Public Sector Sustainability in the Balanced Scorecard – A Portuguese City Council Case

Abstract

Increasingly, sustainability has been integrated in public organizations, particularly by regional authorities. The Balanced Scorecard (BSC), as a tool for assessing and measuring the performance of organizations enables the integration of sustainability (in its environmental, social and economic issues) in a Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC). The purpose of this study is to design a SBSC for a Portuguese city council that assists a population of 24 thousand inhabitants. In this sense, it aims to structure the BSC’s perspectives in the city council; interrelate sustainability issues in a SBSC, and; articulate the several perspectives on a strategic map. The present case resorts on a questionnaire sent to the city council president and document analysis. We conclude that the sustainability and the traditional structure of the BSC adapt to public organization. The study contributes to the development of sustainability in the public sector, presenting sustainability in an integrated and systemic manner, aligned with the several organizational responsibilities.