University of Southern California

Sol Price School of Public Policy

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
PPDE 648 Spring 2016 Section 50990D
Professor Christopher Weare
Email: weare@usc.edu; appointments by request
Phone: 916-637-8987

Course Schedule and location:

This course will be taught in the modified intensive format. A large part of the course work will
be conducted in 4 all day (9am to 3pm) sessions. The schedule of these sessions is:
Friday February 19th
Saturday February 20th
Friday April 8th
Saturday April 9th
Location: USC State Capital Center
Between these intensive sessions there will be weekly assignments consisting of a short webbased lectures, short exercises, and/or on-line discussions.
Required Books and Course Materials
Behn, Robert D. 2013. The PerformanceStat Potential: A Leadership Strategy For Producing
Results Washington DC: Brookings Institute Press.
Hatry, Harry P. Performance Measurement: Getting Results, 2e. Washington DC: Urban
Institute Press, 2007.
Morgan, John, and Martin Brenig-Jones, Lean Six-Sigma for Dummies, New York: Wiley, 2012.
(NOTE: I have never assigned a for dummies book before, and I certainly do not consider
any of you dummies. My original choice had a recent price increase to over $480 a
copy!!! I searched almost a hundred alternative titles, and I found this one (despite the
title) to be the best introduction to the material)
Behns book is available on electronic reserves. The other two books are available on Amazon
or other internet booksellers. There is a Kindle version of the Lean Six-Sigma book, but
not of Hatrys.
CaseStudies: We will be using some HBS case studies during in-class sessions. Please
purchase the cases for download at HBS Publishing. [click on the link to access]
There are additional required journal readings and supplemental materials noted in the
syllabus, including journal articles, book chapters, videos and websites. Unless

specified otherwise electronic versions of the journal articles can be accessed through
the USC library ARES system. Other materials are available through the URLs listed in
the syllabus or will be made available in the course Blackboard site.
Additional suggested readings and materials:
Moynihan, Donald P. 2008. The Dynamics Of Performance Management: Constructing
Information And Reform, Washington DC: Georgetown University Press.
Carolyn J. Heinrich and Laurence E. Lynn Jr., 2000. Governance and Performance: New
Perspectives. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press
Osborne, D., & Gaebler, T. (1992). Reinventing government: How the entrepreneurial spirit is
transforming government. Reading Mass. Adison Wesley Public Comp.
Radin, Beryl. 2006. Challenging the performance movement: Accountability, complexity, and
democratic values: Georgetown University Press.
Womack, J. P., Jones, D. T., & Roos, D. (2008). The machine that changed the world. Simon
and Schuster.
spaa.newark.rutgers.edu/ppmrn - This website also contains much valuable material
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites for this course. Nevertheless the strategies of performance
management draw heavily on basic statistical techniques, most importantly in graphing data,
and on organizational theory. To benefit most from the course students should feel comfortable
with this material.
Recommended Software for Online Course Activities
Microsoft Office 2003 (or Mac 2004) or higher (to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
Course Paper submissions will be required in MS Word format.
Virus protection software
Adobe Reader
Plug-ins: PC: Windows Media Player, QuickTime, Flash, Shockwave, Adobe Reader, Java
Mac: Flip4Mac, QuickTime, Flash, Shockwave, Adobe Reader, Java
Possible Course Changes
This is the second time this version of PPDE648 is being taught. I will be evaluating the
progress of the course, and I may make minor revision as the course progresses. I will always
give students plenty of time to make adjustments.

COURSE SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES

Performance management comprises of a range of managerial techniques and strategies based
on the systematic acquisition and use of performance information to effect organizational
performance improvement. It is closely related to strategic planning, policy analysis and
program evaluation. It is distinguished from these forms of organizational analytics in that it
strives to incorporate analytics into everyday managerial decision-making. In contrast, policy
analysis typically involves a one-shot analysis of alternatives before action is taken and
program evaluation typically involves a one-shot analysis of a program after it has been
implemented.
This course examines performance management from both 1) a technical perspective, how to
design and establish a performance management regime and 2) an organizational/political
perspective, what constraints and roadblocks are public managers likely to face when they seek
to establish performance management regime. From a technical perspective, students will
explore 1) the concept and practice of performance management, 2) the goals that should guide
managers decisions, 3) types of performance metrics, 4) analysis and reporting practices, 5) the
organizational routines required to promote accountability and performance improvement, and
6) common techniques employed in by Lean Six-Sigma, a popular form of performance
management practice.
The course will review several major efforts to promote performance management to
understand how the political and organizational context constrains and shapes efforts to
promote performance management. These include the need to change organizational culture, to
strengthen organizational capacity, and to account for the varied perspectives of stakeholders
including citizens, unions, elected officials, upper management and line employees.
The course includes review of theoretical and empirical research, case reviews of performance
management systems in use, online discussions/exercises, and a number of data analytic
exercises.
Course Objectives:
1) To acquire knowledge and understanding concerning the performance management
movement and the various performance measurement efforts in public sector
governance to manage for results.
2) To gain practical experience in performance management practice, i.e., evaluating
performance measurement systems design, performance information acquisition,
analysis, and use for performance improvement and accountability reporting.
3) To provide a forum for students to discuss challenges and experiences with performance
management in organizations, and acquire skills to critically examine performancebased management systems in public sector and nongovernmental organizations.

Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems

Academic Conduct
Plagiarism presenting someone elses ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your
own words is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize
yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating
University Standardshttps://scampus.usc.edu/1100-behavior-violating-university-standards-andappropriate-sanctions/. Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See
additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct,
http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct/.
Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You
are encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity at equity.usc.edu or
to the Department of Public Safety at adminopsnet.usc.edu/department/department-publicsafety/online-forms/contact-us. This is important for the safety of the whole USC community.
Another member of the university community such as a friend, classmate, advisor, or faculty
member can help initiate the report, or can initiate the report on behalf of another person. The
Center for Women and Men http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/cwm/ provides 24/7 confidential
support, and the sexual assault resource center webpage http://sarc.usc.edu/ describes reporting
options and other resources.
Support Systems and Disability Services
A number of USCs schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly
writing. Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose
primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute
http://dornsife.usc.edu/ali, which sponsors courses and workshops specifically for
international graduate students. The Office of Disability Services and Programs
http://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.htmlprovides
certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant
accommodations. If an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible,
USC Emergency Information http://emergency.usc.edu/will provide safety and other
updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of blackboard,
teleconferencing, and other technology.

Statement Concerning Netiquette/Communication Policy

Because the use of computers and computing facilities is central to the learning experience at
USC, it is important for all students to understand the policies governing the use of computing
resources and appropriate behaviors in an electronic community. To that end, the university has
developed a set of computing policies for members of the university community, regarding
electronic communications, the use of computing resources at USC, compliance with the
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) and other related topics. Additional information
can be found within the SCampus Student Guidebook.
All of these policies are available online at http://cio.usc.edu/policies and
http://scampus.usc.edu/computing-policies. Students are expected to read and abide by all
policies located at this site and check this page for updates, as these policies are subject to
change. All electronic information under this website supersedes all printed computing policies.
Please respect the privacy of your Instructor and classmates, and do not reproduce or share any
of their personal information outside of the online course space.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING
Submission Guidelines
Course assignments including discussion board posts and written assignments will be e-filed
into Blackboard (Bb) in MS Word format on or before the due date. Papers will be submitted
and returned through TurnItIn. The time of electronic receipt in Blackboard will serve as the
recorded time of submission, so be certain that your assignment has been successfully
submitted by the deadline which is 11:55 PM PST. Word files should conform to the following
naming convention: last name, first name initial, course, and abbreviated assignment reference.
For example: weare_c_PPDE648_memo1.doc.
Late Policy
Unexcused late assignments will be penalized 10% per day. I am typically accommodating and
willing to provide extensions due to extenuating circumstances. Students, however, must
contact me before the due date to request an extension without receiving a grade sanction.
Quality of contribution
All submissions must include citations to all works used. You may choose whichever
formatting of citations you prefer, as long as the source of the material clearly indicated.
Assignments
Grades will be based on by five main deliverables: 1) class participation during intensive
sessions, 2) contributions to online discussions, 3) two short one-page memos for case
preparation, 4) four quantitative assignments, and 5) a final exam in the form of a memo length

case analysis. The proportion these deliverables will count towards the final grade are as
follows:
Contribution

% of Final
Grade

Participation during Intensive Sessions

15%
On-line Participation in Discussion Forums

25%

2 Case Study Preparation memos

10%
4 short analytic projects
25%
Final Memo
Total Percentage

25%
100%

Participation during intensive sessions:

Students are expected to arrive to the intensive sessions having completed all of the reading
including the case(s) for discussion. Students will be graded for the quality and activity of their
participation during these classes.
Discussion Boards:
The course includes interactive discussion forums on Blackboard during most weeks of the
semester. Well attended and moderated discussion boards are a powerful learning tool that can
provide more in-depth and thoughtful conversations compared to classroom discussion.
Student, however, MUST participate. It is not possible to receive an A in this course with
inadequate participation in these weekly discussions.
There will not be Blackboard discussions on weeks with intensive classes or following
intensive sessions. Weekly discussion forums provide questions or activities related to the
weeks topics and assignments. Students are expected to submit thoughtful, substantive
responses that demonstrate knowledge of the concepts and ideas we are covering and use the

course materials to support all observations and arguments (including proper citations and
references).
Keep in mind that these discussions are intended to be scholarly in nature and that participating
does not involve simply the voicing of opinions but rather contributing to the class discourse on
the basis of having read and thought about the course readings. Your posts should reflect what
you have learned from the course material. This means that your posts should contain direct
references to the reading (including specific authors, direct quotes, citations, and so forth).
These references should support the ideas and opinions you express in response to the questions
posted. Your language should be clear and precise and your posts should be free of grammatical
and mechanical errors. Any material incorporated from another source (such as the class texts,
podcasts, and other material) should be properly cited.
Students must submit an initial response to the discussion forum prompt(s) or activity for the
week by 11:55 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday of that week. Students will pose follow-up
questions to one of their peers initial posts by 11:55 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday. So that we
have an equitable distribution of follow-up questions, please look for classmates who have not
yet received a follow-up question and pose questions there.
Initial posts: The initial post must be a minimum of 150 words and will be graded on how
thoroughly it addresses the prompt(s); the depth of insight and analysis evident in the post; and
how well it applies and incorporates concepts and ideas from the course material to offer a
rational argument rather than a personal opinion.
Follow-up questions and responses: Response posts must be a minimum of 75 words
(excluding phrases such as great post or well done, etc.) and must either add to the
argument or present an alternate point of view. Follow-ups will be graded on whether the
required number was posted (questions and responses to questions); the substance of the
response; and the depth of insight included in the response.
The Rubric for the grading of discussion boards is below. The initial post and follow-up are
graded as a single assignment. My expectation is that few posts will warranted the exceptional
classification and most posts will receive a solid contribution grade.

Analytic Memos for Case Preparation

Prior to each the two intensive sessions, there will be a short memo due to help students prepare
for case discussion during class.
The goal of the case studies and the case memos is to improve your ability to think about a
complex scenario, and concisely (in less than 500 words) analyze the situation. The memos
will require you to look at a real professional situation and present a brief but critical analysis of
the main issues of the case, not a summary.
A typical teaching case tells a story (that is, something happened, then something else
happened, then something else happened, and so on) about a problem or issue facing a public
manager and brings the reader to a point at which a decision must be made. A good way to get
to the heart of a case is to try and summarize the story in case in one sentence. You may be
asked for such summaries during case discussions.
A quality of a good teaching case is that there is no obvious right answer. Rather, there are
many possible answers (decisions, solutions), each of which has advantages and disadvantages
and about which reasonable people may disagree. You will be asked to make a good argument
for the answer that you believe is the best one. Each case is intended to force a decision of some
kind, and if you complete a memo without making some sort of recommendation you will lose
points. You must take account of the pros and cons of the approach you are recommending,
supporting your answer with evidence from the case and theoretical insights from the readings.
Good arguments usually require a close and insightful reading of the case and application of the
theory and examples that you have read in the course.
To prepare for a case discussion, read the case and in your memo you should answer the
following questions:
Who is the decision maker? What decision is to be made?
What are the decision makers objectives?
Are there other important actors?
What are their objectives?
What are the key issues (matters of fact or assumption that must be resolved in
reaching a decision)?
What is the context (constraints/opportunities)?
Analytic Assignments
Performance management involves some level of number crunching and data analytics. It is
not particularly sophisticated statistics, but it requires good numbers sense and the ability to
work in Excel. These assignments will build your skills in those areas.
Final Memo
The final memo will be a case-based analysis that will synthesize both the technical and
organizational dimensions of the course. The case and assignment will be distributed in the
penultimate week of the semester.
1.

COURSE SCHEDULE OF STUDY

Week
1
Jan 11

Assignments
Introduction to Performance Management and Its History
Everything old is new again folk idiom
Readings
Moynihan Intro and Chap 1 (Chap 2 optional)
Behn, Chaps 1-2
Van Dooren, Wouter, Geert Bouckaert, and John Halligan. 2010.
Performance Management: Routledge, Chapter 3
ONeill Robert, Performance Management in Government: The Old is
new Again, Governing, 9/8/14
BB Discussion Forum

2
JAN 18

The Many Flavors of performance management and data driven

management
Many paths lead up the mountain, but at the top we all
look at the same bright moon. --Ikkyu
Readings
Morgan and Brenig-Jones, Chap 1-2
Behn Chap 3-4
Hatry, Preface and Chap 1-2
BB Discussion Forum

3
JAN 25

Goal Driven Behavior in Public Organizations

If you do not know where you are going, any road will get you there.
-----Lewis Carroll
Readings
Hatry Chaps 3-4
Behn, Chaps 5
Morgan and Brenig-Jones, Chap 3-5
W.K. Kellogg Foundation. (2004). Logic model development guide (2nd
ed.). Battle Creek, MI: Author. (pages 1-20)
BB Discussion Forum

Exercise #1

4
FEB 1

Metrics and Data:

What gets measured gets done Peter Drucker or Lord Kelvin or
Rheticus or someone even earlier . .
Readings
Hatry 5-7
Behn 8
Morgan and Brenig-Jones, Chap 6
BB Discussion Forum
Exercise #2

5
FEB 8

Digging into the Data

To find signals in data, we must learn to reduce the noise - not just the
noise that resides in the data, but also the noise that resides in us. It is
nearly impossible for noisy minds to perceive anything but noise in data.
Stephen Few
Readings
Hatry, Chap 8-11
Behn, 9
Morgan and Brenig-Jones, Chap 7-8
BB Discussion Forum
Exercise #3

6
FEB 15

INTENSIVE FEB 19-20 FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

Building Performance Management Analytic Systems

Readings
KaBOOM! Harvard Case
Apollo Hospitals Case

7
FEB 22

8
FEB 29

Week off

Dashboards
Readings
Ganapati, S. (2011). Use of dashboards in government. Washington D.C.:
The IBM Center for the Business
Morgan and Brenig-Jones, Chap. 10 Visual Management Section
Kaplan, Robert S. Conceptual foundations of the balanced scorecard.
Harvard Business School Working Paper, 2010
Optional Readings as reference for assignment
BB Discussion Forum
Exercise #4

9
MAR 7

Leading Organizational Change

Change before you have to Jack Welch
If you want to make enemies, try to change something Woodrow Wilson
Readings
Behn, Chap 10-14
Hatry, Chap 12
Morgan and Brenig-Jones, Chap. 13-15
Partnership for Public Service, 2012, From Data to Decisions II: Building
and Analytics Culture
Optional Readings
Dixit, Avinash. 2002. "Incentives and organizations in the public sector: An
interpretative review." Journal of human resources:696-727.
Musso, J. and Weare C. 2014. Performance Management Goldilocks Style
A Transaction Cost Analysis of Incentive Intensity in Performance
Regimes, paper presented at the 2014 APPAM conference.

BB Discussion Forum

10
MAR 14
11
MAR 21

SPRING BREAK
Motivation and Leadership
Readings
Behn, Chap 15-16
Moynihan, Donald P. 2010. A Workforce of Cynics? The Effects of
Contemporary Reform on Public Service Motivation. International
Public Management Journal 13(1): 24-34.
Grant, Adam. 2008. Employees without a Cause: The Motivational Effects
of Prosocial Impact in Public Service, International Public
Management Journal, 11(1): 48-66.
Bell, N. (2013). Leading to make a difference: a field experiment on the
performance effects of transformational leadership, perceived
social impact, and public service motivation. Journal of Public
Administration Research and Theory,
BB Discussion Forum

12
MAR 28

Reconciling Performance Management with American Political Institutions

and Democratic Values
Readings
Boyne, George A. 2002. "Public and Private Management: Whats the
Difference?" Journal of Management Studies no. 39 (1):97-122.
Denhardt, Robert B., and Janet Vinzant Denhardt. 2000. "The New Public
Service: Serving Rather than Steering." Public Administration
Review no. 60 (6):549-559.
Radin, B. A. (2000). The Government Performance and Results Act and

the Tradition of Federal Management Reform: Square Pegs in

Round Holes? Journal of Public Administration Research and
Theory, 10(1), 111-135.
Short video discussion on difference between public and private uses of
PM
Optional Readings
Woolum, J. (2011). Citizen Involvement in Performance Measurement and
Reporting: A Comparative Case Study from Local Government.
Public Performance & Management Review, 35, 1: 79-102.
BB Discussion Forum

13
APR 4

Unintended Consequences
Readings
Behn, Robert D., and Peter A. Kant. 1999. "Strategies for Avoiding the
Pitfalls of Performance Contracting." Public Productivity &
Management Review no. 22 (4):470-489.
Hood, Christopher. 2006. "Gaming in Targetworld: The Targets Approach
to Managing British Public Services." Public Administration
Review no. 66 (4):515-521.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Cheating our Children: A nationwide look at
the integrity of standardized testing by our schools Part 1 and 4,
http://www.ajc.com/s/news/school-test-scores/
This American Life, The Right to Remain Silent, Act 2
Optional Readings
Village Voice coverage of the case described in This American Life:
http://www.villagevoice.com/content/printVersion/1797847/
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/the_nypd_tapes/
BB Discussion Forum

14
APR 11

INTENSIVE April 8-9 FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

Leading Performance-based Organizational Innovation
Friday symposium

Readings
Lead Poisoning, Harvard Case
Performance Management for Health in Washington State, Harvard Case

15
APR 18

Week off

16
APR 25

The Prospects for Performance Management in the Non-profit and Public

Sectors
Readings
Hatry, Chap 15
Hood, Christopher. 2012. "Public Management by Numbers as a
Performance-Enhancing Drug: Two Hypotheses." Public
Administration Review no. 72 (s1):S85-S92.
Van Dooren, Wouter. 2011. "Better Performance Management." Public
Performance & Management Review no. 34 (3):420-433.
Optional Reading
Moynihan, Chap 9-10
BB Discussion Forum

17
May 4

Final Memo Due on May 8th