Drivers transforming government: Engagement

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:40

Note:  The IBM Center recently released Seven Drivers Transforming Government, a series of essays exploring key drivers of change in government.

Managing Performance: A Series

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:40

Remember the YouTube phenomena, “The Evolution of Dance?” I have been reading a book, “Managing Performance: International Comparisons” by two highly-regarded foreign academics – Geert Bouckaert (a Belgian) and John Halligan (an Australian). Their book could well have been named: “The Evolution of Performance!”

Using Performance Measures

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:38

The federal government’s chief performance officer, Jeff Zients, declared at a recent Senate hearing: “The test of a performance management system is whether it is used.” He thought federal agencies were failing the test.

Cutting Contractors

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:36

OMB released a report today, “Acquisition and Contracting Improvement Plans and Pilots: Saving Money and Improving Government,” which follows up on its July 2009 directive that agencies trim 7 percent – about $40 billion -- from their contracting budgets over the next two years by improving their buying processes.

Announcing the Center’s Newest Research Report Topics

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:35

We are pleased to announce our latest round of awards for new reports on key public sector challenges, which respond to priorities identified in the Center's research agenda(for more detail on these priorities, see “Seven Drivers Transforming Government”). Our content is intended to stimulate and accelerate the production of practical research that benefits government leaders and managers.

Performance Reporting: Rhetoric vs. Reality

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:35

Recent years have seen a growing emphasis on the reporting of the outputs and outcomes of government programs. Yet there is limited information on what outputs and outcomes are actually reported on in practice.

Happy Birthday GPRA

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:33

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) was enacted in 1993 to bring about a greater focus on results in the federal government. GPRA's requirements have built a strong foundation for results-oriented performance planning, measurement, and reporting.

Implementing the Open Gov Directive

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:32

President Obama’s Open Government Directive was released a week ago with lots of anticipation and a series of deadlines. Now agencies are moving quickly to develop their plans. A series of interesting resources are already popping up to help them:

Searching for a new Comptroller General

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:30

According to the “Head Count” in today’s Washington Post, President Obama has filled 293 (56.9 percent) of his 515 Senate-confirmed positions. Curiously, one position the Washington Post does not track is the Comptroller General of the United States.

Data-Driven Performance: The Hearing

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:28

Senator Mark Warner chaired another hearing of his Taskforce on Government Performance, on “Data-Driven Performance: Using Technology to Deliver Results.”

The Obama Administration’s chief technology officer, Aneesh Chopra, testified. Here are some interesting excerpts from his statement:

Pages