The Role of Performance Indicators in Housing Management: A Critique

Abstract

In this paper an evaluation of the housing management performance indicators regime in the United Kingdom is provided. First, the context in which performance measurement in the housing service in the United Kingdom has developed is set and lessons are drawn from the use of statutory indicators following the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. By examining the performance indicator regime in Wales it is suggested that the regime is flawed because it provides information which points towards the economic efficiency of service provision rather than explaining the effectiveness of services. This is compounded by the multiple audience that the performance indicator regime is targeted at: tenants, local government, and central government. The conflict arising from the multiple target groups results in the regime being unable to serve properly its primary audience, that is, tenants. To conclude the paper, some alternatives are suggested, and the need for performance indicators to be seen as tools for evaluating the relative efficiency and effectiveness of local authority housing management over time is highlighted.