Perceptions on performance management in the public sector

Abstract

Performance management is a recurrent theme in public administration, however, there are vagueness about its applicability. Thus, a survey was conducted to identify how public management professionals perceive concepts of "performance," "performance management," "performance evaluation," and, map management practices. Six points were identified, namely, 1) the perception of managers is multidimensional and multidetermined; 2) performance management requires clarity of rules and leadership; 3) strategy, Information Technology and people management are the bases of the model; 4) between the individual and the group the focus should be on the latter; 5) mitigating problems between the individual and institutional perspectives requires strategic direction; and, 6) the challenges to assess performance are the low quality of leadership, non-meritocratic culture, gaming and bureaucratization. These results combined with good practices collaborate to a performance management model with public value.