Abstract

This article provides background to measuring local government service performance in New Zealand and charts the practice of measuring service levels developed for a large city council. Projects were completed in 2007, 2008, and 2009 for the purpose of informing the city council’s strategy development and management decision making. In each case, data were gathered utilizing a range of quantitative and qualitative methods. The evaluation was designed around five interlinked pro- cesses. Both service performance and service importance were evaluated using the Orange Consulting Service Performance Index, which combines both dimensions and provides comparable data across the council service areas. The methodology was officially approved by the Office of the New Zealand Auditor-General in 2009.