Managing what is measured

By Amy Dain
April 21st, 2008

There is a saying in business that what can’t be measured can’t be managed. When it comes to the public sector, not all societal issues in the purview of government oversight are easy to measure. But some things do lend themselves to measurement – and better management.

I’ve written in this blog before about leaders like Somerville’s Mayor Curtatone who have implemented programs for using data to drive strategic decionmaking. Mayor Curtatone has implemented SomerStat, under the able supervision of Stephanie Hirsch. Amesbury Mayor Thatcher Kezer also runs a stat program, and Springfield is launching a program.

Join us (and 150 people who have registered from across the state) this Friday at our conference on Middle Cities to learn more. Curtatone, Hirsch, Kezer, and Lisauskas (Springfield Finance Control Board) will discuss the challenges and benefits of CitiStat programs. (Don’t forget to register by emailing jfenton@pioneerinstitute.org)