Chapter 1: Introduction

This chapter provides key foundational aspects or perspectives on the research underpinning the contents of this practitioner guide book. It thereby outlines our quality-oriented approach to performance indicator development and articulates why having customers involved in such a process is so important. It also provides some academic research commentary on performance indicators in public administration (PA) and what makes our new approach so significantly useful in this PA context. Furthermore, it articulates in broad conceptual and practical detail our full approach to this issue – bearing in mind that following chapters will provide intimate details about each aspect. Towards the end of this chapter, it provides some limited commentary on the methodological and contextual information concerning the research which underpins the contents of this book. In so doing, it is hoped that it will help a reader contextually orientate, and more readily appreciate, the numerous real-life practical examples provided in the following chapters. Finally, at the end of this chapter, it briefly discusses how each of the following chapters are organised. Thus, the information contained in this chapter serves as the keystone on which the other chapters build.