Evaluating Municipal Climate Action: An Analysis of Performance Measurement Models, Practices, and Indicators

Abstract

This thesis provides interconnected contributions to theory and practice in climate governance, specifically on municipal performance measurement practices. Key concepts, including the evaluation and control step of the strategic management process, the performance measurement process, and the indicator framework and selection process, frame this research. This thesis contains five chapters. The first and last chapters serve as the introduction and conclusion, respectively. The second, third, and fourth chapter are standalone papers. The first paper of this thesis explored the current state of social impact measurement (SIM) by examining common practices that are used to measure the post-intervention social impact of programs and projects. Using a systematic literature review, this study analyzed a decade's worth of global academic literature on SIM. Through deductive and inductive manual coding of articles in NVivo, this study identified key themes and strategies for improving measurement practices. Findings from this paper suggest strategies for improved measurement such as stakeholder engagement throughout the measurement process, utilizing existing operational data, enhancing measurement capacity, and using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. This study contributes to the SIM field by offering an in-depth understanding of common measurement models and providing clear recommendations for practitioners to improve SIM. The second paper of this thesis used a contingency theory lens to investigate the climate-related performance measurement practices of 31 Canadian municipalities, with a focus on the influence of population size. Using a case study approach, data were gathered through interviews and document analysis. Data were analyzed through both deductive and inductive coding in NVivo 14. Results indicate that municipalities with larger population sizes prioritize more themes for measurement, employ a broader set of criteria for indicator selection, and report more frequently. Population size does not seem to influence stakeholder involvement in indicator selection or data analysis strategies. By applying contingency theory to Chapter 3, this study examined a situational approach versus the idea of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution for local climate-related performance measurement. The final paper explored the climate mitigation indicators currently used in practice and identified those most suitable for measuring local climate-related performance. A document analysis was conducted to identify the climate-related indicators in use by 21 Canadian municipalities, which were categorized and analyzed according to the logic model framework and GHG emissions activity sectors. An indicator evaluation matrix was employed to propose a parsimonious set of 19 new climate mitigation indicators, with the Delphi technique used to achieve consensus among experts. This study found that while a range of indicators exist across the logic model, there is an uneven distribution. The analysis also revealed the emergence of nature-based indicators for local climate mitigation performance measurement. Together, this thesis showcases and defines models and frameworks that municipalities can use to better track their climate performance, while also contributing to the broader academic discourse on measurement practices in the public sector. The findings from this thesis outline streamlined approaches to performance measurement, providing clear pathways for municipalities that are looking to more effectively track progress towards common climate goals.