John Kamensky

The current White House leaders of these offices have also inherited a capacity first created in the prior Administration that can turn the good ideas of these two offices in to action – the U.S.

John Kamensky

Risk & Reform. In an op-ed for Government Executive, Linda Miller writes: “Making decisions about which programs to eliminate or how to restructure the organizational functions of an agency is a challenge. It’s even more difficult when an agency lacks adequate information on either performance or risk or a mechanism with which to analyze it.”

I was in India recently, along with IBM Center Executive Director Dan Chenok, to participate in a forum entitled “The Business of Government: Learnings from Global Experiences,” which was co-sponsored by the IBM Center for The Business of Government along with the National Institution for Transforming India, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, and the Indian School of Business. The goal was to discuss best practices in effective service delivery and governance, and how thought leadership from academia and business might support the Indian government going forward.

John Kamensky

John Kamensky

OMB Burden Reduction. Federal News Radio reports: “The Office of Management and Budget is cleaning out its policy closet and in its first sweep found 59 data reporting requirements that are no longer necessary. . . . Of those 59 requirements, 50 have been rescinded and nine have been modified or suspended for the near future.”

However, last month the federal government managed a quiet, yet successful, implementation of a key element of the DATA Act. A website of financial data from across the government went
“live,” and nothing bad happened! What lessons were learned that could be applied to other large-scale, government-wide initiatives in the future? A panel sponsored by the National Academy of Public Administration recently explored this question.

John Kamensky

John Kamensky

Restored Faith.  FedScoop reports on comments by Cong. Gerry Connelly at a conference, noting: “With agencies now required to report their spending data in compliance with the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, it’s a chance for the federal government to earn some trust from the American people.”

It recently released a nine-point agenda recommending actions that Congress can take to ground funding decisions on this basis.  One of its recommended actions is to expand the use of “tiered evidence” grants.

But do they work?

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.