The article deals with the one of the tools of performance management — assessment of public authorities, namely the analysis of the legal provision of this tool. For analyzing from all public bodies were chosen executive authorities of the Russian Federation. An approbation of estimation procedure of executive authorities started with lower levels of executive system of the Russian Federation — executive bodies of subjects of the Russian Federation and local self-government. A number of laws which introduced in legal system of the Russian Federation the criteria and indicators of the effectiveness of the above authorities was adopted. Practical application of the adopted documents proved inviability of adopted documents, the inability to objectively evaluate activity of executive authorities of the Russian Federation and local authorities. Major efforts to change the volume and content of the fixed performance were carried out. The article analyzes the newly adopted documents.