Evidence and Evaluation
Data Evangelists Spread the Word on Boosting Government Performance
John Kamensky, Government Executive
A recent gathering of state and local officials had the feel of an old time revival.
Keys to success for a chief data officer: Automation ‘with a purpose’ and willing workforce
Jory Heckman, Federal News Network
The departments of Transportation and Energy have turned to machine learning tools to get a better handle of their data, but officials say those tools will only get them so far.
HUD, USDA throwing a little spaghetti against the wall to see what big data projects stick
Jason Miller, Federal News Network
HUD and USDA are turning to pilots to use data in new ways and gain support throughout the agency.

Management
Feds maintain ‘resilient’ engagement despite the shutdown
Jessie Bur, Federal Times
The federal workforce’s engagement in their jobs dipped only slightly in 2019, despite a record-breaking government shutdown to start out the year, but some agency subcomponents fared worse than others.

Innovation
How open innovation can transform the government technology playing field
Dan Chenok, Federal Computer Week
New entrants bring new applications that add significant value to government data.
Energy wants to open its innovation hub to the public
Dave Nyczepir, FedScoop
Energy hopes to open its Innovation Community Center to external partners in 2020.
Army Applications Laboratory: How problems get solved
Lauren Williams, Federal Computer Week
How the Army connects with nontraditional problem solvers to close capability gaps and drive modernization.
How You Can Get Better at Picking Creative Ideas
Dylan Walsh, Government Executive
A new paper investigates a relatively understudied part of the creative process: the very early stage, when we first generate rough ideas.