Using the Public Sector Scorecard in public health

Purpose – This paper seeks to describe an application of the Public Sector Scorecard (PSS) to Sheffield's Stop Smoking Service. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses the PSS, an integrated service improvement and performance measurement framework for the public and voluntary sectors. The PSS shares the key advantages of the Balanced Scorecard in ensuring that performance measures reflect all aspects of an organisation's performance and have clear links to the organisation's strategy. In addition its structure and methodology, with more emphasis on service user involvement, working across organisational boundaries, process mapping, service improvement, and risk management, provide many additional benefits to organisations in the public and voluntary sectors. The study incorporated service user workshops with over 100 service users and a series of meetings with a reference group containing staff, service users and other key stakeholders. Findings – The paper concludes that the PSS has many benefits both in improving a public health service and in aligning its strategy, processes and performance measures both with one another and with the requirements and expectations of service users and other key stakeholders.