Performance management is a process through which employees‟ performance is evaluated in order to reward such performance that meets the required standards, and to develop employees who fail to attain the required expectations. The overall organisational performance hinges on the effectiveness with which a performance management system is developed and implemented. The current study focuses on the extent to which performance management is effectively developed and implemented at the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and the correlation that this has with service delivery. To achieve this objective a number of research questions and objectives were posed and formulated in chapter one. The hypotheses for the study are: a well-designed performance management system with well thought out practices and procedures can improve the delivery of services in the City of Johannesburg; and a well-designed performance management system with well thought out practices and procedures cannot improve the delivery of services in the City of Johannesburg. In order to validate the hypotheses, the structured questionnaires on the performance management system and service delivery were compiled. A questionnaire for employees consisted of close-ended questionnaire statements and open-ended questions. Another questionnaire with only close-ended questionnaire statements was issued to residents to elicit responses on service delivery by the City of Johannesburg. Frequency analysis, which lends itself to correlation analysis, of employees‟ responses and residents‟ feedback was conducted. The correlation analysis between employees‟ responses to performance management system and residents‟ responses to service delivery was conducted using the Pearson Correlation. The findings of the study are: Growth and Development Strategy and the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) are not adhered to in the daily operations in the municipality. Managers and subordinates set objectives jointly but are, however, not participants in the evaluation of the municipality’s performance. The employees of the municipality are aware of the existence of the performance management system but it is applied only to more senior officials. Employees and managers are not involved in the evaluation of the municipality‟s performance. Training does not capacitate employees to work effectively with the Balanced Scorecard. The information technology architecture is not supportive of the implementation of the performance management system. Key performance areas were found to lack uniformity in the municipality and therefore created „silos‟ in the municipality. The key performance indicators are developed without the involvement of the communities, including employees, especially at the lower level of management. The critical success factors are understood by employees and are linked to major tasks and job responsibilities. Tax and rates accounts are issued in time. Tax and rates accounts are inaccurate. The municipality does not maintain street lights regularly. The municipality does not maintain sewage systems regularly. There is no relationship between the performance management system and service delivery. The recommendations for improving the performance management system were made and the researcher developed an appropriate model of performance that is oriented to effective service delivery. / Thesis (PhD (Public Management and Governance))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

本研究探討人格特質、績效考核公平感與反生產行為之間相互關係，透過匿名的問卷，調查342位任職於臺北市及新北市的教職員工。分析結果指出，嚴謹性、友善性、開放性及神經質人格，皆能有效地預測反生產行為。 進一步檢視績效考核公平各構面在人格特質與反生產行為間的調節效果，研究發現分配公平能有效調節。本研究運用結構方式模型測試，分析各公平構面的調節情形，分析結果分配公平具有最佳的調節效果。 建議教育主管機關及人員可透過增進組織之公平相關政策，降低反生產行為之發生。 / The study examined the interrelation of personality characteristics, performance appraisal justice and counterproductive work behavior(CWB). An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted, with 342 teaching and administrative staffs in Taipei and New Taipei city. Statistical analysis indicated that CWB can be predicted by the following personality characteristics; conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness and neuroticism. Moderation analysis discovered that the association between personality characteristics and CWB is moderated by distributive justice. Structural Equation Modelling was adopted in order to examine the efficacy of the identified moderators, and revealed that distributive justice has the strongest moderating effect. Implications of the findings to organizational management and personnel practitioners are discussed accordingly, including; that the occurrence of CWB could be reduced through the implementation of organizational justice enhancement policies.

This dissertation consists of two parts. The first part deals with the performance appraisal of estimation algorithms. The second part focuses on the application of estimation algorithms to target tracking. Performance appraisal is crucial for understanding, developing and comparing various estimation algorithms. In particular, with the evolvement of estimation theory and the increase of problem complexity, performance appraisal is getting more and more challenging for engineers to make comprehensive conclusions. However, the existing theoretical results are inadequate for practical reference. The first part of this dissertation is dedicated to performance measures which include local performance measures, global performance measures and model distortion measure. The second part focuses on application of the recursive best linear unbiased estimation (BLUE) or lineae minimum mean square error (LMMSE) estimation to nonlinear measurement problem in target tracking. Kalman filter has been the dominant basis for dynamic state filtering for several decades. Beyond Kalman filter, a more fundamental basis for the recursive best linear unbiased filtering has been thoroughly investigated in a series of papers by Dr. X. Rong Li. Based on the so-called quasirecursive best linear unbiased filtering technique, the constraints of the Kalman filter Linear-Gaussian assumptions can be relaxed such that a general linear filtering technique for nonlinear systems can be achieved. An approximate optimal BLUE filter is implemented for nonlinear measurements in target tracking which outperforms the existing method significantly in terms of accuracy, credibility and robustness.

The effective management of individual/team performance is a crucial requirement to ensure that organisational goals are attained. This requires accurate data regarding the performance levels of individuals/teams. Therefore there is a need for a standardised and formal performance management system. An effective performance management system is the centre of an integrated HR system that feeds into a variety of processes and systems such as career planning, rewards, training and development, promotions, and disciplinary decisions. Despite the importance of performance management, most organisations find it difficult to implement, manage and sustain performance management systems and processes effectively. The focus of this study is on appraising the performance management practices in the offices of the Department of Labour in three provinces: Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The results indicate problems with the practices in areas such as alignment, fairness, measuring commitment, systems integrity, and the performance management culture. Recommendations were made to address these issues and improve the effectiveness of the system / Human Resource Management / M. Tech. (Human Resource Development)

The purpose of this qualitative, explorative descriptive study was to describe how registered nurses at a specific tertiary hospital perceive the annual performance appraisal. A sample of 20 registered surgical nurses working in the ten Surgical Care Divisions was purposively selected to meet the inclusion criteria. Data was collected through two focus group interviews with 10 participants each. The transcribed interviews were manually analysed according to Collaizzi‟s (1978) method. Findings were described according to six main themes, of which the last theme described the nurses‟ suggestions for improving the annual performance appraisal. The 15 sub-themes addressed, among other things, the process of conducting annual performance appraisals, scoring the performances, incentives, loyalty to the hospital, communication, and competency certification of registered nurses. Recommendations were made for developing guidelines to ensure a standardised process of annual performance appraisal and to involve all stakeholders in the review of the competency assessment certification process. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

Supervisors are the primary drivers of performance management; however, little is known about factors that influence their implementation of these systems. The purpose of this study was to investigate how a supervisor individual difference—implicit person theory (IPT)—differentially predicts supervisor behaviors during, as well as both supervisor and employee reactions to appraisal interviews. In Study 1, MBA students reported their supervisors’ behaviors during their most recent performance appraisal interview (Time 1) as well as their subsequent reactions (i.e., perceived satisfaction, utility, success, supervisor support; Time 2). Their supervisors completed a measure assessing their own IPT (Time 3). Findings suggest that supervisors’ task-oriented behaviors predicted perceived satisfaction, utility, and success of the appraisal interviews, while supervisor’ relational-oriented behaviors predicted perceived supervisor support. In Study 2, supervisors recruited via MTurk completed all measures from Study 1 except perceived success. Results suggest that IPT was positively related to task-oriented behaviors and perceived utility, task-oriented behaviors mediated the relationship between IPT and all three reaction measures (i.e., perceived satisfaction, utility, and supervisor support), and relational-oriented behaviors significantly predicted supervisors’ perceived support. Overall, findings suggest that supervisors who believe people can change (hold a more incremental IPT) display more task-oriented behaviors during and see more utility in appraisal interviews. Additionally, task-oriented behaviors emerged as the key mechanism linking supervisors’ IPT and reactions to appraisal interviews. These findings demonstrate that supervisor individual differences, such as IPT, can influence performance appraisal and management outcomes.

A presente pesquisa objetivou analisar o percurso do usuário e a oferta de ações nos serviços de saúde para o diagnóstico da tuberculose (TB). Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, do tipo inquérito realizado no município de Ribeirão Preto. A população do estudo foi de 100 doentes de TB acompanhados nos cinco ambulatórios de referência para o tratamento da doença no período da coleta de dados (junho a dezembro de 2009). Foram critérios de inclusão: estar em tratamento para TB, ser residente no município de Ribeirão Preto, com idade igual ou superior a 18 anos, não pertencentes ao sistema prisional. A coleta de dados foi realizada em duas etapas, sendo a primeira a entrevista com o doente de TB, por meio de um questionário estruturado contendo questões relacionadas aos aspectos sócio-demográficos e buscando resgatar o percurso do paciente desde o momento em que se sentiu doente, a procura pelo primeiro serviço de saúde e o diagnóstico da doença. A segunda etapa contou com a coleta de dados secundários em dois sistemas de informação, sendo eles: o TB-WEB, onde foram obtidos registros relativos aos dados clínicos dos doentes e o Hygia-WEB, para obtenção de informações acerca dos serviços de saúde e profissionais que atenderam o paciente, além de exames solicitados. Foram elaborados indicadores relacionados ao desempenho dos serviços de saúde para o diagnóstico da TB, considerando as categorias de análise: \"ofertas de ações nos serviços de saúde\", \"fluxo de atendimento desde o primeiro serviço de saúde até o diagnóstico\" e \"resolubilidade dos casos nos serviços de saúde\". Os dados foram analisados por meio de técnicas de estatística descritiva e a elaboração de um esquema do percurso do usuário pelos serviços de saúde. Os resultados mostraram que 69% dos doentes de TB buscaram o Pronto-atendimento (PA) como primeiro serviço de saúde e a Unidade de Atenção Básica (UAB) foi a que menos diagnosticou casos da doença (2%). Os achados evidenciaram a preferência dos usuários na procura por serviços de PA, uma vez que 82% passaram pelo menos uma vez por este tipo de serviço até o diagnóstico da TB, o que não garantiu a elucidação do caso com agilidade e rapidez, uma vez que a maioria dos doentes foi diagnosticada em Serviços Especializados (SE) (90%). Notou-se que a baciloscopia de escarro foi solicitada para 55,9% dos usuários que procuraram os SE e que o médico foi o profissional que mais atendeu nos serviços de saúde procurados, principalmente nos PA (98,8%). A mediana do tempo de diagnóstico foi semelhante dentre os que procuraram primeiro as UAB e os PA, sendo respectivamente de 33,5 e 33,0 dias. A mediana do número de vezes que o usuário procurou por um serviço de saúde foi maior dentre os que procuraram a Atenção Básica como primeiro atendimento (5,5 vezes). Os resultados pressupõem que haja um ordenamento do sistema de saúde local, com retaguarda e equipe preparada nos diferentes níveis assistenciais para que determine o menor tempo possível para o diagnóstico da doença. / The present study aimed to analyze the trajectory of the user and the offer of actions in the health services for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). This is a descriptive, survey type study, held in the city of Ribeirão Preto. The subject group of the study was of 100 TB patients followed in five referenced clinics to the treatment of the disease during the period of data collection (June-December, 2009). Inclusion criteria was: being treated for TB, being a resident in the city of Ribeirão Preto, aged 18 or over, not being in prison system. Data collection was performed in two stages, the first being the interview with the TB patient, using a structured questionnaire that sought to track down the trajectory of patient from the moment they felt sick to the demand for the first health service and diagnosis of disease. The second stage involved the collection of secondary data in two information systems, namely: the TB-WEB, in which records relating to the patient were obtained and Hygia-WEB, to obtain information about health services and professionals who treated the patient, and also requested exams. Indicators related to health services performance for the diagnosis of TB were prepared, considering the categories of analysis: \"offer of actions in health services\", \"service flow from the first health service to diagnosis\" and \"solvability of cases in health care.\" Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics techniques and the preparation of a scheme of the trajectory of the user in health services. The results showed that 69% of TB patients sought Emergency Care as the first health service and the Primary Care Unit was the one that diagnosed cases of the disease the least (2%). The findings indicated the preference of the users in the demand for Emergency Care, since 82% went at least once to this type of service until the diagnosis of TB. This fact has not ensured elucidation in the case with agility and speed, since the majority of patients were diagnosed in Specialized Services (90%). It was noted that sputum smear was applied to 55.9% of users who tried the Specialized Services and the doctor was the professional who most served in the health services that were sought, especially in Emergency Care (98.8%). The average time to diagnosis was similar among those who first sought the Primary Care Unit and the Emergency Care, being each one 33.5 and 33.0 days. The average number of times a user searched for a health service was higher among those who went to Primary Care Unit as a first contact (5.5 times). The results imply that the local health system must be organized with backup and team prepared for the different levels of care in order to determine at the shortest time the diagnosis of the disease.

Submitted by Joana Azevedo (joanad@id.uff.br) on 2017-06-30T19:18:04Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERT DENISE DEL PELOSO DE CASTRO.pdf: 2022904 bytes, checksum: 83c61e2187f8465afb598f3b867b9017 (MD5) / Rejected by Biblioteca da Escola de Engenharia (bee@ndc.uff.br), reason: Olá, Joana! O depósito desta dissertação está todo corrigido. Porém, preciso confirmar com você se realmente é "acesso restrito". Após confirmação, reenvie novamente para eu validar e publicizar. Atenciosamente, Catarina Ribeiro Bibliotecária BEE - Ramal 5992/5993/5994 on 2017-07-06T15:54:56Z (GMT) / Submitted by Joana Azevedo (joanad@id.uff.br) on 2017-07-06T18:53:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERT DENISE DEL PELOSO DE CASTRO.pdf: 2022904 bytes, checksum: 83c61e2187f8465afb598f3b867b9017 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Biblioteca da Escola de Engenharia (bee@ndc.uff.br) on 2017-07-07T16:27:15Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERT DENISE DEL PELOSO DE CASTRO.pdf: 2022904 bytes, checksum: 83c61e2187f8465afb598f3b867b9017 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-07T16:27:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERT DENISE DEL PELOSO DE CASTRO.pdf: 2022904 bytes, checksum: 83c61e2187f8465afb598f3b867b9017 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-27 / A implementação da avaliação por múltiplas fontes, realizada pela administração pública federal, introduziu mudanças significativas na avaliação de desempenho no setor público, ao se considerar que novos avaliadores foram inseridos no processo (pares, subordinados e o próprio servidor). O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a percepção dos gestores de avaliação de uma autarquia federal acerca dessa nova sistemática implementada, utilizando-se um estudo de caso e a aplicação de um questionário eletrônico semiestruturado. A amostra de gestores foi selecionada por acessibilidade e tipicidade. Os resultados apontam que a maioria dos respondentes concorda, de forma plena ou parcial, que a avaliação realizada nestes moldes é mais precisa e justa, que fornece feedback aos envolvidos e que as habilidades de liderança são relevantes para que a sistemática alcance os resultados esperados. Em relação ao grau de importância das competências demandadas neste modelo de avaliação, os respondentes indicam o comprometimento, a comunicação e a avaliação da equipe de forma justa e imparcial. Os desafios envolvidos na implementação da metodologia no setor público estão relacionados a aspectos comportamentais, como a seriedade e imparcialidade no processo e as especificidades relacionadas à estrutura e à cultura da administração pública que, segundo os gestores, são fatores restritivos ao êxito da nova sistemática. / The implementation of the multisource feedback by the federal public administration has introduced significant changes in performance appraisal in the public sector, considering that new evaluators were included in the process (peers, subordinates and the server himself). The objective of this study was to analyze the perception of evaluation managers of a federal autarchy on the new system implemented, using a case study and application of a semi-structured electronic questionnaire. The sample was selected by accessibility and typicality. The results show that most respondents agree in full or in part, the evaluation carried out in this way, it is more accurate and fair, provides feedback to involved and the leadership skills are relevant to the systematic achieve the expected results. Regarding the degree of importance of competences demanded in this evaluation model, respondents indicate the commitment, communication and fairly and impartially evaluation of staff. The challenges involved in implementation of the methodology in the public sector are related to behavioral aspects such as the seriousness and impartiality in the process and the specificities related to the structure and culture of public administration according to the managers are restrictive factors to the success of the new system.

A presente pesquisa objetivou analisar o percurso do usuário e a oferta de ações nos serviços de saúde para o diagnóstico da tuberculose (TB). Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, do tipo inquérito realizado no município de Ribeirão Preto. A população do estudo foi de 100 doentes de TB acompanhados nos cinco ambulatórios de referência para o tratamento da doença no período da coleta de dados (junho a dezembro de 2009). Foram critérios de inclusão: estar em tratamento para TB, ser residente no município de Ribeirão Preto, com idade igual ou superior a 18 anos, não pertencentes ao sistema prisional. A coleta de dados foi realizada em duas etapas, sendo a primeira a entrevista com o doente de TB, por meio de um questionário estruturado contendo questões relacionadas aos aspectos sócio-demográficos e buscando resgatar o percurso do paciente desde o momento em que se sentiu doente, a procura pelo primeiro serviço de saúde e o diagnóstico da doença. A segunda etapa contou com a coleta de dados secundários em dois sistemas de informação, sendo eles: o TB-WEB, onde foram obtidos registros relativos aos dados clínicos dos doentes e o Hygia-WEB, para obtenção de informações acerca dos serviços de saúde e profissionais que atenderam o paciente, além de exames solicitados. Foram elaborados indicadores relacionados ao desempenho dos serviços de saúde para o diagnóstico da TB, considerando as categorias de análise: \"ofertas de ações nos serviços de saúde\", \"fluxo de atendimento desde o primeiro serviço de saúde até o diagnóstico\" e \"resolubilidade dos casos nos serviços de saúde\". Os dados foram analisados por meio de técnicas de estatística descritiva e a elaboração de um esquema do percurso do usuário pelos serviços de saúde. Os resultados mostraram que 69% dos doentes de TB buscaram o Pronto-atendimento (PA) como primeiro serviço de saúde e a Unidade de Atenção Básica (UAB) foi a que menos diagnosticou casos da doença (2%). Os achados evidenciaram a preferência dos usuários na procura por serviços de PA, uma vez que 82% passaram pelo menos uma vez por este tipo de serviço até o diagnóstico da TB, o que não garantiu a elucidação do caso com agilidade e rapidez, uma vez que a maioria dos doentes foi diagnosticada em Serviços Especializados (SE) (90%). Notou-se que a baciloscopia de escarro foi solicitada para 55,9% dos usuários que procuraram os SE e que o médico foi o profissional que mais atendeu nos serviços de saúde procurados, principalmente nos PA (98,8%). A mediana do tempo de diagnóstico foi semelhante dentre os que procuraram primeiro as UAB e os PA, sendo respectivamente de 33,5 e 33,0 dias. A mediana do número de vezes que o usuário procurou por um serviço de saúde foi maior dentre os que procuraram a Atenção Básica como primeiro atendimento (5,5 vezes). Os resultados pressupõem que haja um ordenamento do sistema de saúde local, com retaguarda e equipe preparada nos diferentes níveis assistenciais para que determine o menor tempo possível para o diagnóstico da doença. / The present study aimed to analyze the trajectory of the user and the offer of actions in the health services for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). This is a descriptive, survey type study, held in the city of Ribeirão Preto. The subject group of the study was of 100 TB patients followed in five referenced clinics to the treatment of the disease during the period of data collection (June-December, 2009). Inclusion criteria was: being treated for TB, being a resident in the city of Ribeirão Preto, aged 18 or over, not being in prison system. Data collection was performed in two stages, the first being the interview with the TB patient, using a structured questionnaire that sought to track down the trajectory of patient from the moment they felt sick to the demand for the first health service and diagnosis of disease. The second stage involved the collection of secondary data in two information systems, namely: the TB-WEB, in which records relating to the patient were obtained and Hygia-WEB, to obtain information about health services and professionals who treated the patient, and also requested exams. Indicators related to health services performance for the diagnosis of TB were prepared, considering the categories of analysis: \"offer of actions in health services\", \"service flow from the first health service to diagnosis\" and \"solvability of cases in health care.\" Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics techniques and the preparation of a scheme of the trajectory of the user in health services. The results showed that 69% of TB patients sought Emergency Care as the first health service and the Primary Care Unit was the one that diagnosed cases of the disease the least (2%). The findings indicated the preference of the users in the demand for Emergency Care, since 82% went at least once to this type of service until the diagnosis of TB. This fact has not ensured elucidation in the case with agility and speed, since the majority of patients were diagnosed in Specialized Services (90%). It was noted that sputum smear was applied to 55.9% of users who tried the Specialized Services and the doctor was the professional who most served in the health services that were sought, especially in Emergency Care (98.8%). The average time to diagnosis was similar among those who first sought the Primary Care Unit and the Emergency Care, being each one 33.5 and 33.0 days. The average number of times a user searched for a health service was higher among those who went to Primary Care Unit as a first contact (5.5 times). The results imply that the local health system must be organized with backup and team prepared for the different levels of care in order to determine at the shortest time the diagnosis of the disease.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2016-09-16T11:56:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Marinaldo Oliveira Santos_.pdf: 2682832 bytes, checksum: f39463fc89972fe2230fe980b0b16e05 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-16T11:56:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marinaldo Oliveira Santos_.pdf: 2682832 bytes, checksum: f39463fc89972fe2230fe980b0b16e05 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-18 / UNISINOS - Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos / A avaliação de desempenho funcional é uma das principais ferramentas de gestão de pessoas, seus resultados dão subsídios ao gestor para o planejamento de ações e políticas de melhorias, visando metas individuais e organizacionais. O caso selecionado para o estudo é a Avaliação Periódica de Desempenho (APED), regulada pelas normas legais representadas pela Lei n. 1.534 de 29 de dezembro de 2004 e pelo decreto n. 2.551 de 13 de outubro de 2005. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo propor melhorias no modelo atual de avaliação de desempenho dos servidores públicos do estado do Tocantins visando ao aprimoramento do instrumento de medição de desempenho por meio do emprego da abordagem de auxílio multicritério à decisão (AMD). Para alcançar este objetivo, foi adotada uma abordagem que combina os métodos AHP e PROMETHEE II, e ainda suas extensões para decisão em grupo, a abordagem de Agregação Individual de Prioridades (AIP) para o AHP e o PROMETHEE GDSS para o PROMETHEE II. Os resultados obtidos pela pesquisa propiciaram o aprimoramento do instrumento de avaliação atual da APED, por meio da definição de pesos para os avaliadores, competências e fatores de avaliação. Somado a isso, a partir do instrumento aprimorado, foi possível reformular o cálculo da nota final do avaliado empregando uma agregação aditiva. Com esses resultados, espera-se a melhoria efetiva do modelo atual de APED, que possibilitará a apresentação de resultados mais precisos em conformidade com o desempenho real das atividades laborais do funcionário, viabilizando a definição de políticas de qualificação de pessoal, valorizando o servidor público a fim de promover, de forma mais eficiente, os serviços públicos. / Functional performance evaluation is one of the main people management tools, its results give the manager subsidies for the planing of actions and improvement policies in order to achieve individual and organizational goals. The case selected for the study is Avaliação Periódica de Desempenho (APED), regulated by legal norms represented by the Law n. 1,534 of December 29, 2004 and the Decree 2,551 of 13 october, 2005. In this thesis I shall propound improvements to the current model of perfomance evaluation of public employees of Tocantins state in order to improve the perfomance measurement instrument through the use of multi-criteria decision aid - MDA approach. To achieve this goal, I adopted an approach that combines the AHP and PROMETHEE II methods, and also their extensions to group decision, the Aggregation Individual Priorities approach (AIP) for AHP and PROMETHEE GDSS for PROMETHEE II. The results obtained by the research, led me to the improvement of the current evaluation tool (APED), by defining weights for evaluators, skills and evaluation facts. Added to this, from the improved instrument, it was possible to reformulate the calculation of the final grade of evaluated using an additive aggregation. With these results it is expected the improvement of the current model of (APED), which will allow the submission of further accurate results in accordance with actual performance of labor employee activities, allowing the definition of qualification of personnel policies enhancing the public employee to provide more efficiently the public services