Performance Measurement as a Tool for Policy Choice

Abstract

Public policy evaluation subsumes ex ante policy analysis (policy analysis), ex post policy analysis (program evaluation), performance measurement and implementation assessment. From a survey of the improvement process of Mie prefecture’s performance measurement system, and review of the extant literatures on public policy evaluation, this article explores the question: “Is to make a policy choice based on performance measurement appropriate?” Almost literatures contend that policy analysis and performance measurement are completely different because the policy analysis makes cause and effect relation clear whereas the performance measurement is not to do it. Therefore, using performance measurement as the substitution of policy analysis is not appropriate. But this article calls for father inquiry on the foundation to make ex ante and ex post policy analysis.