The Characterization and Definition of Public Performance: An Application to Local Government Authorities

Abstract

x-hal_journal_id=89684 ; International audience ; Over the last few years, the theme of public performance (PP) has been increasingly invoked in political, administrative and academic circles. Particularly for local authorities, the use of performance approaches is on the rise, contributing to the management of local government initiatives and structures (Folz and al., 2009; Fryer and al., 2009; Newcomer, 2007; Wechlsler and Clary, 2000). The concept of public performance, however, is not precisely defined, nor does it cover a set of common practices based on an explicit, recognized framework. It has a multiplicity of overlapping definitions that are often inadequate, either because they are too general or because they have been uncritically adopted from other disciplines. Moreover, the notion is also a vague one, since it means different things to different actors. A number of studies reinforce this analysis, pointing out that public practices suffer from a lack of abstraction or from oversimplification, due to an uncritical transfer of practices and tools from the private sector (Halachmi and Bouckaert, 1996; Moynihan, 2005).