Performance measurement as budgetary reform in the Singapore Civil Service

The article examines two recent and related reforms in the Singapore Civil Service: performance measurement and a new system of budgeting, known as Budgeting For Results, which is based upon performance measurement. It first examines the different types of performance measurement and the range of performance indicators used in the Singapore Civil Service. The article then considers Budgeting For Results, under which budget allocations are linked to the performance of Departments/Agencies as measured by the different types of indicator. Emphasis is given to the way Budgeting For Results, by linking budget allocations to performance, provides the necessary rewards to spur greater performance. The central argument is that reforms designed to ensure better performance in government bureaucracy require incentives to be effectively implemented. In conclusion the article examines the ways in which improvements could be made in the measurement of performance and in budgetary allocations based upon performance.