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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Management

The Individuals Behind Government's Success Stories

The recent history of government reforms provides important lessons for leaders.

Management

The GREAT Act: Scaling the Tower of Babel

A bewildering array of forms and data elements across multiple agency reporting systems needlessly complicates grants management. That’s about to change.

Management

Data Evangelists Spread the Word on Boosting Government Performance

A recent gathering of state and local officials had the feel of an old time revival.

Management

Laboratories of Democracy in Action: Investing in What Works

The mere availability of information is not enough to get policy makers to actually use it.

Management

Learning to be a Leader

A professional development seminar series open to all federal employees has helped thousands of feds connect across government.

Management

When Performance Goals Backfire

Ambitious goals can be motivational, but they also can incentivize unethical behavior.

Management

Why Agencies Need to Tap the Revolutionary Potential of Behavioral Science

Traditional policy tools, such as taxes, subsidies and regulations, are not always very effective in changing social behavior.

Management

Creating a Critical Mass of Talent and Resources

There are people at all levels of government experienced in using behavioral science to improve program effectiveness. Officials need to seek them out.

Management

Nudge in the City: Using Science to Improve Public Services

Cutting-edge technology is nice, but sometimes just changing the size of a mailing envelope can determine whether a program is successful.

Management

How a CDC Program Is Changing Behavior to Reduce Mine Worker Injuries

Thousands of miners are injured each year; scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sought to learn why, and then do something about it.

Management

After Federal Officials Sent Letters to Over-Prescribing Docs, Prescriptions Fell and Patient Safety Rose

A small office at GSA is helping agencies apply behavioral science to reap big improvements in program effectiveness.

Management

People Don’t Always Behave Rationally—Agencies are Learning to Plan for That

Officials are increasingly leveraging the power of behavioral science to enhance program performance.