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Productivity in Public Services

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  • Helen Simpson

Abstract

This paper discusses issues arising in the measurement of productivity in public services. Compared to measuring productivity in the private sector difficulties arise because the output of public services is often un-priced and because some public services are consumed collectively. A key problem is measuring the full range of outputs and quality improvements delivered by public sector organisations that are valued by society. Without comprehensive measures of output productivity statistics may be misleading. I outline methods used in the measurement of both private and public sector productivity and discuss the measurement of public sector productivity in practice. Finally I discuss studies that examine factors underlying productivity differences and productivity growth in public and private sector organisations. Public sector reforms and the use of pilot schemes in public sector organisations present opportunities for research to identify causal effects on productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Helen Simpson, 2007. "Productivity in Public Services," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 07/164, The Centre for Market and Public Organisation, University of Bristol, UK.
    • Handle: RePEc:bri:cmpowp:07/164
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    3. David Sondermann, 2014. "Productivity in the euro area: any evidence of convergence?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 999-1027, November.
    4. Roman Vavrek & Jiří Bečica, 2020. "Capital City as a Factor of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis—Application on Transport Companies in the Czech Republic," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-17, October.
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    6. Sharon Hadad & Yossi Hadad & Tzahit Simon-Tuval, 2013. "Determinants of healthcare system’s efficiency in OECD countries," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 14(2), pages 253-265, April.
    7. Chatterji, Monojit & Mumford, Karen A. & Smith, Peter N., 2007. "The Public-Private Sector Gender Wage Differential: Evidence from Matched Employee-Workplace Data," IZA Discussion Papers 3158, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Monojit Chatterji & Karen Mumford & Peter N Smith, 2007. "The Public-Private Sector Wage Differential: Gender, Workplaces and Family Friendliness," Dundee Discussion Papers in Economics 202, Economic Studies, University of Dundee.
    9. Aurelio Bruzzo, 2016. "Theoretical references for the territorial delimitation of Regions," Argomenti, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics, vol. 3(3), pages 1-26, January-A.
    10. Bernard Gumah & Maxwell A. Aziabah, 2020. "“Our Lives Are Affected by Government Agencies†: Citizens’ Perception Survey as a Measure of Public Service Efficiency in Ghana," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, June.
    11. Paolo Cosseddu & Maria Cozzolino & Ernesto Lorenzo Felli, 2012. "Structural Reform And Efficiency In Public Administration: Measuring The "Productvity Gap"," Working Papers 0812, CREI Università degli Studi Roma Tre, revised 2012.
    12. Heshmati, Almas, 2012. "Survey of Models on Demand, Customer Base-Line and Demand Response and Their Relationships in the Power Market," IZA Discussion Papers 6637, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Marius Constantin PROFIROIU & Septimiu Rares SZABO, 2016. "Outsourcing vs decentralisation: A comparative analysis in Central and Eastern Europe," Eco-Economics Review, Ecological University of Bucharest, Economics Faculty and Ecology and Environmental Protection Faculty, vol. 2(2), pages 3-26, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Productivity; Public enterprises;

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • H4 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods
    • L32 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Public Enterprises; Public-Private Enterprises

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