Decision-making tools for public productivity improvement: a comparison of DEA to cost-benefit and regression analyses(1)

Abstract

The long tradition in the public sector of introducing decision-making tools that then fail to live up to expectations has fueled a debate over the proper role of government. This paper suggests that the debate over government productivity may be misplaced. Public productivity may be hindered as a result of inappropriate use of decisionmaking tools for the allocation of resources. Thus, this paper argues for an enlarged repertoire of decision-making techniques. In particular, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is presented as an alternative often more appropriate than such commonly used techniques as cost-benefit ratio and regression analyses.

Citation

de Lancer Julnes, P. (2000), "Decision-making tools for public productivity improvement: a comparison of DEA to cost-benefit and regression analyses(1)", Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 625-648. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-12-04-2000-B006