Public sector performance measurement in less developed countries. The case of Indonesian Local governments

PhD ceremony: Ms. N.P. Sri Harta Mimba, 14.45 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen.

Title: Public sector performance measurement in less developed countries. The case of Indonesian Local governments

Promotor(s): prof. G.J. van Helden

Faculty: Economics and Business

The dissertation focuses on the role of the public sector performance information in Indonesian local governments. Approaching a decade of the implementation of public sector reform, central government issued several regulations concerning the requirements of specific performance reporting procedures to improve their performance on a continuous basis. However, given that Indonesia s a less developed country, its public sector organisations may be faced with certain obstacles that hamper a smoothly running process of demand for and supply of performance information, such as Indonesian local government organisations are expected to encounter difficulties in fulfilling the increasing demands made by central government and other external stakeholders regarding the supply of performance information and the use of this information by the organisation’s managers. In this context, the managers of public sector organisations are the principal actors who have to deal with this situation. This raises the question whether performance information can actually be used by these managers. This dissertation aims to increase our understanding of the role of public sector performance in Indonesian local government organisations by contributing to the body of knowledge at both theoretical and empirical levels. At the theoretical level, it aims to increase the insights into institutional theorising for understanding the use of this performance information in public sector organisations in LDCs. At an empirical level, this study is expected to be useful to the managers of public sector organisations in Indonesia and other LDCs.