ASPA Center for Accountability & Performance

Beyond Dashboards – Creating Useful Policy Steering Rooms

Apolitical

During intense crises, governments use control rooms to help them make sense of information and guide decisions. But what might the equivalent be for slower crises, and the normal work of government? Could physical places be designed that would support better decision-making?

The Art of Delivery

UK.gov Blog (Michelle Clement)

This blog post examines the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit 2001 to 2005, which was created during Tony Blair’s premiership. The Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit acted as a nexus of power between No.10 and Whitehall. (Book due out later this year).

Mission, Vision, and Values Are Not Enough

Harvard Business Review

Organizations need to develop strong guiding principles that go beyond generic mission statements and values, the authors argue. Well-articulated principles can provide direction for difficult decisions, especially in times of disruption.

Employees Need Drastic Reskilling to Deal with Generative AI’s Data Needs

RouteFifty
Data analysts are just one part of the picture, observers said. Governments will also need data architects and business analysts, as well as ethicists to help with its responsible use.

Webinar: Five-Year Anniversary of Passage of Evidence Act (Wed., Jan 31, 1 p.m. Eastern)

Data Foundation

The event will feature the release of a new report by Harvard University Assistant Professor Dr. Christina Ciocca Eller on federal evidence-based policymaking efforts. In addition, we will celebrate the 5-year anniversary of the Evidence Act and hear from the authors of this landmark legislation, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI). We also will hear from Shalanda Young, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, and other federal leaders about how they are using evidence and data to improve outcomes and scale solutions that work.

Resource of the Week:  “Let’s Talk Performance” Webinars now on Spotify!

National Center for Public Performance

You can now listen to NCPP’s Let’s Talk Performance webinars on your way to work through Spotify! Join us as we engage with experts, explore insightful research, and dive into thought-provoking discussions on enhancing public performance.

Strategic Planning in the Arts

Performance.gov

The National Endowment of the Arts used active engagement at the very beginning of their strategic planning process. They started with a blank canvas. Before they wrote a word of their strategic plan, they went to their staff – people who care deeply about the arts — and those they serve. 

What HUD’s Homeless Count Misses

Government Executive

Rather than relying on a single metric, communities need to develop a data infrastructure they can use to track, reduce and end homelessness.

Resource of the Week: Project Evident

This nonprofit is committed to building and using evidence in innovative and equitable ways. “When practitioners are empowered with actionable data and evidence, we can create stronger, more meaningful, more equitable outcomes for communities.”

Government Reimagined: An Interview with Michael Jacobson

Performance Magazine, KPI Institute 

King County, WA, director of performance and strategy, Michael Jacobson, is interviewed in the cover story for this issue of Performance Magazine about his views on strategy, performance management, and organizational culture – starting on p. 25.

Two Years of PMA: Top Achievements

U.S. Office of Management and Budget

It’s been two years since the launch of the Biden-Harris President’s Management Agenda. To celebrate this milestone, the Performance.gov team reflects on five PMA accomplishments of 2023. 

Strategic Planning and Goal Setting in a Politicized Environment: The Case of HUD, USICH, and Homelessness

International Journal of Public Administration (Ungated)

This study by Woody Stanley analyzes the hierarchy of goals and objectives that were adopted to reduce homelessness in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) strategic plans during three successive presidential administrations after passage of the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010. An interesting time series showing how changing political leadership affects long-standing challenges.

Top 23 Visualization Graphics for 2023

Visual Capitalist

Here’s a fascinating and innovative set of graphics showing different and interesting ways to display data.

Resource of the Week: “Transforming India” Performance Dashboard

Government of India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created a performance dashboard of “flagship” government initiatives that claims to provide “real time” performance data. Maybe not exactly real-time but it is still pretty impressive.

‘Twas the Night of Great Foresight

Balanced Scorecard Institute

‘Twas the night of great foresight, when all through the land,
Not a creature was stirring, but their plans were all grand.
Strategies were hung by the whiteboard with care,
In hopes that scenario planning soon would be there. . . . “

How Legislators Define “Research Evidence”

Evidence & Policy Journal

Researcher Elizabeth Day and her colleagues asked legislators directly, ‘How do you define research evidence?’ They interviewed legislators from Indiana and Wisconsin who had been nominated by their colleagues as exemplary users of research in policy – and they found legislators made a distinction between “research” and “data.”

Using Metrics to Drive Process Improvement

5280 LifeSciences Consulting

A how-to blog series: By tracking metrics, organizations can identify areas that require improvement and make data-driven decisions to enhance their processes.

What’s in a Performance Number? How Do We Use It?

Government Outcomes Lab (Video/Podcast)

A recorded discussion between UK practitioners and academics on uses of performance data and how different audiences interpret these data. This effort is part of INDIGO, an international network on the use of data and social impact bonds to improve government outcomes.

Resource of the Week: Infographic on Results for the Government of Canada

GC InfoBase

Provides an overview of Canada’s performance and results framework with links to departmental-level results reports, a governmentwide program inventory, and five years of summary data on departmental performance.

New Federal Agency Priority Goals for FY 2024-2025

U.S. Office of Management and Budget

Newly-released FY 2024-25 Agency Priority Goals span across the Federal Government and ties into several of the Biden-Harris Administration’s long-term priorities. Some represent joint efforts across agencies, and many continue efforts from the previous two-year goals with powerful new quantitative targets.

Refreshed PMA Website

U.S. Office of Management and Budget

In addition to updating Agency Priority Goals, the governmentwide performance.gov website underwent a refresh with a new look and greater interactivity (e.g., ability to sort strategic goals by agency and by topic), it also showcases new quarterly updates on the governmentwide President’s Management Agenda.

Louisville’s Real-Time Gun Violence Dashboard

SpectrumNews 1

Certain crime data are now more accessible in Louisville, KY. Louisville Metro Government unveiled an online gun violence dashboard that tracks homicides and non-fatal shootings dating back to 2010. Along with historical data, the dashboard is updated as new crimes happen. 

Data Literacy: The Drive to Educate the Public Sector Workforce

RouteFifty

Understanding the power of data is not just with your data analytics people. “Everybody has to understand, at some level, the importance of data,” says Rita Reynolds, chief information officer for the National Association of Counties.

OMB Adds Metrics to Digital Experience Oversight

Government Executive

In September, the Office of Management and Budget released long-awaited 21st Century IDEA Act guidance on digital experience with requirements around accessibility, branding content and more. Now, it’s piloting new analytics it says will help it measure and advance progress across agencies over time. 

Resource of the Week: Translating Theory into Practice: Toolkits to Inform, Inspire, and Influence Policy

UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose

This blog series explores a typology of some of the key functions of policy toolkits, ranging from “systematization” and “collation,” through to “exemplification” and “education.” Lots of links and examples are included.