The Seven Big Errors of Performancestat by Bob Behn

Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston POLICY BRIEFS Taubman Center for State and Local Government February 2008 The Seven Big Errors of PerformanceStat By Robert D. Behn, John F. Kennedy School of Government Maybe you’ve read about T.E.A.M.S. (for Total Effi ciency “CompStat.” Perhaps a friend told Accountability Management System), Rappaport Institute/Taubman Center Policy Briefs are short overviews of new you about “CitiStat.” But who is this and the Probation Department created and notable research on key issues by “PerformanceStat” — and, if he is S.T.A.R.S (for Statistical Tracking, scholars affi liated with the Institute and the Center. making so many errors, why hasn’t the Analysis & Reporting). Robert D. Behn manager taken him out of the lineup? Next came Baltimore’s CitiStat, Robert D. Behn, a lecturer in public the adaptation of this innovation to policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of A Short History of PerformanceStat Government, is the faculty chair of the improve performance in an entire Kennedy School’s executive-education It all began in 1994, when program on “Driving Government jurisdiction, created in 2000 by Mayor Performance: Leadership Strategies Commissioner William Bratton and Martin O’Malley. This prompted That Produce Results.” He writes the his leadership team at the New York online monthly, Bob Behn’s Public similar approaches in other cities Management Report, and is the author Police Department created CompStat, — from the large, such as Atlanta of numerous articles, books, and reports their leadership and management (ATLStat) and San Francisco (SFStat), on performance leadership. strategy designed to reduce the city’s to the small, such as Palm Bay, © 2008 by Robert D. Behn. The content crime rate. Quickly other police refl ects the views of the author (who is Florida (PalmStat), and Somerville, responsible for the facts and accuracy departments adopted this innovation. Massachusetts (SomerStat). And then, of the research herein) and do not represent the offi cial views or policies of Only fi ve years later, a survey by 3 as Ellen Perlman noted in Governing , the Rappaport Institute or the Taubman the Police Foundation found that “‘Stat’ Fever” really got hot. Center. approximately a third of the 515 After all, this management approach departments in the U.S. with 100 or Rappaport Institute for is not uniquely applicable to more sworn police offi cers reported Greater Boston John F. Kennedy School of Government 1 municipal government. In 2002, the implementing a version of CompStat . 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 Ohio Department of Job and Family Today, police departments around Telephone: (617) 495-5091 Services created its “Performance the world employ this strategy, often Email: [email protected] Center.” In 2005 in Washington, giving it their own name; in Australia, http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/rappaport Governor Christine Gregoire numerous police organizations conduct A. Alfred Taubman Center for developed GMAP (for Government what are often called “Operational State and Local Government Management Accountability, and John F. Kennedy School of Government, Performance Reviews.”2 Performance), and, in 2007, when 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 Then other New York City agencies Martin O’Malley became governor of Telephone: (617) 495-2199 adapted the approach. For example, Email: [email protected] Maryland, he created StateStat. www.ksg.harvard.edu/taubmancenter the Parks Department created Moreover, at least one unit of the ParkStat, the Human Resources federal government, the San Diego Administration created JobStat, district of the U.S. Border Patrol, the Correction Department created has created its own version of this The Seven Big Errors of PerformanceStat Rappaport Institute | Taubman Center POLICY BRIEFS approach, which it labeled BorderStat. And they also employ these data to compare how overseas, several cities in Scotland, including well different sub-units are doing, to set Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Sterling, have targets for future results, and thus to motivate experimented with CitiStat.4 the individuals in those units to achieve their targets. As I have studied diff erent And yet, as I have studied different examples examples of PerformanceStat, of PerformanceStat, examined formal examined formal descriptions, descriptions, questioned key executives about questioned key executives about their approach, and observed many in action,7 their approach, and observed I’ve been struck by how many don’t quite many in action, I’ve been struck appreciate (or at least employ) some of the core principles that can make the strategy effective. by how many don’t quite Yes, they do the formal, visible things that appreciate (or at least employ) you would associate with a PerformanceStat some of the core principles that approach. Yet, something subtle but important can make the strategy eff ective. is missing. Specifi cally, I have identifi ed seven big mistakes. All of these adaptations of the original First, however, I should provide my defi nition CompStat innovation — regardless of whether of “PerformanceStat”: their names include the ***Stat suffi x — are based on the same premise: Government A jurisdiction or agency is employing a needs to improve its performance, and, to PerformanceStat performance strategy do so, it needs a demanding and strategic if it holds an ongoing series of regular, approach. To capture these various but similar frequent, periodic, integrated meetings performance strategies, I have chosen the name during which the chief executive and/ “PerformanceStat.”5 or the principal members of the chief executive’s leadership team plus the What Is PerformanceStat? individual director (and the top managers) of different sub-units use data to analyze Every one of these PerformanceStat strategies the unit’s past performance, to follow-up is different. They have to be. Neither the nature on previous decisions and commitments of the performance each seeks to improve, to improve performance, to establish nor their political and organizational context, its next performance objectives, and to is the same. The leadership team of each examine the effectiveness of its overall jurisdiction and each agency has to adapt the performance strategies. basic principles of PerformanceStat to its own objectives and circumstances. This is not very restrictive. Lots of managerial activities fi t within this defi nition. Nevertheless, effective adaptations of PerformanceStat strategy all use data — and Thus, I’m not complaining about public do so in two important ways. First, they executives who fail to implement the collect and analyze data to determine the type idiosyncratic technicalities of my own, narrow, and level of results that the organization is eccentric doctrine. Rather, I’m concerned about producing, to detect its important “performance jurisdictions or agencies that miss something defi cits,”6 and to suggest policies and practices very basic, something that should be central to that might produce improvements. Second, any effort to improve performance (whether 2 Rappaport Institute Taubman Center POLICY BRIEFS The Seven Big Errors of PerformanceStat | or not it is a PerformanceStat approach), These responsibilities could be to reach specifi c something that can divert a real opportunity to output targets: The director of the public works produce improved results into little more than department (and the head of each public works an utterly simplistic, noticeably ineffective, and district) could be given the responsibility thus purely symbolic sham. of fi lling every pothole that citizens report within 48 hours. Such output responsibilities Error #1: No Clear Purpose are relatively easy to achieve. Organizations In the public sector, any undertaking has actually produce outputs. So if the organization to begin with a defi nition of the purpose to has (or can obtain) the necessary capabilities9 be achieved. In New York, Commissioner — people, equipment, knowledge — it can Bratton began with a brash — and very explicit directly produce the outputs for which it is — purpose: to reduce the city’s crime. In responsible. Baltimore, Mayor O’Malley had his own clear objective: to improve the delivery of traditional As Nietzsche once noted, city services. “forgetting our objectives Yet, as Nietzsche once noted, “forgetting is the most frequent act of our objectives is the most frequent act of stupidity.” Indeed, too often, 8 stupidity.” Indeed, too often PerformanceStat PerformanceStat is nothing more is nothing more than the latest government fad. Upon hearing about the approach, the manager than the latest government fad. exclaims, “Ooh, cool hammer,” and goes looking for some convenient nails to pound. These responsibilities could be to reach specifi c outcome targets: The superintendent of schools As always, however, public managers need to and the principal of every elementary school start with a clear purpose: “What results are could be given the responsibility of ensuring we trying to produce?” “What would better that all sixth-grade students can add, subtract, performance look like?” “How might we know multiply, and divide (as measured on some if we have made some improvements?” Only yardstick test). The police commissioner and after the members of the leadership team have the commander of every police precinct could agreed to some common answers to these be given the responsibility of reducing the questions can they adapt the PerformanceStat number of GPS devices stolen

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