Performance Management
Obama Team Aims to Ensure Agency Performance Goals Outlive This Administration
Charles Clark, Government Executive
The Obama administration is picking up the pace on setting agency performance goals, and has started the process of ensuring that the management priorities survive the transition to a new president.
Council trying to create a performance culture snowball effect
Jason Miller, Federal News Radio
The Performance Improvement Council is taking a Zen-like approach to further the culture of performance across the government,  encouraging agencies to see the benefits of measuring performance and acting on those results.
Why civil servants should have a ‘seat at the table’
Steve Kelman, Federal Computer Week
Kelman applauds the OMB’s move to make career employees “goal leaders” for performance management initiatives, but wishes it had come far earlier in the administration.

Analytics/Evaluation
Delivering on the promise of big data
Sarah Lai Stirland, Federal Computer Week
Agencies have moved beyond the buzzword and are making big data part of their everyday missions.
5 ways to turn big data into better government
Zach Noble, Federal Computer Week
Big data offers simple solutions to the vast majority of customer complaints.

Collaboration
DHS’s Unity of Effort seeds the roots of change
Jason Miller, Federal News Radio
The council is one management approach that Secretary Jeh Johnson has brought to DHS under his initiative to create a more cohesive agency.

Customer Service
White House building a ‘Yelp’ to rate federal services
Andy Medici, Federal Times
According to OMB, the administration will be launching a “federal feedback button” pilot in the next few months to give Americans a way to provide instant feedback on their experiences with federal services.

Efficiency/Reorganization
House Members Pursue Holy Grail of Federal Program Efficiency
Charles Clark, Government Executive
Bipartisan bill would create project manager career path, standards.
Voters Want Aggressive Government Reform, Not Tinkering Around the Edges
Charles Clark, Government Executive
Eroding confidence in government has shrunk the ranks of reinventing government “tinkerers,” providing an opening for a more-aggressive reform platform for the 2016 election.

Innovation
Decision-Making Software Shapes Government Budgets Transparently
Colin Wood, Government Technology
Government agencies are supporting their IT and capital investment planning with a tool called Decision Lens.

Open Government
The Dark Side of Government in the Sunshine
Philip Joyce, Governing
While transparency may promote government accountability and reduce corruption, rules to improve openness in government also can have negative consequences.