Managing Budgets During Fiscal Stress: Lessons for Local Government Officials

Submitted by on Tue, 02/18/2014 - 15:09

Like many local governments across the nation, cities and counties in California were impacted heavily by recent economic problems. This report examines what happened to local California government revenues during this period, which services have been adjusted, how employee benefits have been treated, and what innovations have been introduced.

Realizing the Promise of Big Data

Submitted by on Wed, 01/29/2014 - 15:17

Professor Desouza provides a clear and useful introduction to the concept of big data, which is receiving increasing attention as a term but also lacks a commonly understood definition. In describing big data, Desouza writes, “Big data is an evolving concept that refers to the growth of data and how it is used to optimize business processes, create customer value, and mitigate risks.” Desouza also describes the differences in the use of big data in the public and private sectors.

A Guide to Critical Success Factors in Agile Delivery

Submitted by on Thu, 01/16/2014 - 13:31

Many complex IT programs are encumbered by requirements that continually change over lengthy time frames. The results are often cost overruns and schedule delays. As a result, desired mission objectives are not achieved.

Engaging Citizens in Co-Creation in Public Services

Submitted by on Mon, 01/06/2014 - 12:24

Professors Nambisan and Nambisan present an innovative framework from which to view citizen “co-creation,” which refers to the development of new public services by citizens in partnership with governments. The authors present four roles that citizens can play in the co-creation of public services: explorer, ideator, designer, and diffuser, with examples of citizens playing each of these roles.

Eight Actions to Improve Defense Acquisition

Submitted by on Thu, 12/12/2013 - 14:00

The authors present eight significant actions that the federal government can take to improve the federal acquisition process. While the report centers on acquisition in the Department of Defense (DoD) because of its dominant size in the federal budget, the eight proposed actions—which build on previous acquisition reforms including increased competition, more use of best value contracts, expanding the supplier base, and better tailoring of contract types to contract goals—apply to civilian agencies as well.

Incident Reporting Systems: Lessons from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Organization

Submitted by on Fri, 12/06/2013 - 12:58

Incident reporting systems are an integral part of many agencies’ operations. For example, the Veterans Health Administration collects data on incidences of errors made during surgeries, the Food Safety and Inspection Service collects data on incidences of errors in meat inspection plants, and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration collects data on incidences of work­place injuries.

Cloudy with a Chance of Success: Contracting for the Cloud in Government

Submitted by on Thu, 11/14/2013 - 11:08

With the movement of government activities to leverage cloud computing, government agencies are now increasingly writing and negotiating contracts with cloud service providers. While agencies have been writing and negotiating contracts for many years, contracts for cloud services present a special set of challenges. In this important report, Shannon Tufts and Meredith Weiss present a detailed analysis of 12 major issues that need to be addressed in all cloud contracts.

From Data to Decisions III

Submitted by on Mon, 11/11/2013 - 15:04

Today’s senior managers are tempted to begin analytics programs before determining the mission-essential questions they are seeking data to answer.  Older data-based analytics efforts often grew out of the discoveries of line employees who made connections and saw patterns in data after receiving new software or hardware that helped them make sense of what they were studying.

Federal Ideation Programs: Challenges and Best Practices

Submitted by on Thu, 10/31/2013 - 14:30

Ideation platforms are modern tools predicated on an old adage, “None of us is as smart as all of us.” Though that proverb has been widely accepted, collecting and synthesizing the knowledge of “all of us” into actionable next steps has been a daunting task. The rewards for doing so, however, are potentially very high, especially for large organizations in both the private and public sector.

Six Trends Driving Change in Government

Submitted by on Wed, 10/23/2013 - 11:55

Today, government is in the midst of significant changes that have both near-term consequences and lasting impact. Such changes become more complex in nature and more uncertain in effect. At the same time, the demands on government continue to grow while the collective resources available to meet such demands are increasingly constrained. Government leaders, managers, and stakeholders face major challenges, including: fiscal austerity, citizen expectations, the pace of technology and innovation, and a new role for governance.

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