Performance Measures, Marginalized Populations, and Democratic Participation: The Case of Permanent Supportive Housin

Democratic participation has been integrated in public administration theory and practice since the mid 20th century. It is a strategy used by public entities to enhance social equity by engaging citizens, including those who are marginalized and lack political efficacy. Most efforts to engage the public focus on program or policy planning rather than developing and interpreting performance measures. Even more limited are efforts to engage marginalized citizens in this work. This dissertation explores how preferences for performance measures differ between public sector representatives at the federal, state, and local levels and the marginalized citizens served by the public program of focus. Permanent supportive housing, or housing designed specifically for individuals moving out of homelessness, serves as a case in point to explore this research question. Research findings indicate that marginalized citizens differ frequently from public sector representatives in regards to both the importance assigned to selected performance measures and to their perceptions of what specific performance measures may indicate. Findings contribute to the literature on performance measurement, democratic participation, and social equity, and have practical applications for public administrators seeking to engage citizens in public processes.