The National Archives is more than just the nation's record keeper and protector of records. It is the steward of the American story that preserves the past to protect the future. The records it holds are the original sources of that story, documenting the collective history of our nation through the actions of individuals and institutions.

If President Obama meets with Governor Romney to discuss ways to reform the operations of the federal government, here are some resources they have to draw upon. A number of think tanks have busily been preparing a series of white papers to spark the imaginations of those developing a reform agenda. These are not to be confused with agendas for new policies (such as climate change or immigration reform) or budget decisions, such as the pending fiscal debates.

I’ve been asked to participate as a “practitioner” on a discussion panel at the upcoming conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM)  It is a high-powered conference of top academics from around the U.S.

Investing in, and using, program evaluation has been a hard sell in many agencies for years.  While evaluation is important for long-term program assessments, it can be expensive and take years to complete.  But with new technology and greater availability of data, many agencies are beginning to take advantage of the value of existing real-time administrative data.  This movement is called “data analytics.”  And the immediacy of results is appealing to many executives.

Since 2009, the public has been able to track the outlay of more than $275 billion in federal contracts, grants, and loans as a result of the unprecedented transparency and accountability provisions included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), part of the federal economic stimulus program.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included unprecedented provisions to disclose how more than $275 billion in grants, contracts, and loans were spent under the Act.  These requirements fell not only on federal agencies but also the recipients and sub-recipients of these monies.  In many cases, state governments were the focal point for collecting and reporting this information.  How did states respond?  Did this increased transparency change how states managed their own monies as well as federal dollars?  Are there lessons for future transpa

Most experts agree that the government purchasing process is cumbersome and inefficient; hundreds of purchasing offices work independently with little or no coordination. The term “purchasing” is used throughout to refer to what is more commonly referred to as “acquisition” within the federal government.

Both are strategic assets to an agency that understands managing these resources efficiently and effectively is essential to its success. In fact, it was the 19th largest federal civilian agency in terms of IT spending in FY 2010, with a budget of $466 million.

Learn how program managers can assess whether their efforts to increase citizen participation in their programs are making a difference.

FAS Commissioner Steve Kempf on the value of a centralized provider as GSA: Challenges facing GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service