New Uses of Outcomes Measures under Austerity: The Case of Danish Municipalities

TY - JOUR

T1 - New Uses of Outcomes Measures under Austerity: The Case of Danish Municipalities

AU - Ghin, Eva Camilla Moll

PY - 2018/12/1

Y1 - 2018/12/1

N2 - This article argues that the use of performance information may change according to economic circumstances. In a fiscal crisis, policy-makers likely demand less documentation of service quality, but under longer-term term austerity they can use performance information, including outcomes measures, to target and reallocate scarce resources across organizational boundaries. The argument is tested in an analysis of six Danish municipalities after the financial crisis. In these cases, performance information was used in new ways. For instance, outcomes measures were linked to overall strategies and used in the budgeting process to promote the reallocation of resources towards more effective services.

AB - This article argues that the use of performance information may change according to economic circumstances. In a fiscal crisis, policy-makers likely demand less documentation of service quality, but under longer-term term austerity they can use performance information, including outcomes measures, to target and reallocate scarce resources across organizational boundaries. The argument is tested in an analysis of six Danish municipalities after the financial crisis. In these cases, performance information was used in new ways. For instance, outcomes measures were linked to overall strategies and used in the budgeting process to promote the reallocation of resources towards more effective services.

U2 - 10.1007/s11115-017-0392-4

DO - 10.1007/s11115-017-0392-4

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1566-7170

VL - 18

SP - 543

EP - 560

JO - Public Organization Review

JF - Public Organization Review

IS - 4

ER -