The underpinning of the work of the Center on Municipal Government Performance entails listening directly to the public about how they assess local government performance and developing and applying these performance measures that reflect the public's perspectives. The Center has found that the adaptation of market research, especially focus group research, is the most effective method for reaching and listening to the public. The Center consulted and worked with DYG, Inc., to design and conduct professional, independent and non-political focus groups.

The first focus group study in the fall of 1995 led to the development of performance measures for the street level environment, roadway smoothness, and the frontlines of government agencies. In the fall of 2001, a second set of focus group studies was conducted. The key objectives of the 2001 focus group research were to determine (1) if the findings from the first set of focus groups conducted in 1995 still held, given population shifts that have occurred in the interim; (2) if periodic, systematic focus group research has continuing value in identifying citizen-based performance measures; and (3) which, if any, areas of citizen concern merit the development of new performance measures.

The following are three major projects that resulted from the Center's focus group research:
ComNET
Street Smoothness
CitizenGauge