Each of these confidences demands an honest accounting. This notion of transparency in governance is of the utmost importance to Secretary Struhs. That means we should always err on the side of being more inclusive, not less. Clear in communicating our intentions, not opaque. And willing to not just communicate our positions and decisions but the rationale that we used in reaching them.
Performance measurement forms the language of such a dialogue.
This commitment to transparency is reflected in the Department s performance measurement system. The essence of program performance is described with a hierarchy of indicators that portray program goals and objectives. Over a year ago, Governor Bush directed each of his agency heads to formulate a brief mission statement that would guide each agency toward fully implementing his vision of public service. This simple statement encompasses the idea that the public sector is not as nimble as it needs to be in today s society. Performance indicators help us constantly evaluate our activities to determine whether they are serving protection or process.