Citizen-Initiated Performance Assessment: The Initial Iowa Experience

Many municipal governments adopted performance measurement decades ago. However; the role of elected officials and citizens in the development and usage of performance measures remains limited. We propose a model of "citizen-initiated performance assessment" in which citizens, elected officials, and city staff collaborate to develop performance measures. We also examine how nine Iowa cities implement the system, and how city officials perceive its impact on departmental procedures, managerial practices, and organizational culture. In addition, we discuss the major challenges in the implementation process, so that future reformers of performance measurement may draw lessons from the Iowa experience.