GovernmentExecutive.com

At an event in Washington this week, Paul C. Light, a professor of public service at New York University and author of the new book A Government Ill Executed, floated an interesting suggestion: Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and John McCain, R-Ariz., he said, ought to team up on legislation to improve the management of the federal government in advance of this fall's election.

The two men have a unique opportunity to push a legislative agenda as presidential candidates. This is, after all, the first time two sitting U.S. senators have faced off against each other in a head-to-head contest for president. It would be very difficult for other members of Congress to oppose legislation backed by their party's standard-bearers.

There's precedent for McCain and Obama to work together. After all, they already have cooperated on legislation to create a database of federal spending information. Light had a couple of specific suggestions for new measures the candidates could promote that would presumably benefit either of them if elected: reducing the number of political appointees and streamlining the appointments process.

The question is, what other agenda items could the two candidates join forces to support?

Maybe we can help answer that right here on GovernmentExecutive.com. So let's open the issue for discussion. Use the comments section below to make specific suggestions about management reform legislation you think McCain and Obama should support. But before we begin, one note on ground rules: Let's try to keep this focused on the issues, not on the respective merits of the candidates.

COMMENTS

• Establish a high bar for analytic discipline of performance; especially, addressing the six major complexities in Federal Performance Management among Appointed Executives: Executive Pace – The pace drives staff to shortcut the production of information in support of the Executive. As a result of the pace, neither the Executive nor the staff have the opportunity to assess, let alone correct the processes of generating reliable and accurate information. Organizational Maturity – While staff are responsible for the business processes, they are not consistently prepared to conduct the rigorous audits that are required to mature the interdependent processes as a whole. Information Architecture – Modular architecture is possible and useful in enabling performance management, but this requires a dedicated transformation in technology processes throughout the organization. Envisioning Policy – In the face of limited cross-government operability and visibility each program becomes insulated from the envisioned policy. As a result, Executives are motivated to defend the outputs of their organization, rather than adjust their operations to compliment the potential of multiple organizational impacts. Innovation Testing –Innovation testing requires dedicated funding, access, and capability that can quickly align innovators with program targets, and the opportunity to compare performance changes across existing and new methods. Geographic Variability – Too often, Executives are not kept aware of how programs vary geographically and how the variability may be due to the context of where the program interacts with other conditions or actions. The capability to improvement an Executive’s portfolio often lies in understanding how incremental changes specific to locations can enhance, compliment, or accelerate existing activities. David Paschane Posted January 6, 2009 2:30 PM
• If Obama were elected President, Federal employees would likely loose their current health plan, as they would be required to participate in Obama's national health plan. Poorer insurance and inferior health care. No thanks. L. Jorgenson Posted September 20, 2008 12:05 AM
• Get rid of NSPS on day one then ensure all federal employees are made whole in every way which includes back pay. the Bush adminsitration has proven their method of management does not work and eother will McSame's. You want effecient Govt. ? Then treat the employees fair and give them equitable pay. Retired Air Traffic Controller Posted September 18, 2008 8:30 AM