Our aim is to produce research and analysis that help government leaders more effectively respond to their mission and management challenges.

The IBM Center is named “The Business of Government” because its focus is on the management and operation of government, not the policies of government. Public-sector leaders and managers need the best, most practical advice available when it comes to delivering the business of government.

We seek to bridge the gap between research and practice by helping to stimulate and accelerate the production of actionable research. To do so, we solicit proposals that will result in reports with insightful findings and actionable recommendations. Our reports communicate what works and show busy government leaders and public managers how “The Business of Government” can be improved.

This fall will be dominated by the presidential election and a number of major issues involving the federal deficit and the impending austerity facing government operations in this decade. Four significant events occur between the election and the end of the year: the Bush tax cuts will expire, the temporary payroll tax reduction will expire, the debt ceiling will be hit once again, and the automatic sequester required by the Budget Control Act of 2011 will take effect. The lame-duck Congress and a president who may or may not be lame-duck will be forced to deal with these events.

How this process will play out remains to be seen. In many respects, identifying sources of savings (whether policy changes or operational improvements) is the easy part. The challenge will be to turn these ideas into action. This will be where government leaders and managers come in. They will be the ones who do the heavy lifting to implement major program adjustments and cutbacks, to harness major technological shifts and not just cut costs, but also adopt innovative practices to make government far more productive.