The IBM Center For The Business of Government
Thursday, June 7, 2018
The Center for The Business of Government continues to support research by recognized thought leaders on key public management issues facing government executives today.

We are pleased to announce our latest round of stipends for new reports on key public sector challenges, which respond to priorities identified in the Center's research agenda. Our content is intended to stimulate and accelerate the production of practical research that benefits public sector leaders and managers. We expect the following reports to be published in early 2019. 

Eliminating Organizational Waste Through Standardization by Lisa Mosley, Yale University; Jeremy Forsberg, The University of Texas at Arlington; and David Ngo, The New School

This report will facilitate the development of a roadmap to modernize the administration of federally funded research projects. It will highlight the benefits and the need to establish consistency standards for the administrative, programmatic and financial administration among the federal grant making agencies, the award recipient community performing the research, and the audit community. Eliminating waste through standardization will require a partnership among the key stakeholders in the management and oversight of federally funded research and development projects - federal agencies, award recipients and the audit community.

Leadership Development That Provides a Clear Return on Investment by James L. Perry, Indiana University; William Valdez, Senior Executives Association, Inc.; Gordon Abner, Lyndon B. The University of Texas at Austin; and Jenny Knowles Morrison, The University of Texas at Austin

This report will focus on how federal agencies can assess the impact of training on their ability to achieve their mission. Three federal leadership programs will be analyzed, relating to how program participation improves agency performance. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with current leaders and current and past program participants, the report will provide practical insight and actionable recommendations regarding how federal leaders can build a viable leadership pipeline that provides positive results for federal performance.

The Gubernatorial Transition Project by Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene, Barrett & Greene Inc.

This report will provide a roadmap for effective state level management to assist newly elected governors, their transition teams, and their new leadership.  The report will identify key challenges and suggest initial action items for new gubernatorial teams in working with their many stakeholders.  The authors will reference their research working with state organizations and stakeholders to best understand the challenges effecting states and draw on content developed by the Center and the Partnership for Public Service for the last Presidential Transition in recommending a Management Roadmap.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Transform Government, Part II by the IBM Center for The Business of Government and the Partnership for Public Service

These two special reports, a continuation of our earlier report on AI with the Partnership, will describe the impact and potential performance improvements that AI can bring to government in areas such as effective workplaces, skilled workforces, and mission-focused programs. The special reports will highlight how AI technology can assist agencies to deliver positive outcomes for their constituents, based on practical experiences and lessons learned with AI.

Agile Problem Solving in Government:  A Case Study of The Opportunity Project by Joel Gurin and Katarina Rebello, The Center for Open Data Enterprise

The Opportunity Project engages government agencies, communities, and the technology industry to create digital tools that address some of our greatest challenges as a nation. The process helps to empower people with technology, make government data more accessible and user-friendly, and facilitate cross-sector collaboration to build new digital solutions. This report will use several examples from the Opportunity Project that show the impact and challenges of this process, and present lessons learned and recommendations for similar work in the future.