ASPA Center for Accountability & Performance

Reorganization
Senate Panel Advances Measure to Give Trump Reorganization Authority, With Caveats
Eric Katz, Government Executive
A Senate committee on Wednesday advanced a measure to ease the process for President Trump to reorganize the federal government, but lawmakers included a provision to ensure any such reforms would require bipartisan support.
Senate oversight committee settles differences with government reorganization bill
Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Radio
The bill authorizes OMB to prepare a government reorganization plan and establishes a process for Congress to vote on those proposals and pass them into law.
After a Slow Start, Trump’s Civil Service Reformers Connect With Experts
Charles Clark, Government Executive
The Office of Management and Budget hosted agency alumni, corporate specialists, and academics for an off-the-record symposium on fixing what ails the federal government.

Analytics/Evaluation
Social Science? Data Science? Evidence-Based Government Needs Both
Andrew Feldman, Government Executive
Results-focused leaders need to get savvy about both if they want to catalyze a culture of continuous improvement.
When That Pay-for-Success Project Ends
Stephen Goldsmith, Governing
Early adopters have a lesson for the next generation of PFS projects: It’s important to plan from the start for what comes next.

Customer Service
Feedback Is Not a Fad
Larry Kramer, Stanford Social Innovation Review
Listening to beneficiaries should be part and parcel of any initiative that seeks to help others.

Leadership
What Managers Should Do With 2018 Employee Viewpoint Survey Data
Max Stier and Danny Werfel, Government Executive
It is critical for executives to closely examine this data, not only to assess the overall level of employee engagement at their organizations, but to get a sense of how employees feel about specific aspects of their work life.

Reorganization
Bill authorizing government reorganization now has a House companion
Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Radio
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is expected to take up legislation authorizing a government reorganization.

Performance Management
Metrics Are for Playmakers
Howard Risher, Government Executive
Despite continuous attention, the use of metrics in government has declined, not improved, over the past decade.

Analytics/Evaluation
White House Wants More Input Before Finalizing New Government Research Center Structure
Aaron Boyd, Nextgov
Officials are pondering the next steps as they sift through initial feedback on the proposed GEAR Center.

Innovation
What federal job automation looks like
Chase Gunter, Federal Computer Week
As the Trump administration aims to drive efficiency and accuracy and eliminate “low-value work,” agencies are starting to think about what aspects of their operations lend themselves to automation.

Risk Management
Federal risk managers say implementing A-123 takes teamwork and transparency
Amelia Brust, Federal News Radio
Collaboration, a culture of transparency and intertwining Enterprise Risk Management into existing projects can help federal risk officers make a difference.

Reorganization
Congress Begins Formally Blocking Trump’s Government Reorganization Plan
Eric Katz, Government Executive
Many of the 32 proposals the White House issued in June have received bipartisan pushback, but the spending package marks the first effort legislators have taken to formally block those proposals from moving forward.

Performance Management
GAO: Few agencies have moved ahead on using metrics to inform policy decisions
Jory Heckman, Federal News Radio
Despite a number of recent initiatives aimed at getting agencies to make more data-based decisions, GAO finds agencies haven’t moved the needle much on using performance information.
How to Achieve Your Agency’s Objectives One Meeting at a Time
John Kamensky, Government Executive
Data-driven meetings made a big splash in government nearly a decade ago. New research shows what it takes to make them work.

Innovation
How the VHA innovators network is ‘changing narrative’ of complacency
Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Radio
The VHA’s Diffusion of Excellence Initiative so far has worked with 3,198 VHA employees to replicate 344 practices, which has resulted in cost savings worth about $22.6 million, the agency said.
Will civic tech save government from its tech talent crisis?
Steve Kelman, Federal Computer Week
Students drawn to digital government are bringing desperately needed skills (and enthusiasm) to agencies that are willing to engage.
6 Organizations Making a Big Impact on Smart Cities
Lauren Harrison, Government Technology
Partnerships with nonprofits and foundations drive city innovation.
Why Cultivating Your Innovation Ecosystem Is Worth the Work
Elizabeth Hoffecker, Stanford Social Innovation Review
New research shows there are clear benefits to strengthening the complex environments that enable place-based innovation.

Leadership
How Senior Executives and Good Government Groups Would Like to Reshape the SES
Erich Wagner, Government Executive
Proposal stresses training, performance management and reducing the number of political appointees.

Performance Management
Government-wide Actions Needed to Improve Agencies’ Use of Performance Information in Decision Making
Government Accountability Office
Information about whether and how well agencies are reaching their goals is essential to making the federal government more effective. This only works, however, when federal managers use that data to make decisions.
GAO: Data-driven management is stuck in neutral
Chase Gunter, Federal Computer Week
The Government Accountability Office says agencies haven’t really improved on data-driven decision-making since 2013.
MSPB Highlights Best Practices in Performance Management
Erich Wagner, Government Executive
Timely feedback, employee autonomy and a sense of purpose all contribute to better performance, morale.
Who is Accountable for Agency Performance?
Howard Risher, Government Executive
The steps to improve performance are best seen as a puzzle; no single action is likely to have much impact.  The pieces are well known—research has highlighted what’s needed—but government has trouble putting them together.

Analytics/Evaluation
Who In Government Is Asking ‘What Works?’
Robert Shea, Government Executive
There is no single individual at agencies who is tasked with speaking up when what agencies are doing isn’t working.

Analytics/Evaluation
OMB putting a twist on applied research to solve federal management challenges
Jason Miller, Federal News Radio
What is different about OMB’s plan to create the Government Effectiveness Advanced Research (GEAR) Center is the focus on internal federal challenges such as workforce modernization and the use of data.

Innovation
Project management vs. product management
Steve Kelman, Federal Computer Week
The author argues that government innovation needs more of the latter.
The Fast-Follower Strategy for Technology in Government
Stephen Goldsmith, Governing
The public sector shouldn’t be on the bleeding edge of innovation. It should focus on integrating proven tools.

Management
Why modernizing human capital systems is so hard
Chase Gunter, Federal Computer Week
Treasury, DOD and others are working to modernize talent management, but budgetary, cultural and political challenges complicate their progress.

Open Government
Key open gov deadline nears with no public action
Alex Howard, Federal Computer Week
The author asks whether stakeholders and activists take the White House at its word that it is interested in advancing open data and open government policy?

Reorganization
White House Instructs Agencies to Stop Performing ‘Low Value’ Work
Charles Clark, Government Executive
New OMB guidance aims to cut the burden on agencies, in part by rescinding previous presidents’ reporting requirements.
It’s Dismantlers v. Rebuilders on the Government Reform Front
Paul Light, Government Executive
A new study shows momentum among reform advocates pushing for bigger government.
How business process reengineering can support performance improvement
Emad Elias and Bob Etris, Federal Computer Week
Modern use of BPR can create cost savings by focusing on problem definition and clarity of roles and responsibilities vs. people’s individual performance.