The IBM Center for The Business of Government connects public management researchwith practice. Since 1998, we have helped public sector executives improve the effectivenessof government at the federal, state, local, and international levels by sponsoringindependent research reports by top minds in academe and the nonprofit sector, and bycreating opportunities for dialogue on a broad range of public management topics. Manyof you are familiar with one “face” or dimension of the Center, but may not be familiarwith all of our many other activities.

A considerable amount of information is available about states and localities relative to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. About $250 billion flows to and through the states for higher education, incentive grants, Medicaid funding, highways, bridges, economic development and more, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers.  As of September 25, 2009, about $51 billion was paid in fiscal year 2009.

Management Article

The provision of health services is a critical and significantmission within each branch of the U.S. military as well as

This report is an example of how Web 2.0's "teen toys" have become a serious work tool. It explores how cutting-edge government organizations are using 3-dimensional virtual worlds on the Internet to conduct training, recruit new employees, and educate the public. It also provides a guide to how virtual worlds have become a fast-growing social phenomenon that believe that, by the end of 2011, fully 80 percent of all active internet users will be participating in 3-D virtual worlds.

Management  Article

In the past year, there has been enormous hype in the media about the growth of Web 2.0 and the use of social networking by the millennial generation. There has also been much publicity about the use of Web 2.0 in business and government. This report deconstructs the hype and presents the potential uses of social computing in government, discusses the barriers to Web 2.0, and presents what citizens think about Web 2.0.

Government, like the private sector, is now beginning to tap into and deploy the resources of organizations and individuals in other sectors to develop and create innovations, such as new ways to deliver public services.

The environmental issues we’re facing today are more complexand challenging than those of 30 years ago. Scientificand technological advances offer new opportunities for protecting