Author Archive

John Kamensky
Senior Fellow, IBM Center for the Business of Government
John M. Kamensky is a Senior Research Fellow for the IBM Center for the Business of Government. He previously served as deputy director of Vice President Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government, a special assistant at the Office of Management and Budget, and as an assistant director at the Government Accountability Office. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and received a Masters in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
John M. Kamensky is a Senior Research Fellow for the IBM Center for the Business of Government. He previously served as deputy director of Vice President Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government, a special assistant at the Office of Management and Budget, and as an assistant director at the Government Accountability Office. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and received a Masters in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
Tech
Looking Beyond the Federal Data Strategy
We may be entering a Golden Age of data sharing.
- John Kamensky
Management
Disasters Are Inevitable; Government’s Inadequate Response Is Not
New research analyzing the responses of hundreds of local leaders identified common obstacles and proven ways to overcome them.
- John Kamensky
Management
The Future of Work Post-Pandemic: We’re Not Going Back
Suddenly, the conversation about telework has shifted from “do we have the right technologies in place?” to “do we have the right people policies and training in place?”
- John Kamensky
Management
Saying ‘Thank You’ Matters
Few people are in government for the money; it’s critical to recognize those who go above and beyond.
- John Kamensky
Management
Innovation In Government: What the Transition Teams Should Understand
To get things done in the executive branch, it helps to have a solid plan.
- John Kamensky
Management
Too Many Americans Still Don’t Receive Acceptable Service from Federal Agencies
The government has long struggled with efforts to improve customer service; there are a few positive signs.
- John Kamensky
Management
Promoting Employee Engagement In a Time of Crisis
A new initiative is needed to create bottom-up demand for improving organizational health and performance.
- John Kamensky
Management
Empowering HR and Managers: Lessons from the Bush Administration
If job objectives are vague, how will managers be able to assess employee performance, and how will employees know what is expected of them?
- John Kamensky
Management
Empowering the Federal Workforce to Get Results: An Enduring Problem
The imperative to reimagine how work gets done has a new urgency.
- John Kamensky
Management
The Mindsets of Innovators in Government
A series of Interviews with high achievers reveals some surprising things about what it takes to get things done in the bureaucracy.
- John Kamensky
Management
Veterans Benefits Administration May Be Having Its Best Year Ever
Despite having to make operational changes, the agency has exceeded performance targets set before the pandemic.
- John Kamensky
Management
Many Agencies Aren’t Ready to Manage in a New World
A recent report provides a framework for improving management quality and ensuring better outcomes for federal programs.
- John Kamensky
Tech
The Early Internet Years in Government Are a Model For Fostering Innovation
It’s critical to begin with a compelling vision for how life could be made better for the end user.
- John Kamensky
Oversight
Where’s the Money? Keep an Eye on the CARES Act
With the passage of the $2.3 trillion economic relief bill, things are happening at breakneck speed.
- John Kamensky
Oversight
A Framework for National Recovery From COVID-19
There's a path forward drawing on lessons from the 2009 stimulus coupled with the Australian approach to coronavirus.
- John Kamensky
Management
Performance Management: An Emphasis on Learning
The trick is getting front-line managers to see value in fostering a learning-driven, problem-solving approach to improving performance.
- John Kamensky
Management
Performance Management: The Emphasis on Accountability
Clear goals, transparently pursued can be a powerful tool to drive output-oriented performance, but there are caveats.
- John Kamensky
Management
When Bigger Is Better
Validating public policy outcomes is critical, but so is building on the evidence. A new study looks at what’s needed to expand successful programs.
- John Kamensky
Management
Reinventing Government: Learning From a Principle-Driven Reform Initiative
Creating a reform agenda that allows civil servants to be part of the reform can be a huge force-multiplier.
- John Kamensky
Management
Reducing Administrative Burden, aka ‘Death by a Thousand 10-Minute Tasks’
Since 1991, the federal government has imposed 110 new requirements on university research grant recipients.
- John Kamensky