Making Government Work for the American People

The success of an administration can rise—and fall—based on its competence in managing the government. As history demonstrates, strong management can enable rapid and positive results, while management mistakes can derail important policy initiatives, erode public trust and undermine confidence in the government.

Effective Leadership in Network Collaboration: Lessons Learned from Continuum of Care Homeless Programs

The authors collected data from a survey of 237 homeless program networks across the nation, as well as in-depth reviews and interviews of four CoC homeless networks in three states. While this report focuses on homeless networks, its findings and recommendations are applicable to networks in all service delivery areas.

Encouraging and Sustaining Innovation in Government

According to a 2015 survey by Pew Research Center, the public believes existing democratic institutions are failing. Just 20 percent say the federal government runs its programs well, and 59 percent say the government is in need of “very major reform”—up 22 points since 19971. With rates of trust in government at an all-time low, technology and innovation will be essential to achieve the next administration’s goals and to deliver services more effectively and effciently.

Getting It Done

Those new to government will find a world very different than their previous experience in other sectors. Those returning to government will find a far different government than the one they left. Both will find a large group of stakeholders, including members of the United States Congress, very interested in every action they take. In addition, you will face the challenge of managing large organizations. If cabinet departments were listed in the Fortune 500, they would occupy slots in the top 20.

Ten Recommendations for Managing Organizational Integrity Risks

This report continues the IBM Center’s long interest in risk management. This report, however, examines an aspect of risk management that is often overlooked: managing “organizational integrity” risks, based on a case study of four major public and private health care organizations. Professor Molina defines organizational integrity as occurring when an organization functions consistently with the purposes and values for which it was created. The report discusses two types of integrity issues an organization must monitor: integrity violations and integrity risks.

Managing Advanced Threats in the Digital Age: Addressing security, risk and compliance for U.S. Public Sector executives

These attacks are relentless, aggressive and constantly evolving, and have clearly shown that federal agencies and organizations are struggling in managing security threats, despite the stricter security protocols that are often in place at government agencies. Cyber threats are “among the most urgent dangers to America’s economic and national security,” President Obama was quoted as saying in a Wall Street Journal article in 2015.

Summer 2016 Edition

Ten Actions to Improve Inventory Management in Government: Lessons From VA Hospitals

The authors found five major challenges to improving inventory management in the public sector.

Performance Partnership Pilots: Increasing Program Flexibility to Improve Outcomes

As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2014, Congress authorized a limited number of local projects targeted to assisting disconnected youth. The Performance Partnership Pilots program currently involves participation from seven different federal departments or agencies and is administered by the Department of Education.

Managing Risk, Improving Results: Lessons for Improving Government Management from GAO’s High Risk List

That list has grown from 14 programs in 1990 to 32 by 2015, when it was last updated.  These programs range from Medicare benefits to food safety oversight.

Dr. Kettl, one of the nation’s most insightful observers of government operations, stepped back to review what changes in the high-risk list mean over time.  He explored:

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