Second, ASER has developed an inbuilt strategy for information dissemination across the country. This includes the preparation of annual regional reports and simple district level report cards.

Given the failures of the Outcomes Budget, the finance ministry could do well to draw on the ASER experience. It must take steps to ensure that every government department spends the time and effort required to articulate quantifiable, tangible and realistic indicators for performance. Second, it must follow ASER’s example and produce a report card indicating performance. Comparisons must be drawn across successive years so that progress can be tracked easily. These report cards must be replicated at the state and district levels. One way to ensure that departments take this exercise seriously is by making performance the basis for budgetary allocations.

The writer is a freelance consultant working on issues of governance reform yaiyar@gmail.com