Productivity Improvement in Government

Productivity relates to both the public and private sectors of the economy. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provides a number of productivity improvement services including: (1) consulting services on organizational and personnel problems, (2) assistance in developing performance appraisal and productivity measurement systems, (3) research on productivity improvement, and (4) extensive managerial training assistance. GAO became involved in federal productivity activities by creating the Federal Productivity Measurement Program. That program now provides productivity measures covering two-thirds of the federal government. The issue of productivity has recently become a matter of national concern. The key to successfully developing and implementing productivity improvements in the public sector is the manager. Management must be aware that there are basic approaches to improving productivity: technological, organizational, and behavioral. Managers enhance productivity by using all three approaches in the following ways: (1) establishing goals for their organizations and using available tools, such as performance measurement, to discover how efficient and effective their offices really are, (2) introducing new technology only after office procedures have been streamlined and after the managers have determined where the technology is most needed, and (3) taking advantage of opportunities to enhance employee motivation and reward good performance.