Researchers attempted to answer the following question: “Has the reported performance of Quebec government agencies improved following the introduction of results-based management as formalized in the Public Administration Act in 2001?” They analyzed performance and quality indicators for the fiscal years between 2002 and 2007 for 16 of the 18 agencies created during this time. The results show that, in general, Quebec government agencies have managed to improve their financial performance; however, for other dimensions of their performance, including output, productivity and the quality of services provided, performance indicators were flat over the period studied. Lastly, the team found that some features unique to agencies, including their size, degree of autonomy and the specific nature of their mission, could have an impact on trends in their performance.
Laurin, C., M.-E. Quenneville and N. Thibodeau, The Long-run Performance of Decentralized Agencies, Centre for Productivity and Prosperity, HEC Montréal, September 2009.
