Service Performance Monitoring System (SPMS) was introduced, aiming that the Department and NGOs operating subvented services can provide more efficient, customer-focused, accountable and output-driven welfare services. Under SPMS, service performance is to be assessed on the basis of the Funding and Service Agreements (FSAs) and a generic set of Service Quality Standards (SQSs) drawn up between the Department and NGOs operating subvented services.

To encourage service operators to take greater accountability for the performance of their service units and to reach cost-effectiveness in service performance monitoring through one-stop management, the Department improved some assessment methods from April 2003. For details, please refer to the Performance Assessment Manual (April 2003)