Are Public Administration institutions willing to disclose their performance through data portals? The case of the Portuguese Directorates-General

Abstract

Over the last couple of decades, public administrations have been adopting performance measurement systems with a twofold aim: internally, to obtain feedback on the extent to which they are achieving their goals and, consequently, to have indications on the changes they need to introduce; and, externally, to support their accountability mechanisms. Within a principal-agent perspective, citizens are entitled to more information disclosure regarding the way public resources are being used and how well public services are performing. Given their accessibility and taking into account open government principles, the internet is an essential channel to convey information to a wide range of stakeholders (services users and citizens in particular) thus being crucial in promoting transparency concerning performance measurement. With reference to the Portuguese context, the current chapter analyses the performance information disclosure procedures implemented by the Directorates-Generals and evaluates some features of the performance indicators used.