IBM Center for The Business of Government

This project represents a year long partnership between the IBM Endowment for the Business of Government and the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs' Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise. The Center, under the direction of Dr. Jacques Gansler, hosted a series of three Leader Forums at the Aspen Institute's Wye River Conference Centers, held over a 12-month period. The forums brought together government and business leaders to examine how the federal government could "digitally integrate" its supply chain.

This report provides a case study of how one government agency--the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services--has been mandated by Congress to begin competitive bidding in 2006. The mandated bidding process is a market-based approach to setting payments for the managed-care portion of Medicare. The report describes the basic features of any competitive bidding process, and outlines lessons from three systems of competitively bidding healthcare markets by the U.S.

This report explores how managers create a culture of innovation through a comprehensive case study of Phoenix, Arizona, which has been consistently recognized as the best run city in America. Through interviews with Phoenix’s mayor and department heads in city government, themes are developed on creating a culture of change, encouraging responsible risk-taking, and undertaking public entrepreneurship. The study also provides recommendations for other managers who are focused on change and innovation within their organization. Innovation

This report examines federal agencies that have contracted out large scale programs and evaluates their effectiveness. Privatization or outsourcing of services formerly provided in-house have become strategies used by an increasing number of local and state governments nationwide to lower service delivery costs and/or improve service quality. Contracting