Making Performance Measurable

Government Executive (Op-Ed: Willie Patterson)

The concept of trust but verify in leadership has two essential elements. Trust means showing confidence in your team’s abilities, decisions and integrity — recognizing their knowledge, skills and abilities. This approach builds morale and encourages ownership of roles and responsibilities. . . . Verification means putting systems in place — periodic progress checks, reports, reviews and accountability sessions. “Inspect what you expect” is closely aligned with trust but verify. When leaders set goals, they also set expectations for inspection: standards, outputs and outcomes. It’s about accountability.

Transforming City Operations with StatGPT

Harvard Kennedy School (Stephen Goldsmith)

This paper proposes “StatGPT,” a next-generation, technology-enabled approach that builds on the successes of traditional Stat models by injecting them with modern artificial intelligence (AI) and data capabilities.

City of Bloomington Releases “Impact-Driven” Budget Plan

City of Bloomington, IN

Mayor Kerry Thomson released the proposed 2026 City of Bloomington budget, shaped by both a new state law and a new approach to municipal budgeting.

Resource of the Week:  The Impact Project

The Impact Project uses data to understand how government change at the local, state, and federal levels impacts our daily lives, and helps organizations, businesses, local leaders, and many others make more informed decisions about how and where to allocate resources.