Study title

The survey charted the use of the balanced scorecard indicators in measuring the performance of municipal services. The respondents were elected officials in the local and regional authorities participating in the study. Topics included the activity and state of the work community, performance measures, visions, strategies, aims and personnel management. Relating to the activity and state of work communities in their local or regional authority, the respondents were asked to give their opinions on co-operation, trust, and interaction between management, personnel, elected officials, political groups, political institutions, and different parties. These features were examined by presenting the respondents with statements covering the degree of trust and co-operation between these groups. The respondents gave their opinions on the chances of influencing various matters related to their jobs and decision making, as well as the degree of support received from their superiors and co-workers. The use of performance measures was charted by asking the respondents whether activities and services were assessed on a regular basis in their work unit, and whether they received enough feedback based on these assessments. In addition, they gave their views on what employees thought about the use of the balanced scorecard indicators, whether employees and elected officials had received enough information on the model, and whether using it had improved performance measures. Further questions covered how the information received from the assessments was being used at that time, how it should be used in the future, whose interests it served at that time, and whose interests it should serve in the future. Some questions pertained to how performance in political decision making was measured in local and regional authorities at present, and how it should be measured in the future. The importance of visions and strategies was studied at the work unit, sector, and local/regional...