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Abstract
Performance Measurement Systems (PMS) have become popular over the past two decades.
Especially since the mid 1990s there has been a notable increase of organizations using these
kinds of management tools. The benefits of PMS are widely accepted in the industrial sector,
but there have been ambiguous experiences in the public sector. One of the first
implementations in the European forest sector took place in 2000, with the introduction of a
PMS system by the Forest Administration of Baden-Württemberg (Germany; BW). This
paper reports experiences from the implementation of the system. A questionnaire was
developed, based on previous research in the United States, and used to collect information
about implementation experiences. Evaluation theory is used as methodological framework;
PMS theory provides relevant criteria for the appraisal of the success of these methods. The
paper presents the key results of the survey related to nine criteria. The level of acceptance
and use of the systems meet international standards. There is a relevant capability to increase
the commitment to the strategy and improve the performance of the whole organization. The
operationalisation of targets is one key success factor. On the other hand, it is obvious that the
implementation of PMS requires a tremendous input of financial and staff resources. There is
a significant risk of failure with the multidimensional use. In addition, the derivation of
relevant valid indicators for ‘soft factors’ outside the financial and physical sphere of a forest
organization is crucial. It is concluded that PMS is a feasible approach for forest enterprises
and administrations. However, its implementation requires a detailed analysis of the
organizational and administrational framework. These factors are discussed and highlighted
in the form of seven core findings.