What All Mayors Would Like to Know About Baltimore’s CitiStat Performance Strategy

Dr. Behn prepared this report to summarize and present the questions most frequently posed to citiStat staff and to Mayor Martin O’Malley. The report explains how CitiStat should be viewed as a management strategy rather than a management system. When...

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By

Robert D. Behn

Lecturer

Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government redsox@hks.harvard.edu

Dr. Behn prepared this report to summarize and present the questions most frequently posed to citiStat staff and to Mayor Martin O'Malley. The report explains how CitiStat should be viewed as a management strategy rather than a management system. When viewed as a management strategy, Dr. Behn argues, the program can be replicated and customized to each mayor's individual needs and priorities. A key insight is that there is no single, right approach as to how to develop a successful management performance and accountability structure. Success depends heavily on clear goals, committed management, and persistent follow-up.

BehnReportCiti