ASPA Center for Accountability & Performance

Management
Is Pay for Performance as Bad As the Critics Contend?
Howard Risher, Government Executive
Employees have any number of other reasons for stress at work.
Five myths of change management
Juli Dixon, Ben Marglin, Andrew Mason, Federal Computer Week
Why the federal government needs to fund change management efforts alongside IT modernization.

Collaboration
How Regional Partnerships Are Tapping Talent to Solve Public Problems
John Kamensky, Government Executive
Federal, state and local governments are working with universities to tackle things from opioid abuse to crumbling infrastructure.

Innovation
GSA’s Investment Team Is Building An Agile Development Contract
Aaron Boyd, Nextgov
The $10 million, single-award contract would assist in developing novel ideas to improve the federal government.
Bureaucracies as learning organizations
Steve Kelman, Federal Computer Week
The author offers an unexpected example of government committing to continuous improvement.

Management
Thoughts on the President’s Management Agenda: Kudos… With a Caution
Stan Soloway, Government Executive
The PMA doesn’t provide adequate guidance on one of the most important levers available to the government to improve performance: acquisition.
Creating a 21st Century Federal Workforce
Jeffrey Neal, Government Executive
A dramatically different method of providing preference to veterans could lead to a radically simplified federal hiring process.
What the future could hold for feds
Jessie Bur, Federal Times
How acting OPM head Margaret Weichert sees government change centered around employees.
OMB tries again to pitch federal pay freeze, performance awards to Congress
Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Network
The Trump administration pitched its vision for performance-based rewards instead of across-the-board pay raises for federal employees.

Analytics/Evaluation
OMB is Dropping the Ball on DATA Act Management, Watchdog Says
Jack Corrigan, Nextgov
The office lacks a formal process for revising data standards, and it doesn’t clearly tell agencies when changes are made, GAO found.
How to Build a Learning Culture Within Your Agency
Andrew Feldman, Government Executive
What do government agencies celebrated for their leadership in evidence-based decision-making do to create a culture of learning and continuous improvement?
U.S. CIO teases forthcoming Federal Data Strategy
Billy Mitchell, FedScoop
The CIO said the data strategy will arrive in the coming weeks with the White House’s key data priorities for 2019.
Kent previews next steps for AI and data policy
Chase Gunter, Federal Computer Week
The White House wants to continue increasing job automation via AI and plans to work with agencies to implement newly passed laws.

Leadership
The Art of Governing Through Questions
Jorrit de Jong, Stephen Goldsmith, and Fernando Monge, Governing
Dealing with the problems public leaders face requires knowing how and what to ask.

Analytics/Evaluation
Tech officials huddle to implement new data laws
Mark Rockwell, Federal Computer Week
Agency tech officials meet with the Office of Management and Budget to decide how new data laws fit into their efforts under the President’s Management Agenda.
Can agencies implement evidence-based policymaking without more money?
Chase Gunter, Federal Computer Week
Evidence-based policymaking has been touted as a management priority, but the White House’s 2020 budget requests no funds for the mandate, making early steps difficult for agencies.
A Permanent Place for Data Analytics
Stephen Goldsmith, Governing
In codifying its innovative operation into law, New York City has provided a useful guide for other localities.
Agencies Can Do Better by Collecting Data with Purpose
Brandi Vincent, Nextgov
There’s a difference between having data and having useful data, federal officials said.
What’s Next for Government Data
Nextgov
Here’s how federal agencies are tapping into one of their greatest resources.

Management
The President’s Management Agenda Turns One
Terry Gerton and Alan P. Balutis, Government Executive
The National Academy of Public Administration has released a series of essays with perspectives on how the President’s management agenda compares to its predecessors and what the administration might do in the coming years to ensure its sustained progress.
Government, universities launch regional ‘hubs’ to build stronger talent pipeline
Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Network
In effort to build a better talent pipeline and foster more collaborative, working relationships between government and universities, the Volcker Alliance has announced the creation of two “government-to-university” councils in Kansas City, Missouri, and Austin, Texas.

Reorganization
Trump Administration Outlines How the OPM-GSA Merger Would Work
Erich Wagner, Government Executive
The White House plans to move the portions it can transfer administratively this year, while retirement and health care offices will have to wait until 2020 and for legislation.
DOD slow-walking reorg, watchdog says
Lauren Williams, Federal Computer Week
GAO found that the Defense Department lacked a proper analysis and transition plan to move certain duties from the CIO to the chief management officer.

Performance Management
How Data Can Drive Performance for Social Services
John Kamensky, Governing
A Colorado agency is using the approach in an unusual way: to orchestrate the efforts of service-delivery partners.

Analytics/Evaluation
Labor Department Creates Chief Data Officer Position
Frank Konkel, Nextgov
In addition to a CDO, the agency will establish a data board—both in accordance with the OPEN Government Data Act.
Agencies Need to Move Beyond “People” Analytics to “Relational” Analytics
John Kamensky, Government Executive
A new study suggests how a change in focus could improve organizations’ performance.

Innovation
Need out-of-the-box ideas? Look beyond your experts
Steve Kelman, Federal Computer Week
Subject-matter expertise is important, Steve Kelman writes, but don’t underestimate the value of fresh perspectives.
GSA releases RFQ for Centers of Excellence model to ‘deliver results far more easily’
Jory Heckman, Federal News Network
The GSA has released a request for quotation for Phase One of its Center of Excellence discovery services, laying the groundwork for GSA to set up CoEs at new partner agencies.
GSA Chief: Leadership Must Protect Workforce to Drive Innovation
Brandi Vincent, Nextgov
Things can go wrong when employees are taking risks. That’s where senior officials step up.

Reorganization/Reform
Nine Major Agency Reform Proposals in Trump’s 2020 Budget
Eric Katz, Government Executive
Hiring surges, eliminated offices and more in the White House’s latest budget blueprint.

Analytics/Evaluation
Census’ Big Data Innovation Program Infects HHS with Promising Results
Aaron Boyd, Nextgov
Officials at HHS took an idea from their colleagues at Census to use big data and public-private collaboration to design systems that can save lives.
Creating a data-first culture at federal agencies
Josh Parenteau, Federal Computer Week
Agencies need to emphasize the connection between analytics and outcomes.
Why States Need a Data Officers Leadership Network
Tyler Kleykamp, Government Technology
In a short period of time, the number of state chief data officers has exploded and it’s why a new network has formed to support their distinct challenges and opportunities with managing and using data.

Innovation
Trump administration to focus on data as an IT enabler
Jessie Bur, Federal Times
The federal government will need to ensure that it has reliable, accessible data sources in order to pursue more modern technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Here’s one sign the federal workforce is game for OMB’s automation, AI push
Nicole Ogyrsko, Federal News Network
The administration said it sees 2019 as the year to establish familiarity with the federal workforce that it’s up to the task of deploying artificial intelligence, robotics and other new technology.
Defense Dominates Experiment in Streamlined Bidding for Innovation
Anne Laurent, Government Executive
Civilian agencies are missing an opportunity.

Risk Management
GAO ticks DoD supply chain management, weather satellite data gaps off high-risk list
Jory Heckman, Federal News Network
GAO has taken two items off its high-risk list, a governmentwide inventory of programs that put agencies on-notice about major threats of fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement.