One of the aims of the global trend of public
sector reform over the past twenty years or
so has been to improve confidence of citizens
in the service securing responsibilities of the
public sector. To this end, various public
bodies have utilized performance indicators
and user satisfaction surveys as a means of
improving and monitoring the delivery of
public services. This article examines the
perceived virtues of performance/user satisfaction
indicators in the context of British
local government and, in particular, within the
remit of the policies of best value and
comprehensive performance assessment.
Utilizing case study evidence of a local
authority’s implementation of best value, the
article raises doubts about the validity and
reliability of the two types of indicators and
provides further grounds for questioning
whether one should expect the data they
provide to be compatible with one another