Bridging the Gap between Agencies and Citizens

Abstract

Performance measurement is an evolving field that has gained momentum, particularly with the call for enhanced accountability that many transportation organizations are facing. The measures that public agencies use to evaluate their performance have evolved into sophisticated tools for agency management. Although these tools have been refined, the methods for effectively communicating results to audiences outside the agencies have not. There is a large gap in the performance measurement and reporting literature concerning the effective communication of performance information. Ineffective communication does little to build credibility, leads to information asymmetry, and can increase public dissatisfaction, reflected as antitax sentiments and growing funding shortages. The Washington State Department of Transportation (Washington State DOT) has been using its performance journalism approach to communicate performance measures and results to a diverse audience including the public, the media, and policy makers. This well-tested approach has proved effective; it helped support two gas tax increases and helped defeat an antitax initiative. Washington State DOT developed performance journalism on the basis of experience gained during 6 years of reporting comprehensive transportation system performance information in its quarterly performance report, Measures, Markers and Mileposts, also referred to as the Gray Notebook. Effective communication of performance information is more than just publishing data and text. It requires an agency to tell its story and apply analytical and journalistic methods. These requirements are embodied in Washington State DOT's performance journalism principles. This paper offers a viable method for effective performance communication that can be used by any public agency and practitioner.