Aligning Goals and Outcomes: The Role of Rubric Weights in Public Performance Management

• In Event: Government Performance Information and Management

Abstract

Clear strategic priorities enhance public sector outcomes (Boyne & Chen, 2007; Chun & Rainey, 2005).  However, how these priorities are communicated and operationalized remains underexplored. Performance rubrics, which outline criteria and assign point values or weights to indicate the relative importance of various goals, serve as tools for signaling evaluators’ expectations. Despite their potential, the role of performance rubrics in public performance management has received limited attention.

This study examines the role of performance rubrics and whether they influence public agency outcomes and citizens’ perceptions. Specifically, it investigates (1) whether signaling goal priorities through performance rubrics improves performance outcomes in high-priority areas and (2) whether this translates into enhanced citizens’ perceived performance.

We use a unique panel dataset of performance rubric weights and evaluation reports for Korean public agencies (2017-2022). Our analysis examines whether changes in rubric weights influence corresponding performance outcomes and citizens’ perceived performance with a focus on financial and Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) indicators. We employ the System Generalized Method of Moments to address potential endogeneity at the agency level and account for policy dynamics.

Preliminary findings indicate public agencies improved performance in higher-weighted areas, with low-performing agencies showing greater sensitivity to weight changes. Improvements in performance led to increased citizen perceptions of performance, though effects varied based on the distribution of weights across ESG indicators. This study offers new insights into performance rubric weights as flexible control mechanisms for aligning organizational goals with outcomes in public sector management. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of goal priorities and public performance measurement.

References

Boyne, G. A., & Chen, A. A. (2007). Performance Targets and Public Service Improvement. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 17(3), 455–477.

Chun, Y. H., & Rainey, H. G. (2005). Goal Ambiguity and Organizational Performance in U.S. Federal Agencies. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 15(4).

Authors

• Jiwon Kim, Hankyong National University
  Presenting Author

• Jinah Yoo, Rutgers University
  Non-Presenting Co-Author