Michael J. Keegan

We stand at a pivotal moment in space exploration. There are plans to further extend our reach into the solar system, and NASA is leading the way.  An orbiting outpost, the International Space Station (ISS), is home to a crew of astronauts from across the world conducting research and learning how to live and work in space.

The American healthcare system is complex. It was not created complex and expensive from its origins, but evolved to become this way over a period of about 100 years. There is nothing inherent in the way it evolved. It could have been different. But many decisions, often made for reasons having nothing to do with improving healthcare, shaped the healthcare system we have today. Explaining how it works and doesn’t work, its problems, attempts to reform it, and how recent reforms may transform it requires considering an unusual combination of topics.

John Kamensky Fix, Don’t Kill Telework. Eyebrows have been raised over perceived misuse of telework at the Patent and Trademark Office. But Jeffrey Neal, a former chief human capital officer at Homeland Security, tells Federal News Radio that “Rather than attempting to reverse telework programs, we should be working on fixing the problems. Nothing I have experienced, heard from people currently in government, or read tells me telework and other workplace flexibilities should be killed. . . .

John Kamensky

OMB Updates Performance.gov.  OMB posted third quarter performance progress updates for cross-agency and agency-specific priority goals on performance.gov.  In an accompanying blog post, OMB director Shawn Donovan highlights some specific accomplishments.

John Kamensky IRS’s Big Data and Analytics Go-To Guy. Jason Miller, Federal News Radio, reports that IRS’s Dean Silverman “s going beyond predictive analytics to improve its business outcomes.” Silverman joined IRS two years ago to create an analytic capability to detect fraud and improve compliance with tax laws. His pioneering efforts have drawn attention in other agencies, given his success in helping his colleagues save $2 billion with state-of-the-art approaches. IGs Overburdened by Congressional Mandates.

John Kamensky Much, Much Better Buying Power. According to Jared Surbu, Federal News Radio, “The Defense Department unveiled the latest version of its Better Buying Power initiative Friday [September 19], shifting the acquisition improvement spotlight this time onto the need to drive more advanced technologies into the products DoD buys.” DHS Secretary Makes Risk Management a Priority.

John Kamensky Procurement Reform Redux. Ann Rung, the new chief of procurement policy for the federal government, laid out her vision for reforming the government’s buying practices at a recent conference. According to Charlie Clark, Government Executive, her office “is focusing on ‘simplifying the contractor space to emphasize performance’ in achieving “world-class customer service and cost savings,’ Rung said. ‘The key to simplicity is greater collaboration and cooperation’ within agencies and between the acquisition workforce and industry,” Dan Tangerlini Speaks. Adam Mazmanian Reports.

John Kamensky Transforming Government Acquisition for the Future. An op-ed column by Kymme McCabe and Dan Chenok in Government Executive has sparked a lively on-line debate. They offer, on behalf of a grassroots “Acquisition of the Future” initiative, a roadmap forward, and say: “acquisition transformation, not just reform, is critical to enable the federal government to effectively lead in the Collaboration Age. Now it’s time to chart a course forward toward such transformation.” Their column has generated more than 40 comments! Customer Service is Bleak.