ASPA Center for Accountability & Performance

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.

Performance Management
Government Needs Better Management, Obviously
Howard Risher, Government Executive
Accountability in the absence of consequences is little more than a word.
Implementing a turnaround strategy at DOL: An interview with Seth Harris, former Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor
Andy Feldman, Gov Innovative Podcast
The U.S. Department of Labor is a useful case study of a large public-sector organization that successfully strengthened a culture of results, data, learning and evidence.

Analytics/Evaluation
Data Wonks vs. Performance Leaders
Robert Behn, Government Executive
Finding key insights in a jumble of data is not the same as the skills needed get consistent, dedicated work from a team.
State to set up analytics office
Sean Lyngaas, Federal Computer Week
The State Department plans to set up an analytics office to harness big data, an area in which the department says it needs to do better.
New Johns Hopkins center to help cities tap power of data
Stephen Babcock, Technical.ly Baltimore
The Center for Government Excellence is part of a $42 million initiative created by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Innovation
Google Government Innovation Lab Open for Business
Jason Shueh, Government Technology
Google officially opens its innovation lab to help government solve challenges.

Analytics/Evaluation
Ryan, Murray Reintroduce Bipartisan Evidence-based Policymaking Commission Bill
Patrick Lester, Social Innovation Research Center
Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Patty Murray reintroduced legislation (H.R. 1831 / S. 991) that would establish a bipartisan commission to make recommendations to Congress and the president on how best to expand the use of data to evaluate the effectiveness of federal programs and tax expenditures.

Innovation
A $42 Million Bet on Cities and the Power of Data
Stephen Goldsmith, Governing
A new Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative aims to help 100 cities govern more effectively.
The Special Skills an Innovation Team Leader Needs
Stephen Goldsmith, Governing
Directing a city-government “i-team” demands distinctive traits that are unique to the process.
Effective Data Drives Innovation and Efficiency
Innovategov
A study from the University of Texas aimed to investigate, among other performance indicators, direct relationships between effective data and business innovation and operational efficiency.

Open Government
Sorry, open data: Americans just aren’t that into you
Adam Mazmanian and Jonathan Lutton, Federal Computer Week
A new survey finds limited public knowledge of government’s open data efforts — and equally underwhelming enthusiasm.
Who Cares About Open Data?
Colin Wood, Government Technology
A vocal minority of government and civic activists say open data is the future, but the public is largely unconcerned.

Performance Management
The Low-Down on Agency-Run Strategic Reviews
John Kamensky, Business of Government
The Director of OMB, Shaun Donovan, put agencies on notice last week that the Administration is doubling down on the implementation of its priorities and tracking progress more closely.
Creating a Performance and Results Culture
John Kamensky, Business of Government
How do you create a performance-and-results culture in your agency?

Analytics/Evaluation
Five Myths and Five Ways to Create an Analytics Culture
Josh Helms, Business of Government
An organization’s culture is often the biggest impediment to embracing analytics and adopting a big data strategy. This piece poses 5 myths that inhibit culture change and the adoption of a big data strategy, and suggests 5 ways to create a culture that embraces analytics and is open to a big data strategy.

Innovation
NASA Turns to Hackers for Innovations in Space
Jason Shueh, Government Technology
NASA’s annual International Space Apps Challenge gave civic hackers and citizens 48 hours to craft solutions for space exploration and the world’s most vexing social issues.

Performance Management
Good management or measurement make-work?
Troy Schneider, Federal Computer Week
Goals are good, but reporting requirements can easily get out of hand.
Focusing on Implementation to Drive Continued Progress
Beth Cobert, OMB Blog
In the final year of the Administration it will be more important than ever for the senior leadership team to focus on implementation to lock in progress on Administration priority issues.
Improving Public Services: The Secrets of Award-Winning Cities
John Kamensky, Governing
Technology is important, but it doesn’t work without the right governance structures and partnerships.

Innovation
How Bloomberg’s Still Changing the Way Cities Operate
J.B. Wogan, Governing
Bloomberg Philanthropies and other organizations have poured an unprecedented amount of money into making cities more innovative and collaborative. What happens when the money runs out.

Open Government
New schema gives agencies framework for DATA Act
Aaron Boyd, Federal Times
Almost one year after President Obama signed the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act), the Treasury Department and Office of Management and Budget released a set of standards to help agencies begin developing interoperable systems for financial reporting.