William C. Rivenbark
Bill Rivenbark is a professor of public administration and government at the School of Government. His research primarily involves performance and financial management in local government.
Rivenbark joined the School of Government in 1999. He served as director of the UNC MPA program at the School of Government from 2011 through 2021. Rivenbark's research has appeared in Public Administration Review, Government Finance Review, Journal of Government Financial Management, Journal of Public Affairs Education, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, Popular Government, Public Administration Quarterly, Public Finance Review, Public Performance & Management Review, and State and Local Government Review. He also is co-author of Performance Budgeting for State and Local Government (M.E. Sharpe, 2003). Rivenbark helped to develop the County and Municipal Fiscal Analysis tool, a web-based dashboard designed to help North Carolina local governments analyze their fiscal condition.
Previously, he worked for the city of Greenville, South Carolina, in various management positions.
Rivenbark earned a bachelor's degree from Auburn University, an MPA from Auburn University at Montgomery, and a Ph.D. from Mississippi State University.
Selected Publications
Rivenbark, William C., Roberta Fasiello, and Stefano Adamo. 2019. “Exploring Performance Management in Italian Local Government: The Necessity of Outcome Measures and Citizen Participation.” American Review of Public Administration, 49 (5): 545–553.
Rivenbark, W.C., Afonso, W. and Roenigk, D.J. (2018), “Capital spending in local government: Providing context through the lens of government-wide financial statements,” Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, Vol. 30 No. 4, pp. 402-414.
Rivenbark, William C., and Willow Jacobson. 2014. Three Principles of Competency-Based Learning: Mission, Mission, Mission. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 20 (2): 181–192.
Rivenbark, William C., Dale J. Roenigk, and Lidia Noto. 2013. Navigating Efficiency and Effectiveness Relationships across Local Government Services: Another Step toward Strategic Resource Management. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 25 (4): 675–692.
Bianchi, Carmine, and William C. Rivenbark. A Comparative Analysis of Performance Management Systems: The Cases of Sicily and North Carolina. 2012. Public Performance & Management Review, 35 (3): 509–526.
Rivenbark, William C., and Evans C. Ballard. Using Citizen Surveys to Influence and Document Culture Change in Local Government. Forthcoming in Public Performance & Management Review.
Coe, Charles K., and William C. Rivenbark. 2010. Implementing GASB 45: Recommended Best Practices in Local Government.Public Budgeting & Finance, 30 (4): 71–81.
Rivenbark, William C., Dale J. Roenigk, and Gregory S. Allison. 2010. Conceptualizing Financial Condition in Local Government. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 22 (2): 149–177.
Kelly, Janet M., and William C. Rivenbark. 2008. Budget Theory in Local Government: The Process-Outcome Conundrum.Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 20 (4): 457–481.
Ammons, David N., and William C. Rivenbark. 2008. Factors Influencing the Use of Performance Data to Improve Municipal Services: Evidence from the North Carolina Benchmarking Project. Public Administration Review, 68 (2): 304–318.
Rivenbark, William C., and Janet M. Kelly. 2006. Performance Budgeting in Municipal Government. Public Performance & Management Review, 30 (1): 35–46.
Rivenbark, William C. 2006. Evolutionary Theory of Routine: Its Role in Results-Based Management. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting, and Financial Management, 18 (2): 223–240.
Rivenbark, William C., and Paul W. Menter. 2006. Building Results-Based Management Capacity in Nonprofit Organizations: The Role of Local Government. Public Performance & Management Review, 29 (3): 255– 266.
Rivenbark, William C. 2005. A Historical Overview of Cost Accounting in Local Government. State and Local Government Review, 37 (3): 217–227.
Rivenbark, William C., and Gregory S. Allison. 2003. The GFOA and Professionalism in Local Government. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 15 (2): 228-238.
Rivenbark, William C., and K. Lee Carter. 2000. Benchmarking and Cost Accounting: The North Carolina Approach. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 12 (1): 125–137.
Rivenbark, William C., and Janet M. Kelly. 2000. Performance Measurement: A Local Government Response. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 12 (1): 74–86.
Rivenbark, William C. 1998. The Tax Incidence of Casino Gaming in Mississippi. Public Finance Review, 26 (6): 583–598.
Rivenbark, William C., and Carla M. Pizzarella. 2002. Auditing Performance Data in Local Government. Public Performance & Management Review, 25 (4): 413-420.
Additional Publications
Articles
Rivenbark, William C., Dale J. Roenigk, and Lidia Noto 2014. Exploring Countercyclical Fiscal Policy in Local Government: Moving beyond an Aggregated Approach. International Journal of Public Administration.
Bianchi, Carmine, and William C. Rivenbark. 2014. Performance Management in Local Government: The Application of System Dynamics to Promote Data Use. International Journal of Public Administration.
Rivenbark, William C., Roberta Fasiello, Dale J. Roenigk, and Stefano Adamo. 2017. “Exploring the Relationship between Operational and Financial Indicators: The Case of Water and Sewer Utilities.” International Journal of Public Administration, 40 (10): 888–895.
Rivenbark, William C., and Carmine Bianchi. Teaching Public Administration Abroad through the Fulbright Specialist Program. 2011. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 17 (2): 253–263.
Rivenbark, William C., and Dale J. Roenigk. 2011. Implementation of Financial Condition Analysis in Local Government. Public Administration Quarterly, 35 (2): 238–264.
Rivenbark, William C., and Evans C. Ballard. 2010. A Customer Service Intervention in Local Government. Public Management, 92 (7): 6–9.
Rivenbark, William C., Dale J. Roenigk, and Gregory S. Allison. 2009. Communicating Financial Condition to Elected Officials in Local Government. Popular Government, 75 (1): 4–13.
Rivenbark, William C., and Eric J. Peterson. 2008. A Balanced Approach to Implementing the Balanced Scorecard. Popular Government, 74 (1): 31–37.
Rivenbark, William C. 2007. Financial Forecasting for North Carolina Local Governments. Popular Government, 73 (1): 6–13.
Rivenbark, William C. 2007. Using Cases to Teach Financial Management Skills in MPA Programs. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 13 (2): 451–459.
Rivenbark, William C., David N. Ammons, and Dale J. Roenigk. 2007. Benefiting from Comparative Performance Statistics in Local Government. Popular Government, 72 (3): 34–42.
Ammons, David N., and William C. Rivenbark. 2006. Gainsharing in Local Government. Popular Government, 71 (3): 31–37.
Rivenbark, William C., and David N. Ammons. 2005. Rewarding Greater Accountability with Increased Managerial Flexibility in Davidson County. Popular Government, 70 (2): 12–19.
Rivenbark, William C. 2004. The GASB’s Initiative to Require SEA Reporting. Public Administration Quarterly, 27 (4): 491–508.
Rivenbark, William C., and Janet M. Kelly. 2004. Performance Budgeting in Federal, State, and Local Government. Journal of Government Financial Management, 53 (2): 50–58.
Rivenbark, William C. 2004. Defining Performance Budgeting for Local Government. Popular Government, 69 (2): 27–36.
Rivenbark, William C., and Gregory S. Allison. 2004. The GFOA and Professionalism in Local Government. Government Finance Review, 20 (1): 38–42.
Rivenbark, William C., and Janet M. Kelly. 2003. Management Innovation in Smaller Municipal Government. State and Local Government Review, 35 (3): 196–205.
Rivenbark, William C., Kevin M. FitzGerald, and Shannon H. Schelin. 2003. Analyzing Information Technology Investments in State Government. Social Science Computer Review, 21 (4): 497–505.
Rivenbark, William C. 2003. Strategic Planning and the Budget Process: A Survey of Municipal Government. Government Finance Review, 19 (5): 22–27.
Kelly, Janet M., and William C. Rivenbark. 2002. Reconciling the Research: Municipal Finance Officers on the Role of Performance Data in the Budget Process. Public Administration Quarterly, 26 (2): 218–233.
Rivenbark, William C., and Carla M. Pizzarella. 2002. Ensuring the Integrity of Crucial Data. Popular Government, 67 (2): 28-34.
Rivenbark, William C. 2001. Teaching Performance in Public Affairs Education. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 7 (4):
Rivenbark, William C., and George H. McCall. 2000. Promoting Higher Education in Fire and Emergency Services. Fire Engineering, 153 (9): 45-47.
Rivenbark, William C.2000. Embracing Risk-Based Auditing in Local Government. Government Finance Review, 16 (3): 17–20.
Rivenbark, William C.2000. Managing and Accounting for Fixed Assets. Popular Government, 65 (3): 35-38.
Clynch, Edward J., and William C. Rivenbark. 1999. Need Money? Roll the Dice. International Journal of Public Administration, 22 (11&12): 1681–1703.
Rivenbark, William C., and Bradley B. Rounsaville. 1996. The Incidence of Casino Gaming Taxes in Mississippi: Setting the Stage. Public Administration Quarterly, 20 (2): 129–142.
Books
Kelly, Janet M., and William C. Rivenbark. 2011. Performance Budgeting for State and Local Government, 2nd edition. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.
Marlow, Justin, William C. Rivenbark, and A. John Vogt. 2009. Capital Budgeting and Finance: A Guide for Local Governments, 2nd edition. Washington, DC: ICMA.
Book Chapters
Ammons, David N., and William C. Rivenbark. 2008. Factors Influencing the Use of Performance Data to Improve Municipal Services. In Leading Performance Management, edited by David N. Ammons, 103–120. Washington, DC: ICMA. Reprinted from Public Administration Review, 68(2): 304–318.
Ammons, David N., and William C. Rivenbark. 2008. Gainsharing in Local Government. In Leading Performance Management, edited by David N. Ammons, 129–139. Washington, DC: ICMA. Reprinted from Popular Government, 71(3): 31–37.
Rivenbark, William C. 2008. Performance Budgeting in Local Government. In Performance Management and Budgeting, edited by F. Stevens Redburn, Robert J. Shea, and Terry F. Buss, 135–148. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.
Rivenbark, William C.2007. A Manager’s Toolbox. In Managing Local Government Services, edited by Carl W. Stenberg and Susan Lipman Austin, 391–411. Washington, DC: ICMA.
Vogt, A. John and William C. Rivenbark. 2006. Budget Preparation and Enactment. In County and Municipal Government in North Carolina, edited by David M. Lawrence, 15.1–15.43. Chapel Hill, NC: School of Government.
William C. Rivenbark and K. Lee Carter. 2003. Benchmarking and Cost Accounting: The North Carolina Approach. In Case Studies in Public Budgeting and Financial Management, edited by Aman Khan and W. Bartley Hildreth, 2nd edition. New York: Marcel Dekker, 485–492. Reprinted from the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting, & Financial Management, 12 (1): 125–137.
Book Reviews
Measuring the Performance of the Hollow State, David G. Frederickson, and H. George Frederickson, Georgetown University Press, 2007. International Public Management Journal, 11 (2): 247–251.
Virtue, Fortune, and Faith, Marieke De Goede, University of Minnesota Press, 2005. Perspective on Political Science, 34 (3): 180.
Financial Sector Governance, Robert E. Litan, Michael Pomerleano, and V. Sundararajan, eds., Brookings Institution Press, 2002. Perspectives on Political Science, 32 (3): 178.
If Americans Really Understood the Income Tax: Uncovering Our Most Expensive Ignorance, John O. Fox, Westview Press, 2001. Perspectives on Political Science, 31 (1): 49–50.
American State and Local Politics, Ronald E. Weber and Paul Brace, eds., Seven Bridges Press, 1999. Perspectives on Political Science, 29 (3): 171.
Inter and Intra Government Arrangements for Productivity, Arie Halachmi, and Peter B. Boorsma, eds., Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998. Public Productivity & Management Review, 22 (1): 119–122.
High-Impact Hiring, Joseph Rosse and Robert Levin, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1997. Public Productivity & Management Review, 22 (1): 119–122.
Power Steering, Michele M. Hoyman, University Press of Kansas, 1997. Public Productivity & Management Review, 22 (1): 119–122.
Partners in Public Service, Lester M. Salamon, The John Hopkins University Press, 1995. Perspectives on Political Science, 25 (2): 93.
The Language of Public Administration, David John Farmer, University of Alabama Press, 1995. Public Administration Quarterly, 19 (4): 512–514.
Applied Research
Rivenbark, William C., Justin Marlowe, and A. John Vogt. 2010. Promote Economic Development with Public-Private Partnerships. ICMA InFocus, 42 (1): 1–21.
McLaughlin, Christopher B., and William C. Rivenbark. Statement of Revenue-Neutral Tax Rate: Questions and Answers. Local Finance Bulletin. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Number 39, August 2009, 8 pages.
Millonzi, Kara A., and William C. Rivenbark. Phased Implementation of the 2007 and 2008 Medicaid Funding Reform Legislation in North Carolina. Local Finance Bulletin. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Number 38, September 2008, 19 pages.
Millonzi, Kara A., and William C. Rivenbark. Analyzing the Financial Impact of the 2007 Medicaid Funding Reform Legislation on North Carolina Counties. Local Finance Bulletin. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Number 37, November 2008, 18 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., Shea R. Denning, and Kara A. Millonzi. 2007 Legislation Expands Scope of Project Development Financing in North Carolina. Local Finance Bulletin. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Number 36, November 2007, 15 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., and Shea R. Denning. Project Development Financing: Combating Blight and Promoting Economic Development through Tax Increment Funding. Local Finance Bulletin. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Number 35, October 2006, 14 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., David N. Ammons, and Dale J. Roenigk. Benchmarking for Results. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: School of Government, December 2005, 25 pages.
Denning, Shea R., and William C. Rivenbark. Statement of Revenue-Neutral Tax Rate and Provision for Mid-Year Property Tax Rate Change. Local Finance Bulletin. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: School of Government, Number 32, November 2004, 6 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., et al. Information Technology Investments -- Metrics for Business Decisions. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Institute of Government, October 2001, 56 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., editor. A Guide to the North Carolina Local Government Performance Measurement Project. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Institute of Government, February 2001, 176 pages.
Rivenbark, William C.The Art of Using Performance and Cost Data. Local Finance Bulletin. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Institute of Government, Number 31, October 2000, 5 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., and Don E. Slabach. Who Pays to Play? Voluntary Tax Incidence and Mississippi Gaming. Mississippi State University: Institute of Government, 1996, 38 pages.
Technical Reports
Rivenbark, William C., and Dale J. Roenigk. Final Report on City Services for FY 2004–05. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: School of Government, February 2006, 348 pages.
Rivenbark, William C. Final Report on City Services for FY 2003–04. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: School of Government, February 2005, 328 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., and Matthew H. Dutton. Final Report on City Services for FY 2002–03. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: School of Government, February 2004, 284 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., and Matthew H. Dutton. Final Report on City Services for FY 2001–02. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Institute of Government, February 2003, 270 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., and Carla M. Pizzarella. Final Report on City Services for FY 2000–01. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Institute of Government, February 2002, 250 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., and Carla M. Pizzarella. Final Report on City Services for FY 1999–00. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Institute of Government, February 2001, 278 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., and Carla M. Pizzarella. Final Report on County Services for FY 1999–00. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Institute of Government, February 2001, 180 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., and Paula K. Few. Final Report on City Services for FY 1998–99. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Institute of Government, February 2000, 239 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., and Paula K. Few. Final Report on County Services for FY 1998–99. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Institute of Government, February 2000, 143 pages.
Rivenbark, William C., and James B. Kaatz (Principal Investigators). The City of Gulfport Personnel Study. Mississippi State University: Institute of Government, 1996, 250 pages.
Rivenbark, William C. (Principal Investigator). The City of Ocean Springs Personnel and Compensation Study. Mississippi State University: Institute of Government, 1996, 84 pages.
Rivenbark, William C.(Principal Investigator). The City of Petal Personnel and Compensation Study. Mississippi State University: Institute of Government, 1996, 48 pages.
Rounsaville, Bradley B. (Principal Investigator), Gary C. Varsel, Brian Paul Freese, and William C. Rivenbark. The City of New Albany Personnel and Compensation Study. Mississippi State University: Institute of Government, 1995, 150 pages.
Rounsaville, Bradley B. (Principal Investigator), Gary C. Varsel, and William C. Rivenbark. DeSoto County Organization, Compensation, and Personnel Study. Mississippi State University: Institute of Government, 1995, 151 pages.
Rounsaville, Bradley B. (Principal Investigator), Anita Owens Crowe, and William C. Rivenbark. Lauderdale County Organizational, Personnel, and Compensation Study. Mississippi State University: Institute of Government, 1995, 160 pages.
