Work

The Performance of Performance Standards

Year: 2002

Type: report

Abstract: This paper examines the performance of the JTPA performance system, a widely emulated model for inducing efficiency in government organizations.We present a model of how performance incentives may distort bureaucratic decisions.We define cream skimming within the model.Two major empirical findings are (a) that the short run measures used to monitor performance are weakly, and sometimes perversely, related to long run impacts and (b) that the efficiency gains or losses from cream skimming are small.We find evidence that centers respond to performance standards.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research

DOI: 10.3386/w9002

Authors: James Heckman, Carolyn Heinrich, Jeffrey Smith

Institutions: National Bureau of Economic Research, University of Chicago, University of Maryland, College Park

Language: English

Topic: Public Policy and Administration Research

Subfield: Public Administration

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, Sage Foundation, American Bar Foundation, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung

OpenAlex ID: W2890610233

Cites: 29

Cited by: 38

Related to: 10