Leadership

KSAs out, TalentLink in at Homeland Security

Sharie Bourbeau, Deputy Under Secretary for Management at DHS, told FederalNewsRadio, the largest non-military department in the federal government is doing away with the KSA, the dreaded Knowledge, Skills and Abilities portion of their job application. In order to “compete in this labor market with private industry to ensure that we get the top talent,”Read… Read more »

Some thoughts while reading Human Sigma

Some thoughts while reading Human Sigma by John H. Fleming and Jim Asplund (Gallup Press, 2007) These are not quotes or summaries, these are thoughts which ensued. (Originally posted on Who Cares and So What wiki http:/whocaresandsowhat.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> MEASUREMENT DOES NOT EQUAL CONTROL It seems that many people feel like they are being controlled ifRead… Read more »

Project of the Week – Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative

In May of 2005, the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) released a memorandum to all Federal Chief Acquisition, Information and Financial Officers announcing the onset of a Strategic Sourcing initiative. The memo required all agencies identify no fewer than three commodities “that could be purchased more effectively and efficientlyRead… Read more »

Continuing Resolutions Don’t Have to Be a Pain

Agencies are again operating under a CR. Here are some suggestions to help budget officers avoid disrupting agency operations during the CR period. There have been three recent papers on CRs: * Continuing Resolutions: Uncertainty Limited Management Options and Increased Workload in Selected Agencies, GAO, #09-879, Sep 2009 * Interim Continuing Resolutions: Potential Impacts onRead… Read more »

The LMX Theory

Have you noticed that managers often act differently toward their different employees? Do you sometimes see managers who have favorites? Well, if so, you are witnessing the workings of the LMX theory of leadership. The leader-member exchange (LMX) theory holds that leaders have two different types of relationships among their followers. In essence, leaders establishRead… Read more »

3 Ways to Save Money on Municipal IT Energy Costs

by Sophicity When a municipality is tasked with reducing operating costs, one often overlooked area is energy use in the IT infrastructure. With energy prices on the rise, an increasingly taxed power grid and growing public concern over efficiency, new technologies and approaches to the way IT operates can lead to a dramatic reduction inRead… Read more »

The road to Malmö: government reform from the bottom up

As I had noted before, I participated in a Brussels workshop (March 2009) called Public Services 2.0 that left a small legacy: a group of people – just a couple of dozens, from all over the planet, rallied around David Osimo and Paul Johnston. This group has the knowledge and the stamina to try andRead… Read more »