Adoption of a balanced scorecard approach to performance measurement at the Attorney General's Office

Abstract

The dynamism of today's business environment calls for a revision m the application of traditional performance management systems in the public sector. Increased social responsibility requirements evidence the necessity of making the transition from a bureaucracy to a network organisation. An approach to measuring performance in organisations advocated by Drs. Robert Kaplan and David Norton known as the Balanced Scorecard can serve the AG's Office to better evaluate its performance in the current economic realities. In adopting a BSC approach at the Office, the organisation's performance was evaluated from four main aspects, being the customer, financial, learning & growth and the internal business processes. For each perspective the critical objectives were identified and subsequently the strategies and measures to meet these objectives developed and integrated into a strategic course of action to be adopted by the AG's Office. By combining both financial and non-financial measures, the scorecard seeks to provide management with richer and more relevant information about activities they are managing than is ever possible by traditional financial measures alone. The success of the scorecard depends on periodic re-assessment and revision of strategic goals, measures and metrics as required, thus ensuring the effectiveness and relevance of the scorecard.