed interviews with a number of mayors and senior local Civil Servants pointed out that a number of issues, believed to have been resolved in the Western countries, have emerged as being problematic in the policy implementation process in the region.

Originality/value

This paper not only analyses the stages in the system‐building process, but also tries to explain why “measurement revolutions” may fail in a constantly changing transitional environment.

Citation

Šević, Ž. (2005), "Measuring performance on a local government level in a transitional country: the case of Serbia", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 18 No. 7, pp. 582-603. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513550510624059