Performing 'Performance'—A Comedy in Five Acts

The public service in the United Kingdom is awash with performance data. From the ubiquitous league tables for schools, local authorities and police services, through key performance indicators for civil service agencies right up to Government-level Public Service Agreements, the number of published performance data sets probably now reaches five figures annually. The author discusses some of the aspects of being what are probably the most 'performance-reported' public services in the world.     

Simple Procedures for Testing Autoregressive Versus Moving Average Errors in Regression Models

This paper develops several simple separate (or non-nested) procedures for testing autoregressive versus moving average errors in regression models. These asymptotically valid tests are straightforward to calculate: after estimating both models by maximum likelihood methods, the procedure involves testing the significance of variables added to a linearized version of the null model, the added variables being the predictions, or the residuals from the specified alternative model, or the difference of the predictions of the two models. Some small sample evidence on the properties of the tests is presented, as is an empirical application on the Australian unexpected inflation rate series.
JEL Classification Numbers: C12, C22, C52, E31.     

Is there a crisis in arts sponsorship?

What is the connection between Heinz Baked Beans, the Notting Hill Carnival and Windows 95? This paper examines present trends in arts sponsorship. Sponsorship by brands is developing rapidly, while traditional arts sponsorship as part of the corporate promotional budget is under threat. Examples of trend setting sponsorships from companies as diverse as Ernst & Young, Lilt and Beck's Bier, show that arts sponsorship is in transition. Arts organisations are having to adjust rapidly to the new environment if they are to fulfil their targets.