Starlings, Transparency, and Thad Allen

Complexity theory and complex adaptive systems are relatively new ventures in the field of public administration, but they are old hat in other academic disciplines such as physics and biology.

So what did I learn?

Managing the Social-Media Paradigm Shift: Ride the current, or be swept aside

Everyone who’s ears have been assaulted with talk of “paradigm shifts” can thank Thomas Kuhn, author of “The She Structure of Scientific Revolutions.”  I’ve often wondered why that phrase beguiles so many consultants and technology cheerleaders, and it’s a shame that it has, because in the glare of that overexposure, we may have blinded ourselves to some true paradigm shifts.

Gumby Goes to the White House

Over the years, presidents have directed agencies to streamline their administrative requirements and work together on behalf of citizens.  The last major effort was in the Clinton Administration, which met with mixed success.  President Obama has declared he will try again:  “I believe that working together, State, local, and tribal governments and Federal agencies can distinguish between rules and requirements that su

Improving Business Operations of the U.S. Department of Defense

The imperative to improve the business operations of the U.S. Department of Defense has never been greater. Secretary of Defense Gates and Deputy Secretary Lynn have clearly articulated the pressing need for reform, driving action across all business areas such as acquisition and logistics, finance, and personnel. Transforming these business processes and systems is motivated by the need to make better use of resources, improve stewardship, and provide the best support possible to the warfighters.

Obama's FY 2012 Management Initiatives

For the most part, the management section of the budget reflects a continued commitment to initiatives initially detailed in last year’s budget:

“Building a government that works smarter, better, and more efficiently to deliver results for the American people is a cornerstone of the President’s Accountable Government Initiative and a key focus of this Administration.”

This section of the budget is organized around the same three themes outlined in the FY 2011 budget:

Leaders Speak on Leadership and Public Service: Amb. Patrick Kennedy, Adm. Thad Allen, and Dave Wennergren

For a decade, The Business of Government Hour has brought you leading government executives who are changing the way government does business. Each week, our guests join us for an informative, insightful, and in-depth conversation about their careers, their agencies, agency accomplishments, as well as their vision of government in the 21st century.  Over last five years, we have interviewed more than 250 government executives. It is from this rich library that we have culled together their insights on important public management issues.

Using Prizes as Innovation Engines

As promised in an earlier blog post on this topic, the IBM Center now has a report, “Managing Innovation Prizes in Government,” by Luciano Kay, with the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

An Open Government Implementation Model: Moving to Increased Public Engagement

On his first full day in office, January 21, 2009, President Obama issued a call for increased openness in government.

Our Top 10 Most-Read Blog Posts in 2010!

1.      Congress Hits Refresh Button on the Results Act (October 5, 2010)

Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) summarized the need for a refresh when he introduced his bill with bipartisan support:  "Producing information does not by itself improve performance and experts from both sides of the aisle agree that the solutions developed in 1993 have not worked.”

Global Security and Stability

Global security and stability are becoming less obtainable due to a growing list of challenges. These challenges include, but are not limited to: proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons; regional war among states; civil wars and failed states; international terrorism; global recession and poverty, international crime and drug cartels; and humanitarian crises and refugees. Many approaches have attempted to resolve these challenges; however, other means to resolve conflict and promote global security and stability are available and should be pursued more aggressively.  

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