Service Quality and Benchmarking the Performance of Municipal Services

Abstract

How can local officials select benchmarking partners whose best practices have the most potential for applicability and success in improving service performance? This study suggests the process for selecting the most appropriate benchmarking partners and for making fair performance comparisons will be advanced if local officials initially address the issue of what level of input service quality level is desired or can be provided. Using data collected from a national survey, the study presents a framework for measuring service quality for municipal solid waste recycling programs. It examines the connection between input service quality and service outcomes and describes the results of analyses of the contextual factors and best practices that distinguish the top recycling performers and potential benchmarking partners in each service-quality class. The study suggests a model for how local officials can use this type of information to select an appropriate benchmarking partner. The study shows that a quality-of-service framework for municipal services can advance local decision making about what citizens and stakeholders expect and will support in terms of input service quality. It also can help local officials identify benchmarking partners that provide a service at the desired level of quality.

Distinctive research patterns on public sector performance measurement of public administration and accounting disciplines

“…Cavalluzzo and Ittner (2004) published a survey study in an accounting journal, which does not cite relevant preceding research in PA concerning survey type investigations (Julnes and Holzer 2001;Wang and Berman 2001). Furthermore, PA research could benefit from Quite a number of articles in our review show that European researchers are often critical of some tendencies in contemporary public management reforms (for example: ter Bogt and van Helden 2000;Bowerman et al 2001;Modell 2001;Boyne et al 2002;Sanderson 2002), whereas much research in the North-American tradition is more normative (Rubenstein et al 2003;Folz 2004). Such research is, generally speaking, more supportive of public management reforms.…”

“…Rubenstein et al (2003) advocate, for instance, the use of performance measures adjusted for the effect of non-controllable factors and the average value of controllable factors (policy variables), instead of using raw performance measures. Folz (2004) recommends that best performing benchmarking partners have to be selected from organizations having a certain target service level.…”

The effect of recycling price uncertainty on municipal waste management choices

“…The analysis is based on data collected in Israel during 2000-2004(Lavee, 2007. Data were collected via a detailed questionnaire sent to all municipalities in Israel, consisting of questions on all relevant aspects of the waste management system (the full questionnaire appears in the appendix of Lavee, 2007).…”

“…Furthermore, the study suggested that when recycling is carried out efficiently, it may actually cost less than traditional waste disposal. In a more recent study, Folz (2004) considers a benchmarking process to obtain efficient recycling. In this process the municipality first decides on the service quality (including the recycling level) it wishes to provide and is willing to support financially (according to its residents' preferences), then it finds best-fit benchmarking partners and identifies the best practices.…”

Performance Improvement in the Spanish Local Government: A Proposal for Internal Control in Social Care Services

“…This applies both to verify compliance with the planned objectives and efficiency in the allocation of resources, and to establish quality standards that make possible the comparability between councils offering a service (Folz, 2004).…”