# Introduction Performance Management Getting Started Guide In an increasingly tech-savvy and connected world, government performance is closely watched. Performance management helps governments use technology and data to openly set goals, hold participants accountable, connect to stakeholders, track progress, and achieve results. By collecting and analyzing data and evidence, determining the desired outputs and outcomes, and linking data to overarching priorities, city leaders can use performance management to best administer policies and programs to the benefit of their community and residents. Government performance management has gained popularity at the local level. Cities across the US are seeing real success with implementing performance management programs. The [Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University](https://govex.jhu.edu/), a partner in the [What Works Cities initiative](https://whatworkscities.bloomberg.org/), has created this getting started guide to assist cities in implementing performance management programs in their own communities. By learning from the experiences of other cities and following the steps described in this guide, cities will have a greater understanding of performance management and be well on their way to launching their own performance management program. ![](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/govex/govex.github.io/master/images/WWC_ResourceStamp_web.png) --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://govex.gitbook.io/performance-management-getting-started-guide/readme.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.