Performance management has been a focus of scholars and practitioners for more than 25 years, yet the use of performance information has not greatly expanded as a result of this attention. Acknowledging that performance measurement is not an end in itself but rather a means to enhance focus on results and value, this article evaluates the determinants of the use of performance information by local government administrators. An online survey was administered to local government employees involved in the 2015-16 Florida Benchmarking Consortium. Analysis of the data demonstrates that institutionalization of performance measurement has the strongest statistically significant positive association with the use of performance information, followed by the design adequacy of the performance measurement system. Evidence for Practice• The extent to which performance practices are incorporated into the rules and routines of an organization is key to the use of performance information for decision-making purposes. • Performance measurement systems should provide clear, accessible, timely, and appropriate data linked to departmental targets, goals, and priorities. • Opportunities and resources are more important determinants of performance information use than individual factors such as knowledge, skills, training, work experience, support for performance measurement, and public service motivation. Use of Performance InformationWhile performance information may be used in myriad ways, the overarching goal of performance measurement is to foster improvement in the organization (Hatry 2014;Moynihan 2008;Van Dooren, Bouckaert, and Halligan 2010). Analysis of information obtained through the performance measurement system may be used for designing policies, accountability, planning, budgeting, allocating competences, operational improvement, program evaluation, reallocation of resources, directing operations, contract monitoring, assessment of individual behavior, and reporting (Ammons 2001;Van Dooren, Bouckaert, and Halligan 2010). This broad scope of uses implies that performance information may have internal and external focuses and may be used for substantiating organizational changes, controlling the present, and ensuring survival (Hammerschmid, Van de Walle, and Stimac 2013;Van Dooren, Bouckaert, and Halligan 2010). Expanding on these implications, this study employs the concept of the use of performance information to include evaluation, planning, budgeting, making personnel decisions, reporting to the public, and reporting to elected officials. 1

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PurposeThe study investigates the perceived network effectiveness of the Florida Benchmarking Consortium (FBC). It also examines the impact of network coordination, longevity of membership and environmental support on perceived network effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachIt uses a cross-sectional, nonexperimental research design and an ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regression that employed data from an online survey administered to local government employees from FBC member governments.FindingsThe results show that the FBC moderately meets the expectation of network participants to serve as a platform for exchanging experiences and increasing performance knowledge. However, the network's effectiveness is not dependent on the frequency of interactions among network members, but depends on their interactions with focal egos such as the FBC Executive Director. Contrary to expectations, the longevity of involvement with the network is not associated with perceived network effectiveness. Moreover, network members who perceive the environment as supportive are more likely to positively evaluate the network's effectiveness.Practical implicationsBecause perceived network effectiveness may be improved if the members interact with the right “focal” players, managers should proactively pursue closer connections with knowledgeable network members using additional and more frequent communication. Also, research efforts at identifying the characteristics of the right focal players that contribute to network effectiveness should be pursued.Originality/valueWhile there is extensive attention to the participation of public organizations in networks, less research focuses on network effectiveness examined at the network level. This study addresses this research gap by investigating if the FBC is effective in meeting its network goals.

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