Back in 2005, I presented a “Framework for Analyzing Organizational Failure” after my dissertation adviser doubted that I could find a general explanation for how government organizations fail. After an extensive review of the literature and an in-depth study of four major government failures (the Oakland Development Authority, the Navy’s A-12 project, the Challenger accident,Read… Read more »
There is a fascinating story in Politico: President Obama’s muddy transparency record http://politi.co/ykWK7q “Three years into his presidency, critics say Obama’s administration has failed to deliver the refreshing blast of transparency that the president promised” In general, I think the story is fair — the administration has not fully tapped the power of open government.Read… Read more »
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) recently announced that only 2.3% of 35,000 college students surveyed are interested in pursuing federal employment. Looking beyond myopic political rhetoric, my sense is the main causes for this is the government itself. The competitive hiring process is frustrating, exasperating, and difficult to manage even with recentRead… Read more »
The growth in the length of government agency names has amused me for several years. These days it seems as though every function of an agency needs to be listed in its full name,so that the community remember what they are responsible for – and then be embodied in a meaningless acronym, perhaps to ensureRead… Read more »
The New York City Council recently passed Open Data legislation that will require 50 plus agencies to publish their quantitive data sets through an online portal in a machine-readable format, enabling public and private sector access to better manipulate and interpret the city’s information. Data will be presented by category and by City agency. AsRead… Read more »
This week I did something I never thought I would do: I gave a talk at TED. I’ve given several TEDx talks now, but TED in Long Beach has been the stage of such world-changing talks as Sir Ken Robinson’s indictment of traditional education and Jill Bolte Taylor’s insights from her stroke, and I tookRead… Read more »
Recently the New York City Council passed what some open government advocates see as a “landmark” bill to increase government transparency and citizen access to machine readable data sets. While this legislation is definitely a welcomed triumph for the Gov 2.0 movement and a positive example for “closed” or “inert governments everywhere, should transparency legislationRead… Read more »
Happy Friday! Here’s your GEICO Friday Fun video of the week! The GEICO gecko has been traveling all over the country in order to save people money on car insurance. Where is he now? There’s a ton to do in California, and the Gecko’s been all over! San Francisco, Hollywood, the beach, even an ruralRead… Read more »
Recently I’ve been reflecting on the value and importance of coaching and how it supports the development of leadership during the chaotic times in which we find ourselves. There is no question that government leaders today find their roles and responsibilities changing, and things that were once stable and enduring are no longer so. OneRead… Read more »
Gadi Ben-Yehuda It’s spring (meteorologically), when many people are thinking about getting engaged. By which I mean: citizen engagement, employee engagement, and engagement in and through social media. A Ladder or a Continuum. On the blog Bang the Table, Cripsin Butteriss dusts off his papers on citizen participation and shares Sherry R Arnstein’s “Ladder ofRead… Read more »