An empirical survey of frontier efficiency measurement techniques in localgovernment

Local government in advanced economies is undergoing a period of rapid refo rm aimed at enhancing its efficiency and effectiveness. Accordingly the def inition, measurement and improvement of organisational performance is cruci al. Despite the importance of efficiency measurement in local government it is only relatively recently that econometric and mathematical frontier tec hniques have been applied to local public services. This paper attempts to provide a synoptic survey of the comparatively few empirical analyses of ef ficiency measurement in local government. We examine both the measurement o f inefficiency in focal public services and the determinants of local publi c sector efficiency. The implications of efficiency measurement for practit ioners in local government are examined by way of conclusion.