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Performance Management

Performance management is how government sets goals, measures progress, and uses the results to improve programs. It covers targets, reporting, reviews, and the difference between judging results and checking compliance with rules. Agency leaders, budget officials, inspectors general, and Congress use performance information to decide what to keep, change, or end.

People usually ask how performance management differs from compliance monitoring, how policies, programs, and projects fit together, and what good results look like. They also ask how it relates to program evaluation and how government judges its own work.

7articles
October 5last updated

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All Articles on Performance Management

Performance Management vs. Compliance Monitoring in the U.S. Government

The U.S. federal government operates through two critical but distinct systems: Performance Management and Compliance Monitoring. One drives results, the other upholds standards. Understanding…

24 Min Read

Understanding Government Program Evaluation: Your Guide to Formative and Summative Assessments

Every year, the federal government spends trillions of taxpayer dollars on programs designed to improve education, healthcare, infrastructure, and countless other public services. But…

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The Three Pillars of Good Government: How to Judge If Policies Actually Work

When politicians promise to fix problems or make life better, how do you know if they're actually delivering? The answer lies in understanding three…

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When Government Gets Results

Every year, your government spends trillions of dollars and employs millions of people. But how do you know if all that activity actually makes…

42 Min Read

Policy Analysis vs. Policy Evaluation: How Government Works

Every government decision affects your life, from the roads you drive on to the schools your kids attend. But how do officials decide what…

19 Min Read

How Government Gets Things Done: Policies, Programs, and Projects Explained

Government speak can sound like a foreign language. Officials throw around terms like "policy," "program," and "project" as if everyone knows exactly what they…

37 Min Read

Inside a USPS Sorting Center: How Your Mail Gets Sorted

USPS sorting centers turn addresses into mail routes. Machines, human readers and recovery procedures handle letters, packages and missing information.

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