Performance & Management

‘Uncertainty’ in budget process after OMB ends call for agency performance metrics

Jory Heckman, Federal News Network

The Trump administration, in an 11th-hour memo, has suspended a requirement for agencies to set strategic planning goals and to share progress made with Congress and the public as part of the annual budget process.

How the Biden Administration Can Supercharge Results by Using Evidence

Andrew Feldman and Jed Herrman, Government Executive

Believe it or not, there has been progress over the last four years in the use of evidence and data to inform decision-making. The new administration can build on those gains.

America Needs a Strategic Plan

Andrew Kleine, Government Executive

A divided, directionless nation yearns for its next moonshot.

Rebuilding Government as a Purpose-Driven Organization

Howard Risher, Government Executive

An agency’s purpose should be the foundation for workforce management.

Management-Related Bills among First Priorities of House

FEDweek

The House has passed, as among its first priorities in the new Congress, several federal agency management-related bills that had made some progress but that fell short of enactment in the prior Congress.

Open Data and Analytics

Looking Beyond the Federal Data Strategy

John Kamensky, Government Executive

A new report on the critical need for intergovernmental data sharing by Harvard’s Jane Wiseman says we need to extend it to become a national data strategy that embraces states and local governments as well.

Better data management requires more education, communication across enterprise, experts say

David Thornton, Federal News Network

There are certain communities across the federal government that excel at data management, like intelligence or acquisition. Outside of those communities, however, a widening consensus on the value of data has outpaced education on how to use it.

GSA data skills catalog promotes ‘learning culture’ of Federal Data Strategy

Jory Heckman, Federal News Network

As part of the strategy’s 2020 Action Plan, the General Services Administration has developed a Curated Data Skills Catalog and a Data Ethics Framework to help agencies develop competencies when acquiring, managing, and using data to support their agency’s mission.

NSF develops predictive model to flag improper payments in grants

Jory Heckman, Federal News Network

The NSF’s Payments and Analytics Branch has created an open-source predictive model to flag potential improper payments, and is looking to share its work with other grant-giving agencies.

Innovation & Open Government

HHS looking for innovative ways to care for the elderly

Tom Temin, Federal Drive

HHS is asking a wide range of health care providers, academics and startups for information and ideas to address equitable care for the eldery. With more on the effort, the Chief Medical Officer in the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Dr. Leith States, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Customer Service

Why technology alone can’t solve the government’s customer experience problem

Mike Kapetanovic, Federal News Network

Forward-thinking agencies have realized that the expectations Americans have as consumers also frame their interactions with the government, and the President’s Management Agenda has made improving those interactions a top priority. So why are federal agencies still struggling to catch up to airlines, insurance companies, and other private sector organizations when it comes to CX delivery?