Taking a Targeted Approach to Civil Service Reform

But little seems to happen.  There have been dozens of studies and reports over the past three decades.  However, there has not been a major overhaul since 1978, and many piecemeal legislative efforts, such as performance pay and streamlining the classification system, have been derailed.  So pragmatically, what can be done in the near-term, without a major legislative effort? 

Finally, a Name!

The six initiatives were announced back in July with little fanfare, but today’s memo provides high level visibility and press that “review our approach to performance management, detail our strategies and key initiatives, and describe the early progress we have achieved.” 

A Dynamic Shared Services Delivery Model

One way the government can become more efficient and effectively managed is through what we’re calling A Dynamic Shared Service Delivery Model, to show constant change and improvement. Before we dive into the specifics of the shared service model, let’s explore a representative example of the “21st Century” technology service model.

Shared Service Market Size

Weekly Roundup: July 31 - August 4, 2017

Good News: Acquisition Reform Works. Steve Kelman writes in FCW: “cost growth in the development of new weapons systems has slowed.”  He explored “why” and concluded that the acquisition reforms over the past decade has finally made a difference.

Engaged Employees Requires Engaged Leaders

In a 2016 review of more than 82,000 work units across 230 organizations covering nearly 2 million employees, the Gallup Organization found: “The relationship between engagement and performance at the business/work unit level is substantial and highly generalizable across organizations.” So, it is no wonder that the Office of Personnel Management, in its annual survey of federal employees, assesses the extent of employee engagement, as well.  In 

Australian Management Reform

I received a GovLoop tweet alerting me to a new report, optimistically titled: “Ahead of the Game: Blueprint for the Reform of the Australian Government Administration.” Australia has long served as a source of innovation and inspiration in government reforms, so I eagerly downloaded and read it.

Dealing with Poor Performers

The issue of poor performers is a perennial topic. This topic seems to continually top the list of issues the President’s Management Council – comprised of deputy secretaries – wants to address by streamlining the rules. But a new report by the Merit Systems Protection Board concludes that it is not the rules, but the managers, who are the problem.

Developing Senior Executive Capabilities to Address National Priorities

This report is intended to spark a discussion of how to create a cadre of experienced career senior executives who can lead major, cross-agency initiatives on national priorities. The Senior Executive Service (SES) corps today is chiefly composed of highly skilled professionals in specific mission functions, with relatively few having cross-agency expertise.

Recent trends in government have created a new demand for cross-agency capabilities. This report attempts to offer a practical, targeted approach for meeting this demand. It is divided into two parts:

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