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Abstract

Local councils in Malaysia continue to face criticism and are viewed as inefficient and lacking accountability. They also face pressure to improve their service delivery. As a result, the Malaysian federal government requires public agencies, including local authorities in Malaysia, to use key performance indicators (KPIs) to improve their service delivery.

This article examines the implementation of the system of key performance indicators in a local council in Malaysia. Details of the system of KPIs imposed by the government for the local council are discussed. The article also discusses how, and what indicators are formulated, and the process undertaken by the local council in improving their service delivery system.

Keywords

Performance measurement system KPIs local government public service delivery Malaysia accountability system

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References

Developmental Administrative Circular (DAC 2/2005). ‘Guideline on Establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and Implementing Performance Assessment at Government Agency’, Government of Malaysia .

Developmental Administrative Circular (DAC 3/1993). ‘Guidelines on Client Charter’, Government of Malaysia .

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OECD. 1996. Performance Auditing and Modernization of Government, Paris: OECD Press .

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Phang, S.N. 2000. ‘Urban Governance: Positioning Local Government in Malaysia to Meet the Challenges of the Urban Century’, in S. Osman , Z. Awang and S. Naidu (eds), Good Governance: Issues and Challenge, pp. 143–50. Intan, Malaysia .

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Shah, A. 2003. Handbook of Public Sector Performance Review, World Bank .

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UNESCAP (United Nations Economics and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific). ‘Local government in Asia and Pacific: A Comparative Study: Country Paper Malaysia’, Available at http://www.unescap.org/huset/lgstudy/country/malaysia/malaysia.html(Accessed on 1 January 2009).

Improving the Service Delivery

Abstract

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