ASPA Center for Accountability & Performance

The “Performance Counts” Summit

Government Executive

The best ideas in government performance don’t always start in Washington. They come from state capitols, city halls and county offices, places where leaders are solving real problems for real people and showing that performance management can be a driver of impact, not just a reporting requirement.

Performance Management in Collaborative Governance

Public Performance & Management Review (gated article)

When public, private, and nonprofit organizations work together to solve complex social problems, questions emerge regarding how their collaborative performance can be managed. In this article, we review and synthesize findings from existing research on performance management in collaborative governance.

Happy Birthday to a Performance Pioneer

Barrett & Greene

Terrell Blodgett, who turns 102 today (Sept 15), is one of the pioneers of the modern-day adoption and use of performance management at the state and local levels. Wish him well, and thanks for his decades of public service!

5 Types of Performance Management Systems & How Best to Use Them

ClearPoint Strategy

This commercial website explores different performance management systems such as Balanced Scorecards, Management by Objectives, Objectives & Key Results, etc., and describes their tradeoffs and which to use and when. It touts its own services, of course, but provides an interesting context.

Resource of the Week:  Performance Measures and Results Management in Utah

Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget

This link provides training materials and resources for state agency personnel to support implementation of the broader Results Management initiative of the state.

Using AI to Make the Most of Evidence

Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development

To make a more effective use of evaluation reports, Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs developed OpenEval, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted platform that enhances information use across Finland’s administration and stakeholders, supporting decision making, transparency and organizational learning. The project emphasized internal capacity building, stakeholder feedback, and an adaptive development.

Role of Accounting in Enhancing Public Sector Transparency & Accountability

International Journal of Accounting & Management Sciences

Transparency and accountability are essential cornerstones of effective public sector governance. This paper explores the interrelated nature of these principles, emphasizing that transparency is fundamental for fostering accountability among public officials.

Making Performance Measurable

Government Executive (Op-Ed: Willie Patterson)

The concept of trust but verify in leadership has two essential elements. Trust means showing confidence in your team’s abilities, decisions and integrity — recognizing their knowledge, skills and abilities. This approach builds morale and encourages ownership of roles and responsibilities. . . . Verification means putting systems in place — periodic progress checks, reports, reviews and accountability sessions. “Inspect what you expect” is closely aligned with trust but verify. When leaders set goals, they also set expectations for inspection: standards, outputs and outcomes. It’s about accountability.

Transforming City Operations with StatGPT

Harvard Kennedy School (Stephen Goldsmith)

This paper proposes “StatGPT,” a next-generation, technology-enabled approach that builds on the successes of traditional Stat models by injecting them with modern artificial intelligence (AI) and data capabilities.

City of Bloomington Releases “Impact-Driven” Budget Plan

City of Bloomington, IN

Mayor Kerry Thomson released the proposed 2026 City of Bloomington budget, shaped by both a new state law and a new approach to municipal budgeting.

Resource of the Week:  The Impact Project

The Impact Project uses data to understand how government change at the local, state, and federal levels impacts our daily lives, and helps organizations, businesses, local leaders, and many others make more informed decisions about how and where to allocate resources.