Who would argue the fact that flour, that white powder made from ground-milled wheat, is critically important to our way of life? But despite the fact that there is flour in just about every food pantry in the planet, there are few people who would voluntarily scoop up a handful and shove it in theirRead… Read more »
It’s hard to imagine that a federal bureaucratic paperwork drill can actually be helpful to people dedicated to getting things done quickly, but that’s what I’m about to tell you. It’s sort of like medicine – it doesn’t taste good on the way down, but it sure makes you feel better in the long run.Read… Read more »
No one in the Department of Defense owns “transformation.” The term is used freely by just about anyone who wishes to make a significant change in the Department. Changes attempted under the banner of “transformation” are as varied as the people who use the word. We assume that most “transformations” are attempts to make theRead… Read more »
Branding a nation, location or city in Asia is not just advertising. AsiaPac cities must develop a global reputation of creating and adding value and yet concurrently command emotional resonance as part of their unique selling proposition. Those which do not invest enough to build the relevant and visible brand equity will not be effectiveRead… Read more »
Nineteenth-century San Francisco went from a rough-and-tumble boomtown to a Victorian city with cosmopolitan ambitions. Its development was controlled by a small group of oligarchs: miners, industrialists, financiers and real estate speculators who hoped to forge a world-class metropolis in a single generation, enriching themselves in the process. The private sector is made up ofRead… Read more »
ADB reports that in 1950, the Asia and Pacific region was mostly rural with only 17% or 232.0 million of its 1.4 billion people living in towns or cities. The United Nations (UN) estimates that by 2030, 55% of 4.9 billion Asians, or 2.7 billion people, will live in urban areas. Starting in about 2015,Read… Read more »
2009 is the Year of the Ox, according to the Chinese zodiac. The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Many Asians expect 2009 to be the Year of the Skinny Ox. Asia’s political leaders, civil service, businesses and citizens are preparing for the worst year since the 1997 Asian crisis.Read… Read more »
Two of Asia’s problems are now reduced FDI inflows and too much trade export dependency on the US and Europe. In 2008, FDI inflows to Asia and Oceania decreased by 2.2 percent to US$313.5 billion. For South, East and South-East Asia, there was a marginal increase of 3.3% to US$256.1 billion. This region is theRead… Read more »
I earlier posted a list of fundamental questions and dilemmas (which I recently updated) to the GovLoop forum: http://www.praxagora.com/andyo/professional/government_participation_question.html Update: I put the questions on the GovLoop wiki under the name “Questions concerning government participation.” I’ve been asked to flesh this out with research and case studies. Can members of this network suggest things toRead… Read more »