Searching for Organizational Intelligence in the Evolution of Public-Sector Performance Management

The article explores the transformation process of evaluation, performance monitoring and accountability in the public sector. The process underlines that horizontal accountability referencing a wide democratic footprint is likely to become more explicit. To this end, this article develops the idea of transformation of public sector performance management from the viewpoint of organizational intelligence. Much of the current doctrine originates from rationalistic performance management and evaluation models and are therefore reluctant or unable to see the social mechanisms incorporated in the mechanisms of accountability. This article concludes that ‘hard nose’ rationalistic models of performance and evaluation are not anymore fit for purpose. To be measured by traditional performance metrics, the society is far too complex, constructed by various social networks and retrospective interlink-ages, and constituted by public service systems. Thus, the need for intelligence in organizational knowledge management and decision-making processes ought to be addressed more systematically.