Implementing Cross-Agency Collaboration: A Guide for Federal Managers

Submitted by on Thu, 02/07/2013 - 14:22

This report provides useful insights into how the government can proceed in creating effective cross-agency collaborations that can improve outcomes significantly.

A County Manager’s Guide to Shared Services in Local Government

Submitted by on Fri, 01/11/2013 - 11:21

The report brings together the knowledge and experience of Professor Zeemering, an academic, and Daryl Delabbio, a practitioner. Together, they present findings—based on both research and experience—on how local governments, specifically county governments, are today implementing a variety of shared services.

Fall/Winter 2012 Edition

Submitted by on Wed, 11/28/2012 - 17:37

Mitigating Risks in the Application of Cloud Computing in Law Enforcement

Submitted by on Mon, 11/26/2012 - 10:18

This report comes at an opportune time as the law enforcement community is undergoing a major transformation. Traditionally, communication within law enforcement was often linear and hierarchical. Today, communication happens in real time across jurisdictional boundaries. Because of improved communication and real-time information, the law enforcement community can plan where to place resources ahead of time, instead of only reacting to events after they have occurred.

Five Methods for Measuring Unobserved Events: A Case Study of Federal Law Enforcement

Submitted by on Wed, 10/24/2012 - 14:11

Measuring program performance is relatively straightforward in many areas of government, such as social services, visa processing, and air traffic control.  But there are instances where assessing performance and success is much harder.  One particularly difficult area involves law enforcement, where a key goal is to prevent or deter bad outcomes – which can often happen without the knowledge of law enforcement officials.

From Data to Decisions II: Building an Analytics Culture

Submitted by on Tue, 10/16/2012 - 14:23

In our 2011 report on analytics use in the federal government, "From Data to Decisions: The Power of Analytics," we wrote about the tremendous budget pressures federal agencies face at a time when there is great public demand for government to be more effective and efficient. This report’s release sparked an overwhelmingly positive response from agency leaders and federal performance management practitioners who asked, “Where do we go from here?

Forging Governmental Change: Lessons from Transformations Led by Robert Gates of DOD and Francis Collins of NIH

Submitted by on Sat, 10/06/2012 - 14:22

In Robert Gates, former secretary of defense, and Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, Professor Lambright has identified two outstanding government leaders who both led transformation initiatives in their organizations.

2012 Call for Research Report Proposals

Submitted by on Thu, 09/27/2012 - 14:38

Our aim is to produce research and analysis that helps government leaders more effectively respond to their mission and management challenges.

The IBM Center is named "The Business of Government" because its focus is the management and operation of government, not the policies of government. Public sector leaders and managers need the best, most practical advice available when it comes to delivering the business of government. We seek to “bridge the gap” between research and practice by helping to stimulate and accelerate the production of actionable research.

Best Practices for Leading Sustainability Efforts

Submitted by on Sun, 09/23/2012 - 11:25

Federal agencies are required to develop strategies, implement and report on projects, and continuously improve their processes as a model for the country. The Executive Order significantly increased the visibility of sustainability as a strategic imperative for the federal government and beyond, while potentially saving energy and taxpayer money. Given the somewhat broad and vague definitions of sustainability, some agencies may check the compliance box rather than take advantage of the full array of potentially cost-saving and performance-increasing benefits.

This report:

Putting Irregular Warfare in Perspective Preparing for the New Norm of Conflict

Submitted by on Tue, 09/18/2012 - 10:33

Declared wars start and stop, but the conflicts between nations and groups around the world simmer continuously and boil over frequently. Speaking to the Air War College class in 1992, then CIA Director Robert Gates said, “We must expect continuing radical change and upheaval around the world – at times promising, at times frightening – before the form and patterns of a new era settle into place.” Two decades later, it is not entirely clear what the form and patterns of this new century are.

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