The Urban Institute’s Harry Hatry is one of the pioneers of the late 20th century performance measurement movement. He has just released a new guide on transforming performance measurement that sums his best practical advice in one place. Harry Hatry is legendary. His indefatigable commitment to measuring government performance stretches back to his days asRead… Read more »
Have you ever been in a conversation where the more someone spoke, the worse it got? Where no matter how many explanations received or questions asked, the result was the same: a complete and total lack of a concise message? Yup. Clear as mud! Sometimes, I’m pretty sure it’s the speaker. Sometimes, I’m embarrassed toRead… Read more »
The “grey tsunami” was a big topic at my agency a few years back. The expectation was that up to 70% of the agency’s workforce would take early retirement. Massive amounts of tacit knowledge would be lost. In preparation, my team attempted to “crowdsource” the knowledge of the experienced staff. We wanted to convert thatRead… Read more »
Everyone is talking about IT reform – but does anyone know how to implement it? Doesn’t seem like it. It’s like your friend who just learned a new word but constantly keeps using it incorrectly. Legislators just learned about IT procurement, but don’t have the knowledge to apply it well. Many CIOs, however, have ideasRead… Read more »
While it may appear that the size of the federal workforce has shrunk to the size of a thumbtack, many agencies are still looking to hire bright candidates. But the changing economy has forced management to alter their hiring process in favor of a more strategic one. Hiring employees is no longer isolated as anRead… Read more »
As a public sector employee for over fifteen years, I’ve attended seminars and workshops on a variety of subjects and logged in to webinars to learn from others in online classrooms. With rare exceptions, I always come away with a valuable lesson, idea or new perspective. However, a few of the most valuable lessons I’veRead… Read more »
Designers are more commonly known for conceiving and crafting interiors, graphics, and clothing but the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has partnered with design professionals to develop innovative strategies aimed at reducing the city’s rates of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among teens. Suzanne Elder, program director for CDPH’s Office ofRead… Read more »
The term digital transformation is being bandied about rather a lot at the moment. That’s fine – people often argue about words and phrases and what they mean and whether they are helpful. Usually they aren’t perfect but do a job as a sort of shorthand that everyone has a broad – if occasionally divergentRead… Read more »
With guest co-blogger Kendall Stagg, Director of Policy at Chicago Department of Public Health This month, the Chicago Department of Public Health was named “Local Health Department of the Year” by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), an association of more than 2,800 local health departments across the nation. TheRead… Read more »
Charles Murray introduced me to the idea in Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950. Now that the Periodic Table is filled out, and so many overarching theories are proven, what’s a producing scientist to do? Ever since I read that, I’ve noticed how few scientists areRead… Read more »