Implementing OMB's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART): Meeting the Challenges of Integrating Budget and Performance

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

Professor Gilmour’s report examines OMB's PART initiative from a practical standpoint: How have federal agencies dealt with the requirements of PART? What strategies have they employed to be successful? What challenges do they face? His report highlights four challenges that confront both agencies and OMB as they work to complete assessments of all 1,000 programs and describes approaches that agencies are taking to meet these challenges. The first challenge is for departments and agencies to organize for success. The second challenge of using PARTis communicating accomplishments.

A Model for Increasing Innovation Adoption: Lessons Learned from the IRS e-file Program

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

In less than a decade, the number of taxpayers filing their tax returns electronically has gone from 20 percent in 1998 to 57 percent in 2006. In evaluating the IRS e-file program, Dr. Holden uses an "innovation adoption model" to describe what the IRS did to increase taxpayers’ use of the e-file system. Holden provides new and valuable insights into key factors involved in the successful adoption of e-services. He identifies the critical challenges and key steps that agencies can take in assessing their approach to adopting innovative ways of delivering services.

The E-Government Collaboration Challenge: Lessons from Five Case Studies

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

This report examines five diverse case studies in which collaboration depended on the effective use of information technology. The authors assess the political, administrative, and technical challenges that occurred in each of these five case studies and find commonalities across the cases in both the challenges faced and lessons learned. They conclude, "Interestingly, the technical challenges tended to be the least difficult to surmount...."

Reflections on 21st Century Government Management

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

Our goal with this report is straightforward: to begin thinking about the future of government and the trends and new ideas in government management that a new president should consider as he or she takes office in 2009. The intent of this project is to stimulate new ideas among several key audiences. We wish to spark the imagination of government leaders to look beyond their day-to-day "urgencies" and reflect upon the important challenges the nation will face tomorrow.

Delivery of Benefits in an Emergency: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

Tom Stanton's report focuses on the delivery of emergency financial benefits, such as pensions, Social Security, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, as well as payments relating to the disaster such as emergency food stamps, unemployment insurance, and emergency cash assistance.

From Forest Fires to Hurricane Katrina: Case Studies of Incident Command Systems

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

The success of the Incident Command System (ICS) as a hierarchical-network organizational model in emergencies such as forest fires led to its being designated by the federal government as the preferred approach for responding to emergencies. However, it seemingly failed in the response to Hurricane Katrina. Professor Moynihan examines the Katrina case, as well as others, and identifies the conditions under which the ICS approach can be successful.

Designing and Implementing Performance-Oriented Payband Systems

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

According to Professor Thompson, there is widespread agreement among those who have examined compensation practices in the federal government that the approach embodied by the traditional General Schedule is obsolete. A common complaint is that the system is too rigid and that the 15-grade structure induces excessive attention to minor distinctions in duties and responsibilities. Another concern is that pay increases are granted largely on the basis of longevity rather than performance.

Transforming Federal Property Management: A Case for Public-Private Partnerships

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

Professor Long’s report considers the potential for public-private partnerships as a response to federal property management issues. This report focuses on the major property-related issues and the author assesses how public-private partnerships (PPP) might be used to resolve problems such as excess and underutilized property, deteriorating facilities, and reliance on costly leasing. All these issues pose significant challenges to federal property management. The use of PPPs has the potential to effectively respond to these challenges.

The Management of Regulation Development: Out of the Shadows

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

In most federal mission areas-from low-income housing to food safety to higher education assistance-national goals are achieved through the use of various policy tools, such as direct spending, grants, loans and loan guarantees, insurance, tax preferences, and regulations. Although policy tools have proliferated in recent decades, knowledge of how to design and manage the federal policy tool set has not kept pace.

The Blogging Revolution: Government in the Age of Web 2.0

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

Dr. Wyld examines the phenomenon of blogging in the context of the larger revolutionary forces at play in the development of the second-generation Internet, where interactivity among users is key. This is also referred to as "Web 2.0." Wyld observes that blogging is growing as a tool for promoting not only online engagement of citizens and public servants, but also offline engagement. He describes blogging activities by members of Congress, governors, city mayors, and police and fire departments in which they engage directly with the public.

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