Measuring What Matters: Tracking Decision Flow Instead of Task Completion

Building on the observation that bottlenecks often appear at decision points rather than during task execution, a more effective performance management approach involves tracking the time spent awaiting approvals. Many public organizations are structured around output metrics, which measure how much work is getting done. However, these metrics often mask the delays embedded in the approval process, where tasks sit idle while waiting for authorization. By focusing on the decision queue, managers can identify and address these hidden inefficiencies that impair throughput.

Implementing dashboards that visualize pending approvals by department or functional area is one practical step. This transparency helps leaders see where work is stalling and shifts attention away from completed work toward the areas that are slowing overall progress. For example, the City of San Diego's Performance and Analytics Department uses process mapping and cycle time tracking to uncover where approvals are delaying service delivery, allowing targeted interventions that have resulted in measurable improvements in turnaround times for permits and inspections¹.

Using Automation to Eliminate Approval Backlogs

Automation plays a crucial role in accelerating decision cycles by removing manual steps that require human attention. Electronic workflows, for instance, can route documents automatically to the appropriate authority and send alerts when approvals are delayed. This reduces reliance on staff to manage routing and follow-up manually. Additionally, decision logic can be built into systems to enable automatic approvals for routine, low-risk transactions, reserving manual review for exceptions.

A practical example is the implementation of robotic process automation (RPA) in North Carolina’s Department of Information Technology, which automated repetitive approval steps in procurement processes. This change reduced approval cycle times by more than 40 percent and freed staff to focus on higher-value decision-making activities². For smaller local governments, even modest steps such as templated email reminders or workflow management software like Trello or Asana can provide immediate benefits without requiring complex IT infrastructure.

Aligning Authority with Accountability

One structural issue that frequently causes bottlenecks is misaligned authority - where the individual expected to make a decision lacks either the confidence or the mandate to do so. In many public offices, risk aversion leads to centralization of authority, slowing down approvals as decisions get routed upward unnecessarily. This often stems from unclear delegations of authority or outdated organizational charts that do not reflect current responsibilities.

Addressing this requires a governance review to ensure that decision rights are delegated at the appropriate level. In Prince William County,