Many governments use Performance Measurement Systems (PMSs) to measure vulnerabilities in network industries and to manage the processes aimed at reducing these vulnerabilities. We focus on two important aspects of vulnerability: interruption of supply for the Dutch electricity industry and punctuality in the Dutch railway industry. First, we describe the design of the PMSs in both industries. Next, we confront the characteristics of these PMSs with the underlying complexity of the operational service in both sectors. Further, we describe the positive and perverse effects of the PMSs in action. Finally, we interpret our findings with a number of theoretical notions.
BCG, Boston Consultancy Group. 2005. Analyse van NS prestaties (in English: Analysis of NS performance). Utrecht.
2.
VromansM.J.C.M.2005. Reliability of Railway Systems. Trail Thesis series T2005/7, The Netherlands TRAIL Research School, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
3.
Van HeezikA.A.S., and De NeveR.G.2006. Overzicht van de beschikbare data. T.b.v. een longtitudinale kwantitatieve analyse van de barging van publieke waarden in infrastructuur sectoren (in English: Overview of available data on the safeguarding of public values in infrastructure sectors). Den Haag: HNT historische producties. www.hnthistorischeproducties.nl (accessed April 28, 2008).
4.
BrüchnerJ.de JongH.MeeuwsenJ., and VrolijkR.2006. Onderzoek stroomstoring Haaksbergen, Constateringen en aanbevelingen (in English: Study of the electricity failure at Haaksbergen). No. 102256, Directie Toezicht Energie (DTe), 's Gravenhage.
5.
De Nederlandse Mededingingsautoriteit. 2003 and 2006. Annual report. The Hague. www.nmanet.nl (accessed April 28, 2008).
6.
KEMA. 2002. Betrouwbaarheid elektriciteitsnetten in eengeliberaliseerde markt (in English: Reliability of electricity networks in aliberalized market). 40110117-TDC 02–24787A, Dusseldorf, www.kema.com (accessed April 28, 2008).
7.
BloemhofG.A.HulshorstW.T.J., and JanssenJ.2001. “25 years outage data, ready for the future.” In: Proceedings of the 16thInternational Conference and Exhibition on Electricity Distribution (CIRED 2001). Amsterdam, The Netherlands, June 18–21 2001.
8.
De BruijnH.2007. Managing Performance in the Public Sector. London: Routledge, 2nd edition.
9.
BoeckaertG., and AuwersT.1999. Measuring Performance in Government. Bruges: die Keure, p. 38.
