Establishing leading practice in performance information

Strengthening Government Performance Information Through Leading Practice Frameworks

Grosvenor partnered with a Commonwealth entity to develop a practical, evidence-based performance information manual that translated Australian and international leading practice into actionable guidance, helping government agencies design robust performance measures, strengthen governance and improve accountability under the Commonwealth performance framework.

Situation

The purpose of this project was to support a Commonwealth entity to develop exemplary performance information.

Task

Grosvenor undertook the research project to identify national and international leading practice relating to the identification and collection of performance information.  The final deliverable pivoted from a research report to a companion manual that was visually appealing and user-friendly incorporating tips and tricks, troubleshooting in the Commonwealth context and case studies to exemplify the delivery and impact of leading practice.

Approach

Innovation occurred in the way in which we synthesised leading practice from various jurisdictions (e.g.UK, Canada, European Union) and institutional representatives (e.g. from the Australian National University, Oxford University and Centre for International Governance) to ensure alignment with Commonwealth guidance pertaining to:

>       Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act)

>       Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 (PGPA Rule)

>       Resource Management Guide (RMG) 131: Developing Good Performance Information

>       Resource Management Guide (RMG) 132: Corporate Plans for Commonwealth Entities

>       Resource Management Guide (RMG) 134: Annual Performance Statements for Commonwealth Entities

Requirements relating to Portfolio Budget Statements

Results

The companion manual was the result of an extensive desktop review of both academic and grey literature including that published by the World Bank, OECD, and international think tanks. Consultations with national and international thought leaders enabled the targeted exploration of key issues relating to the design and development of performance information, governance structures and processes and strategies to enable complete, robust, reliable data including mechanisms for stakeholder consultation and data management.

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