This book investigates the historical evolution and practical application of performance measurement indicators within the British Civil Service. Author Neil Carter examines the shift toward accountability and performance-based management, tracing the development of these systems from their 1960s origins through the Financial Management Initiative and the Next Steps Initiative of the 1990s. The work is grounded in two years of extensive field research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, providing a rigorous analytical framework for understanding how government agencies quantify success.

Experts and academics in the field of public administration identify this work as a significant study of bureaucratic reform and performance management. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for understanding the evolution of government accountability structures.