Signification and Performance Measurement: Making Sense of Mandated Performance Objectives

Understanding performance measures’ place in effecting program change requires examining them relation to other structural elements and the interpretive meanings attached them. Framed using structuration theory, this paper utilizes interviews with professionals homelessness field analyze how administrators make sense of objectives associated federally-funded permanent supportive housing (PSH). Findings illustrate that when meaning a objective is unclear contradictory funder requirements norms, do not value nor use data. Conversely, clear, reinforcing data for various purposes. In context PSH, conveyed single benchmark against peer programs, confirm they are meeting norms reliably tracked, build performance-based advocacy argument without collecting additional