What is productivity and how is it measured?

The conclusions in the report stating that council workers are unproductive for most of the day depend on what is meant by productivity and how it is measured. For many local government jobs outputs are difficult to measure. I also feel that the implication that more management is the answer is based on a false premise. Having spent my early working life in local government and subsequently in the private sector, I know that there are significant cultural and organisational differences.