Excellence in Government
Agencies need to consider alternative personnel systems
A new model for government is still to be developed, but history and the current problems make it clear the GS system is not the answer.
How a culture of unaccountability permeates the federal government
COMMENTARY | Accountability is essential for an organization to function effectively.
VA is leading the way to restoring trust in government
COMMENTARY | The hard work of improving customer experience can restore faith and trust in government institutions.
Honoring our heroes and a call to serve at the VA
COMMENTARY | The Veterans Affairs Department offers an unparalleled opportunity for doctors, nurses, and mental health professionals to give back to those who have already given so much.
From payment accuracy to program integrity
COMMENTARY | The staggering level of pandemic fraud coupled with mounting concerns about the size and trajectory of the nation’s debt load should elevate program integrity as a top management focus, writes one observer.
Private sector’s best practices can help agencies bring feds back to the office
COMMENTARY | Federal agencies can help employees ease their way back into the office this fall by creating a healthy and flexible workplace culture, writes one observer.
Meet the winners of this year’s ‘Oscars’ of public service
The recipients join the over 750 awardees of the Partnership for Public Services’ recognition program since it began in 2002.
What I learned covering government for 34 years
The privilege of reporting on the stuff that really matters.
‘Neutral competence,’ partisanship and efforts to overhaul the civil service
COMMENTARY | One scholar argues that a radical movement to shift powers to the president would be disastrous for the federal workforce.
Efforts grow to undercut prosecutors’ authority
COMMENTARY | Some Republican lawmakers in Georgia are looking to remove District Attorney Fani Willis, a Black Democrat representing a majority Black district, from office. The effort in Georgia is not happening in a silo.
Reinventing government: Reflections 30 years later
Three leaders of government reinvention under Vice President Al Gore reflect on their favorite accomplishments and what they see as challenges for leaders of the future.
Featured eBooks
A basic flaw in the federal pay system
COMMENTARY | The system wasn’t designed to be competitive with the private sector, and that’s a problem in today’s job market.
What the United States can learn from Australia’s recent catastrophic failure to listen to career government experts
COMMENTARY | A hastily launched 2016 program to reduce overpayment of government benefits was plagued by “unfairness, probable illegality and cruelty,” an Australian commission later found.
A fresh look at the federal workforce and the skills needed to solve today’s pressing problems
COMMENTARY | A new book offers a roadmap for recruiting and training employees who can build bridges within government and across sectors.
Trust in the federal government is in a tailspin. Here’s how agencies can rebuild it.
COMMENTARY | Agencies must prove they are competent and support values such as transparency.
Transparency in numbers: Federal contractors must be held accountable for their diversity efforts
COMMENTARY | A more diverse talent pool will result in government services—and access to those services—that are more reflective of the constituents those services support.
Adjusting Jobs to Protect Workers’ Mental Health is Both Easier and Harder Than You Might Think
The tasks employees perform are often not what leads to their mental health degradation. Instead, an employer’s culture and the way its jobs are designed play big roles.
To Advance Equity in Contracting, Make It Easier and Cheaper to Sell to the Public Sector
COMMENTARY | The key to making procurement more inclusive will be to systemically reduce the cost of doing business with public entities—by an order of magnitude.
Phil Kiviat, Long-Time Advocate for Better Government, Dies at 85
He will be remembered for his work to foster closer relationships between government and industry through building trust.
It’s Time to Act on the Workforce Portion of the President’s Management Agenda
Despite human capital reforms being referenced in recent management agendas, not much has actually changed.
