| Nowadays, Government performance evaluation has become a hot issue in the field of public management. In order to confront the violent impact of economic globalization and the dramatic transformation of domestic environment, to further recover from the government's crises in finance, management and confidence, developed countries in the west represented by UK and the USA etc., first undergone a profound transformation and reformation in public sectors, which brought about the New Public Management Movement, referred to as a milestone government reform movement in the history of public administration by academia. As an important component of new public management theory, the government performance evaluation plays a vital role in such government's strategic objectives as promoting its implementation of strategic plans, realizing the improvement of its performance and boosting its competence construction. The traditional government performance evaluation is gradually changing into a model involving multiple bodies'participation, and quite a few theoretical problems derived from this are worth further discussion. In such a process, it has become a significant problem required to be researched into, both theoretically and realistically, to consider the constantly emerging problems of accountability in local government performance evaluation, how to define and implement different evaluating bodies'accountability in performance evaluation and how to build a systematic accountability management institution by means of the bodies'interaction in the internal organization of government, then the government directed into a road of accountability management.This dissertation attempts to expand from the generic accountability in government performance evaluation, then expounds on the predicaments of accountability, analyzes the definition of accountability bodies and the root of all accountability problems, explores institutional requirements on the content, feature, manifestation and implementation of generic and specific accountability, propounds a basic vision of constructing a performance evaluation institute with multiple evaluating bodies and helps the government seek an effective way to get rid of accountability predicaments. The main problems researched in this dissertation include:what is the connotation of accountability in government performance evaluation? What are its manifestations and features? How does each evaluating body fulfill its accountability in performance evaluation? What impact does the degree of accountability have on the whole process of government performance evaluation, on different links and the final result? For the purpose of making a smooth progress in government performance evaluation, how can we construct a performance evaluation mechanism on the basis of accountability? So to speak, clearing up the above problems is conducive not only to a better understanding of accountability in performance evaluation, a promotion of government performance by defining accountability, building awareness of accountability and designing a procedure of accountability management, but also to more attention from theorists and practitioners to the construction of government internal management system from the perspective of accountability, with a view to achieving the goal of government reform of construction promoted by evaluation.By theoretically analyzing the definition of accountability in government performance evaluation, I shall explore the connotation and features accountability bears. This research will focus on an in-depth analysis of each evaluating body's accountability orientation and fulfillment in the process of government performance evaluation and the mechanism and path by which each body plays a role in government performance evaluation. On such a basis, I shall comprehensively analyze each public body's role in government performance evaluation, according to the basic procedure of this evaluation, gradually explore the reciprocal mechanism and path between the evaluating body's accountability and government behavior, form a understanding of the ultimate impact on government behavior and performance by each body's fulfillment of accountability, and finally lay an essential and theoretical foundation for constructing an efficient accountability mechanism in government performance evaluation.Accountability in government performance evaluation is closely related to the evaluating body. Each body participates in the whole or part of government performance evaluation process in its corresponding way. It should be said that each body shows distinctive features in the form of participation, path, role played, its value and so on. Accordingly, the study of the accountability problem in government performance evaluation should be unfolded from two aspects. First, in accordance to different features of evaluating body, conduct an analysis of generic accountability. Second, in accordance to the procedure of performance evaluation, analyze each body's participatory behavior and concrete manifestation of accountability. Only by combining them together and construct a comprehensive analysis framework, can we understand and be aware of the accountability from a full perspective. To achieve this goal, the dissertation thoroughly analyzes some fundamental problems, such as each evaluating body's range, form, feature, procedure, path and the relation with other bodies while the body implementing accountability in government performance evaluation by adopting normative research and case study, historical literature research and comparative analysis as a combination of research methods. On such a basis, an innovative proposal is put forward on constructing an accountability management mechanism in government performance evaluation.This dissertation composes of the following eight chapters.Chapter One is an introduction. It mainly expounds the background and significance of this thesis, and puts forward its basic research topics, main research ideas, research and analysis framework, and research methodology.Chapter Two is on a theoretical elaboration on accountability and performance evaluation as well as a finding-integration research. On the basis of commenting on accountability, government performance evaluation findings and literature from home and abroad, this chapter firstly defines some important concepts relating to studying the accountability problem in government performance evaluation. Secondly, theories relevant to this problem are briefly elaborated. Lastly, a basic theoretical framework is constructed on the basis of combining research findings and theories.Chapter Three emphasizes on government organizations'accountability in government performance evaluation. It starts with the government organizations'generic accountability, focuses on these organizations'specific roles, manifestations of specific accountability, accountability requirements, accountability connotation, influence in the whole evaluation process and different steps and so on. The target of clearly elaborating government organizations' accountability will be reached by discussing the specific manifestations of their role construction and accountability implementation.Chapter Four studies the problem of civic accountability implementation in government performance evaluation. It starts with the relation between citizen and government and the civic generic accountability, and then extends to the field of government performance evaluation. In this chapter, the key problems to be analyzed and explained include:what is the citizen's basic attitude toward government performance evaluation? Why the citizen chooses or avoids participation? If participation, is it active or passive? Is it participation in the whole process or just in several parts? Is there any institutionalized channels enabling citizens to participate in the government performance evaluation? What kind of accountability should the citizen assume for the ultimate results of government performance evaluation? And so forth.Chapter Five mainly discusses the accountability of social organizations, especially professional evaluating organizations in government performance evaluation. Social organizations as one of important public bodies play an active role in government performance evaluation. This chapter mainly analyzes the accountability of professional social evaluating organizations and finds out its effects on the definition, feature and realization of accountability as well as on accountability mechanism construction, etc.Chapter Six studies the accountability enterprises assume in government performance evaluation. This chapter places emphasis on the following problems. How does each enterprise define its accountability, adopt reasonable method to participate in government performance evaluation, exert an influence on final evaluation results? On the basis of thorough elaboration on enterprise's role orientation, participation range and mode, manifestation and connotation of accountability, and combining the nationally representative cases of enterprise evaluating government in Gansu province, it explores how enterprise reasonably participates in government performance evaluation and while implementing its own accountability, avoids improper accountability in performance evaluation resulted from enterprise participation. The premise of each enterprise's effective participation in government performance evaluation is a definite and clear analysis on detailed contents and range, specific form, main channel, specific role defined of enterprise participation, as well as the possible constraints which cause the failure of implementing accountability. In this way, a proposal will be offered mainly for enterprise to better implement its accountability in government performance evaluation.Chapter Seven focuses on the accountability mechanism construction in performance evaluation. In the process of the evolvement from a traditional government performance evaluation model into a modern government performance management model, construction and innovation of mechanism is of vital importance. Especially when each evaluating body's accountability is defined, the mutual relationship among all bodies will be clearly explained and a mechanism of multiple evaluating bodies'coactions will be constructed. The premise for constructing this multiple coactions mechanism is each body's clear acknowledgement of its own accountability, and an explicit regulation to guarantee an effective implementation of accountability and a reasonable mutual relationship. Only by clearly defining the relationship of evaluating bodies, can the model and mechanism of performance evaluation management be explored on the basis of evaluating body's pluralism and reflecting each body's accountability. Constructing an open, transparent and public accountability mechanism is not only a forceful constraint to ensure each body's proper participation and action in the process of evaluation and their implementation of accountability, but also an important system carrier of promoting the construction of government accountability management system by government performance evaluation, improving service quality and government execution competence. Based on the current practice of government performance evaluation, what factors are included in the evaluated accountability system? What about the relation among these factors? What kind of principle does the accountability system adhere to? What is the relationship between the accountability system construction and each accountability body? And so on. These basic questions are all covered in this chapter. And it will try to explore an effective accountability mechanism construction and design, to help prevent the government from an "accountability dilemma" in performance evaluation, and to achieve the main objective of government reformation. Besides accountability system, the optimization of government performance evaluation environment is also an important problem desperately deserving to be studied. Performance evaluation environment can be regarded as the externalization and performance of evaluation accountability mechanism, and can strengthen this accountability. How to realize the current performance evaluation environment and how to improve and optimize it, so as to adapt it to the construction of performance evaluation accountability mechanism, are also equally important to be studied and analyzed in this chapter. Only by taking this two-pronged approach, the construction of performance evaluation accountability mechanism and the optimization of internal and external environment, can a more exact understanding be formed that accountability mechanism is extremely valuable to the sustainable development of government performance evaluation. Only by taking this two-pronged approach, can the path and channel be profoundly studied from the mechanism level to henceforth improve each body's participation and promote a better development in government performance evaluation. Only by taking this two-pronged approach, can ideas be opened up for further studying the construction of accountability management system which includes information disclosure system, multi-body evaluation mechanism, incentive mechanism and constraint mechanism in government performance evaluation.Chapter Eight is about basic conclusions and research prospects. Based on the comprehensive theoretical research and case studies about each body's accountability in government performance evaluation, this chapter aims at the key factors that affect the level of government management performance, starts with updating the government and each public actors'belief in accountability and performance, proposes constructive suggestions on innovating government management system, establishing and perfecting government accountability management mechanism and improving government performance, etc. and comes to the final conclusions of the study. This Chapter finally will present the development strategies for the accountability mechanism in government performance evaluation. It is the ultimate goal of this article. The ultimate goal of pondering over accountability in government performance evaluation is to improve the development of local government performance evaluation in China by perfecting each body's participation mechanism. Accordingly, this chapter reverts to the discussion about accountability in government performance evaluation, and presents four strategies relating to the construction of evaluation accountability management mechanism, based on multiple participation and effective system design and reflecting the "citizen-based". First, coordinate multi-evaluation system and form a synthesis of the effectiveness of performance evaluation system; second, create unimpeded channels between public opinion expression and government response, and form a benign interaction between government and citizen; third, ensure the fairness and effectiveness of evaluation and achieve an organic integration between its instrumental rationality and value rationality; four, each body faithfully shoulders the accountability of performance evaluation, aims to achieve mechanism and system innovation, and to actively promote the establishment and improvement of accountability mechanisms.The innovations of this dissertation include:â…°) Based on the practice of China's administrative management system reform and the macro background of building a service-oriented government, choosing the accountability in government performance evaluation as the theme of this research, extending each type of governance body's generic accountability in public sectors to specific areas of government performance evaluation, conducting a comprehensive analysis of accountability in government performance evaluation, mainly focusing on the connotation, type, characteristics, forms, etc. the basic constituent elements of different body's accountability in government performance evaluation, reaching a comprehensively understanding of accountability in performance evaluation.â…±) In the level of academic research, having covered the shortage in the study of accountability in government performance evaluation by the past academic circle. In this dissertation's study, the accountability is comprehensively and systematically expounded and analyzed, which provides an instructive and theoretical support to the future study and application of government performance evaluation.â…²) On the basis of studying accountability in government performance evaluation, exploring the construction of accountability management mechanism and basic management procedure of mutual trust, mutual reliance, mutual checks and balances, to standardize and promote the government performance evaluation behavior and promote the whole society's participation in the evaluation. Of course, the current study of accountability in government performance evaluation is still subject to a number of factors and in the process of study shortcomings and deficiencies are inevitable, which point to a new direction for the future research in this field.
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