ASPA Center for Accountability & Performance

Management
Performance Management: The Emphasis on Accountability
John Kamensky, Government Executive
Clear goals, transparently pursued can be a powerful tool to drive output-oriented performance, but there are caveats.
Performance Management: An Emphasis on Learning
John Kamensky, Government Executive
The trick is getting front-line managers to see value in fostering a learning-driven, problem-solving approach to improving performance.
Update on Performance Initiatives Released
FedWeek
The administration has released an update of activities in 2019 toward its “high-performance government goal.”

Open Data & Data Governance
Which Data Challenges Span Multiple Layers of Government?
Zach Quaintance, Government Technology
Public servants who work with data in cities, counties and states have shared obstacles, including talent recruitment, converting complex ideas into simple language, synchronizing pilots with advance budgeting, and more.
How one data-driven agency — the Census Bureau — found extra value in machine learning
Dave Nyczepir, Fed Scoop
Like many agencies, the Census Bureau looks for reductions in expenses and workloads when it makes decisions. But the agency has discovered another advantage in AI technology: it can find data that employees never knew they needed.
Why feds shouldn’t fear GitHub
Derek B. Johnson, FCW
Agencies shouldn’t be afraid to leverage open-source tools like GitHub during software development, a USCIS IT official said.
USA.gov Shows What Public Wants to Know about the Government
FedWeek
The USA.gov site has released data on what people are seeking when they visit the site.

Podcasts
GovExec Daily: Margaret Weichert’s Legacy
Adam Butler and Ross Gianfortune, Government Executive
In its inaugural episode, GovExec’s new podcast talks about the government career of the OMB and OPM official.
How can agencies ensure their data is protected when it’s not on their network?
Eric White, Federal News Network
Audio covers how agencies have received new ways to protect their data on contractor or non-federal systems.

Management
The President’s Management Agenda: A Work in Progress Two Decades On
Dan Chenok, Government Executive
A look back at the creation of the first PMA and the lessons for leaders today.
Administration Seeks New Performance Carrots and Sticks
FedWeek
The Trump administration wants new incentives and disincentives for job performance for federal employees, all of which would require changes in law and most of which have been proposed unsuccessfully in the past.
OMB’s Weichert leaving for the private sector
Jason Miller and Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Network
Margaret Weichert, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, is leaving government for consulting.

Open Government
How Agencies Could Incentivize Private Sector Investment in Their Missions
Dan Chenok and John Marshall, Government Executive
The gap between public sector demands and resources could be alleviated though greater leverage of private sector investment, technology, and expertise.
Can access to results from federal research projects be improved?
Andrew Eversdem, Federal Times
The White House Office of Science and Technology wants input on how it can improve public access to peer-reviewed, scholarly work completed with federal funds.

Open Data and Data Governance
It’s a Data Jungle Out There
Isaac Constans, GovLoop
Agencies might want to take the data problem head-on, but with so much data and so few dedicated staffers, where can they begin?

Evidence and Evaluation
When Bigger Is Better
John Kamensky, Government Executive
Validating public policy outcomes is critical, but so is building on the evidence. A new study looks at what’s needed to expand successful programs.
Here are the signs agencies are giving on federal data initiatives
Andrew Eversden, Federal Times
After over a year of the White House directing how to use the federal government’s data, the latest budget requests signal agencies are ready to take over.

Reorganization
11 Major Agency Reforms in Trump’s 2021 Budget
Eric Katz, Government Executive
Some programs would be eliminated or reorganized, others would grow.
White House budget doubles down on reorgs and benefit cuts
Jessie Bur, Federal Times
President Donald Trump’s 2021 budget proposal pushes for many of the same workforce and reorganization changes that the White House campaigned for with the 2020 request.

Collaboration
Future-proofing government by fostering connections
Lia Russell, FCW
According to a new report from the Partnership for Public Service, more interagency collaboration and seamless interactions between agencies and the public are some of what’s needed for the federal government to excel in the years ahead.

Evidence and Evaluation
Federal Data Strategy to impact all feds, not just ‘data plans for data wonks’
Jory Heckman, Federal News Network
The Chief Data Officer council met on the first time Friday to discuss implementation of the Federal Data Strategy, including building a data-centric workforce.
NSF Tech Leader Aims for a Data-Savvy, Innovation-Focused Workforce
Brandi Vincent, Nextgov
Dorothy Aronson, the National Science Foundation’s chief information officer and chief data officer, discusses shaping the data literacy of the agency’s workforce.
Future of Federal Data Strategy Will Include Informing Citizens About How Their Data Is Used
Aaron Boyd, Nextgov
As agencies share more data between departments, the administration will develop a framework and tools for citizens to manage how their personal information is used.
How to make data a resource for every mission
Jason Miller, Federal News Network
Agencies need to transform by encouraging an agile approach, by taking smart risks and reskilling their workforces to understand what it takes for change to take hold.

Management
In new book, former Gov. O’Malley makes case for tracking performance with data
John Thomas Flynn, Federal News Network
Former Governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley, discusses his experience implementing performance measurement and the importance of the Chief Information Officer role at the state level.
Reducing Administrative Burden, aka ‘Death by a Thousand 10-Minute Tasks’
John Kamensky, Government Executive
Since 1991, the federal government has imposed 110 new requirements on university research grant recipients.
MSPB Questions Value of Performance Evaluations
FEDweek
Federal agencies “may need to reconsider both the purpose(s) of and how they are conducting performance evaluation,” the MSPB has said.

Collaboration
Report: Federal Agencies Must Be ‘Better Connected, More Collaborative’ 
Courtney Buble, Government Executive
Agencies need to work together and with the private sector to improve how they manage systems, data and their workforces, researchers say.

Evidence and Evaluation
The Evidence-Based Policy Revolution Waiting to Happen
Andy Feldman and Rebecca Maynard, Government Executive
Government decision makers need to know more than whether a program works. They also need to know whether it’s cost-effective.
How data drives IT delivery at State
Mark Rockwell, FCW
The State Department is almost a year into a program that uses data analysis to set IT capabilities at its posts worldwide, according to its CIO.
Will 2020 Be the Year of Data?
Juliana Vida, Nextgov
Agencies across the federal government are beginning to recognize the importance of data and data-driven decision-making.
New Federal Data Strategy draws from evidence-based policymaking act
Tom Temin, Federal News Network
The administration recently came out with an updated Federal Data Strategy that included some recommendations from the Data Coalition, whose president, Nick Hart, joined Federal Drive to discuss more.
How the evolution of big data analytics improves agency mission outcomes
FedScoop Radio
Harnessing data in motion expands the public sector’s ability to make more intelligent decisions and deliver services more effectively, say data experts.

Management
The Individuals Behind Government’s Success Stories
John Kamensky and Dan Chenok, Government Executive
The recent history of government reforms provides important lessons for leaders.
Does strategic planning help organizations?
Steve Kelman, FCW
The author notes growing support for strategic planning efforts — and the steps agencies take to keep those plans relevant.
DHS tests AI for making sense of contractor past-performance data
Dave Nyczepir, FedScoop
DHS has a project that will allow agencies to use AI for analyzing and visualizing underutilized data on contractor performance.

Customer Service
Reimagining Citizen Services in the Government in 2025
Martha Dorris, Nextgov
As citizens change, so will their expectations.
Automation yielding dividends, officials say
Lia Russell, FCW
To support growing demand for automation technologies, ACT-IAC released an AI playbook for government agencies.

Open Innovation
White House Budget Office Wants to Know How You Would Make Contracting More Efficient
Courtney Buble, Government Executive
The federal government is looking to reduce cost and time of procurements, like the private sector.