Volume 4, Number 1


 

Enabling performance measures for an effective and efficient public service delivery: The case of South Africa’s local sphere of government
Ndevu, Z.

Public service delivery has become the catch phrase for South African local government, especially with the country-wide waves of service delivery protests and adverse audit opinions. The paper examines the performance measurement system used by the South Africa government to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of public service delivery in the local sphere of governance. It contains an analysis of selected literature on performance measurement in the public sector to identify and analyse the factors that have shaped the South African local government performance measurement system. The adoption of a more systematic approach that will facilitate the work of local government and thus enhance effective and efficient public service delivery is proposed. The case is made for the development of a performance measurement framework and indicators for public service delivery in South Africa’s local sphere of government.

Keywords: Performance measurement; performance indicators; balanced scorecard; service delivery protests; effectiveness and efficiency.