Performance Budgeting: How NASA and SBA Link Costs and Performance

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

Dr. Blanchard’s report begins with a description of the statutory and conceptual foundations of costing requirements. He follows with a framework for integrating costs and performance. He then tells the story of how two very different federal agencies successfully met the PMA’s performance costing requirements. Blanchard draws upon published reports and articles, as well as his own experience leading PMA reform efforts at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Using the Balanced Scorecard: Lessons Learned from the U.S. Postal Service and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

This report showcases two large federal agencies that adapted the balanced scorecard approach to their operations and have used it for more than five years to drive improved performance.

Effectively Managing Professional Services Contracts: 12 Best Practices

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

This report is targeted to the growing pool of government managers who are responsible for managing professional services contracts. It gleans a dozen best practices, based on real-world experience, currently used by successful managers across the government. A major theme of these experiences is the importance of creating a more effective working relationship-much more like a partnership than the traditional adversarial relationship-between the project officer, the contract manager, and the contractor.

Six Trends Transforming Government

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

Since 1998, the IBM center for The Business of Government has been studying the substantial changes that are under way at all levels of government within the United States and in other nations across the world. These changes are being driven by a series of new imperatives in the United States. Fortunately, there is now a set of trends that seems to be responding to these imperatives and is leading to more results-oriented government.

The Challenge of Innovating in Government

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

This report develops a tool-kit of practical advice for would-be public management innovators based on the experiences of successful public management innovators in a variety of countries. Through a survey of the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) international innovation award winners, a series of tool-kit characteristics are generated of innovations and tactics used to build alliances of supporters and overcome obstacles.

Performance Accountability: The Five Building Blocks and Six Essential Practices

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

Metzenbaum sets forth five building blocks - tools and techniques for constructing a good measurement system for an organization. And she describes six practices that leaders need to use to make appropriately designed systems work properly.

A Manager's Guide to Choosing and Using Collaborative Networks

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

This report can be viewed as a public manager’s primer on collaborative networks. It distills key concepts about the types and purposes of networks and, more importantly, what managers need to do if they find themselves in charge of or participating in a network. Authors’ practical insights are rooted in more than two decades of observing ongoing networks, mainly at the local and regional levels, where much of the innovative work in using networks is occurring.

Reforming the Federal Aviation Administration: Lessons from Canada and the United Kingdom

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

Professor Oster examines air traffic control systems in Canada and the United Kingdom to see whether their experience with funding capital investments might be applicable to the United States. Both Canada and the United Kingdom have converted to private sector operating models for their air traffic control systems.

Implementing OMB's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART): Meeting the Challenges of Integrating Budget and Performance

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

Professor Gilmour’s report examines OMB's PART initiative from a practical standpoint: How have federal agencies dealt with the requirements of PART? What strategies have they employed to be successful? What challenges do they face? His report highlights four challenges that confront both agencies and OMB as they work to complete assessments of all 1,000 programs and describes approaches that agencies are taking to meet these challenges. The first challenge is for departments and agencies to organize for success. The second challenge of using PARTis communicating accomplishments.

A Model for Increasing Innovation Adoption: Lessons Learned from the IRS e-file Program

Submitted by on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 20:00

In less than a decade, the number of taxpayers filing their tax returns electronically has gone from 20 percent in 1998 to 57 percent in 2006. In evaluating the IRS e-file program, Dr. Holden uses an "innovation adoption model" to describe what the IRS did to increase taxpayers’ use of the e-file system. Holden provides new and valuable insights into key factors involved in the successful adoption of e-services. He identifies the critical challenges and key steps that agencies can take in assessing their approach to adopting innovative ways of delivering services.

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