The Public Manager articles from June 2007

The Public Manager archives from June 2007

The manager's musings.
June 22, 2007... Youthful Expectations Performance is the principal theme of The Public Manager's summer issue, and Megan McNeely, a young professional in the federal government, may have come upon a surprise takeaway for all of us. In her article on...

Scoring government performance reports: telling it like it is, or not? A George Mason University research team shares its evaluation of the annual GPRA reports of twenty-four federal agencies.(Government Performance and Results Act)
June 22, 2007... When Congress passed the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) in 1993, it noted that "congressional policymaking, spending decisions, and program oversight are seriously handicapped by insufficient attention to program performance and...

Collaboration meets the performance measurement challenge: project directors of three collaborative programs discuss measuring government performance and communicating results to better inform decision making.
June 22, 2007... The idea for this series of interviews grew from a conference panel we coordinated for the American Society for Public Administration, "Measuring and Managing Results through Collaborative Agreements," which featured the work of the Boston...

The Boston Indicators Project: expanding Bostonians' capacity to make wise choices to create a more just, prosperous, and sustainable future.
June 22, 2007... As difficult as it is to agree on the desired results of good government, bringing disparate individuals and organizations together in a sustained, effective collaboration can be even more trying. Collaboration poses a particular hurdle in the...

The Worcester Regional Research Bureau: promoting a healthier, more prosperous climate for the region's citizens and businesses, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations, and identifying trends to improve management.
June 22, 2007... The Worcester Regional Research Bureau is a private, nonprofit organization that conducts independent, nonpartisan research and analysis of public policy issues. It strives to promote informed public debate of financial, administrative,...

Center on Municipal Government Performance of the Fund for the City of New York: applying market research and the latest technology to create innovative ways to assess government performance that involve the public and reflect its perspective.
June 22, 2007... In 1968, the Ford Foundation established the Fund for the City of New York with the mandate to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers. For more than three decades--in partnership with government agencies, nonprofit institutions, and...

From stovepipes to networks: through collaboration and innovation, networks improve and expand government services to meet the demands of today's citizens.
June 22, 2007... The complex problems facing the public sector and the need for more efficient service delivery mechanisms have caused government managers to try new approaches to current and long-standing problems. One such approach is two-way public-private...

Managing effectively in a networked world: recent public-sector research points to nine key management skills, values, and attitudes essential to success in managing partnerships.
June 22, 2007... In an era of globalization, devolution, decentralization, "new governance," advanced information and communications technology, and the growing complexity of public problems, public-private partnerships have become an increasingly popular...

Basic practices for homeland security regional partnerships: proven strategic and enabling practices underpin effective partnerships, but a more complete set is needed for homeland security.
June 22, 2007... Many have stressed regional partnerships in strengthening homeland security preparedness, response, and recovery. For example, Donald Kettl characterized homeland security as the coordination of multiple federal agencies, complex partnerships...

Elements successful strategic human capital planning: plans that work use phased inputs to planning, commitments to action, and implementation enablers to succeed.
June 22, 2007... Today, federal human capital (HC) professionals must grapple with issues across the HC spectrum--everything from workforce planning and HC strategy development to recruitment, hiring, retention, training, performance management, leadership...

Guiding exemplary staff work development: public managers improve staff performance and growth by posing probing questions and continuously modeling the excellence they seek.
June 22, 2007... Elected policymakers and engaged citizens share high expectations for public managers and their staffs. Policymaker success depends on it. Citizens deserve it. Bureaucratic bungling (such as the response to Hurricane Katrina and the faulty...

Self-reward: an untapped resource for high performance: a recent study of government managers shows how self-leadership strategies can influence behavior and shape individual performance improvements.(Survey)
June 22, 2007... As part of my dissertation research last year, I surveyed 429 certified public managers using the Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire (RSLQ). The survey shows that when doing their jobs, they use self-punishment techniques more often than...

Federal telework: a model for the private sector: despite a slow start, federal agencies increasingly embrace the business and work-life benefits of toiling outside the office.
June 22, 2007... In October 2000, Congress passed the Department of Transportation appropriations bill (PL 106-346), which included a provision requiring every federal agency to allow eligible employees to telework to the maximum extent possible without...

Implementing telework: the technology issue: two studies examine technology challenges that may pose barriers to mainstreaming federal telework and tell public managers how to overcome them.
June 22, 2007... For more than 25 years, the adoption of telework (telecommuting) has been a steady but slow-growing phenomenon. During this time, the consensus has been that management resistance (to change) is the primary challenge for efforts to mainstream...

Textbooks and the real world: a young government leader reflects on her experiences and informs new graduates (and other fledgling employees) of the differences between what's taught in school and the reality of work in the federal bureaucracy.(Young Professionals)(Column)
June 22, 2007... Things are not always as they seem" could be the catchphrase for the differences between what we learned in school and how those ideas and principles are carried out in the real world. I know the shock of closing your last book, handing in your...

Why stay in government? Despite the incentives, young government professionals leave their jobs; this article examines the reason.(Young Professionals)
June 22, 2007... Federal agencies offer incentives--student loan repayment, flexible work schedules, casual dress codes, transportation subsidies, telework, and retainment bonuses--that attract individuals to government. Articles in The Washington Post, Federal...

Advice for federal, state, and local supervisors.(Book review)
June 22, 2007... Stewart Liff. Managing Government Employees: How to Motivate Your People, Deal with Difficult Issues, and Achieve Tangible Results (AMACOM, New York, 2007). Advertised as "proven advice for supervisors at the federal, state, and local...