Flood insurance? Bank deposit insurance? Pension guarantees? Home loan guarantees? . . . No private sector business will take on some risks that the federal government agrees to bear on behalf of the broader society – at least not at an affordable price. So government, by nature, oftentimes puts itself at financial or reputationalRead… Read more »
Why don’t agency top leaders know about significant management problems in their organizations before it is too late? So-called scandals seem to be more prevalent these days, ranging from seemingly dishonest reporting of telework hours at the Patent Office or veterans hospital access wait times, to the safety of CDC labs, to lavish conferences atRead… Read more »
As is often the case, I read with interest Meghan Biro’s recent column in Forbes – Big, Bad Data: How Talent Analytics Will Make It Work In HR. It caught my attention with its insight into the world of talent analytics and HR. I was particularly excited to see Biro’s conclusions drawn from a recentRead… Read more »
As the summer begins its march to fall, we’re all getting back in the game, and if history is any indication, projects will soon begin to multiply. Which means hiring will be on the upswing, as well. As we all know, hiring is an expensive and extensive process. In fact, by the time you’ve advertisedRead… Read more »
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 »
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 »
This is a seemingly simple question, at least, for a certified project manager. After all we all know that a project is an “endeavor that has a definite start and an end, undertaken to deliver a unique product a service”. Usually this definition is followed by a couple of illustrative examples: Creation of the firstRead… Read more »
After reading a recent article from Government Executive, This May Be the Worst Abuse of Federal Telework Ever, I started reflecting on who is at fault when government agencies waste your tax dollars. The article talked about how several employees at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) were spending their telework days doingRead… 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 »