Exploration of Balanced Scorecard-Based Government Performance Management in China

The extremely rapid economic development in China has made public sector organizations, especially local governments, increasingly under pressure to meet the various demands from diverse stakeholders. Local governments not only need to improve their performance but also need to demonstrate such improvements through an effective performance management system. Although balanced scorecard (BSC) has been successfully applied in western countries, rare cases of BSC applied in China's local governments are reported. This paper demonstrates the procedures and experiences for the design and implementation of BSC in China's local governments, using the case of Yanqing County in Beijing. The issues and challenges were also discussed.