ASPA Center for Accountability & Performance

Performance Management
Only Long-Term Planning Can Counter Short-Term Thinking
John Kamensky, Government Executive
Agency plans tend to be designed around the four-year election cycle, but the most important challenges require a much longer time horizon.
Program Management Bill Heads to Obama’s Desk
Charles Clark, Government Executive
Senate-passed bill would create new agency management positions.
Beth Cobert talks metrics, employee engagement
Carten Cordell, Federal Times
Acting Office of Personnel Director Beth Cobert has faced a few tall orders during her time in government.
This Is No Way to Run a Government
Stan Soloway, Government Executive
Addressing fiscal concerns doesn’t preclude improving the way agencies deliver on their missions.

Analytics/Evaluation
Agencies Continue to Struggle with DATA Act Implementation
Mohana Ravindranath, Nextgov
Some agencies are on track to miss DATA Act implementation timelines.
Implementation deadline ‘just the beginning’ for DATA Act
Meredith Somers, Federal News Radio
With six months until the deadline for full implementation of the DATA Act agency heads are taking a realistic — but confident — approach to their work as the deadline looms.
Are agencies ready for the Data Act?
Chase Gunter, Federal Computer Week
With the financial reporting requirements of the Data Act set to take effect in May 2017, a key oversight panel voiced concerns over agencies’ progress.
A Robust Vision for Using Data in Government
Sarah Urahn, Governing
State and local decision-makers are learning to harness it as a strategic asset.
Making the Case for Evidence-Based Decision-Making
Jennifer Brooks, Stanford Social Innovation Review
Evidence-based practice has great potential to improve social outcomes, but only if we do a better job marketing and adapting it to address the specific problems at hand.
Measuring Outcomes to Improve Social Services
Connie Ballmer, Stanford Social Innovation Review
Funders can support positive change by backing proven, replicable interventions and new measurement tools that help draw the connection between services offered and results achieved.
U.S. Chief Data Scientist: ‘Time is Now’ For Technologists to Jump into Public Service
Frank Konkel, Nextgov
The data already exists, DJ Patil said, to solve some important crises—if only we could piece together the pieces.

Efficiency/Reorganization
A Gingrich Commission to Reorganize Government?
Tom Shoop, Government Executive
A proposal for a new role for the former House speaker.

Performance Management
How Donald Trump Can Make Government Work Again
David Paschane, Government Executive
Why we need a federal chief performance officer.
What Mid-Size Cities Can Teach Feds About Performance
Patrick Lester, Government Executive
Successful data efforts require focus, buy-in and capacity.
What Academia Could Be Doing for Government
Howard Risher, Governing
Public administration schools’ research doesn’t have to be irrelevant. Business schools provide a model.

Analytics/Evaluation
IG: Challenges remain in GSA’s DATA Act implementation
Chase Gunter, Federal Computer Week
With about six months on the clock before the DATA Act implementation deadline, the General Services Administration still lacks the ability to reliably track spending and certify data submission.

Customer Service
Customer experience: A prescription for improving government performance
Greg Pellegrino and William D. Eggers, Federal News Radio
The authors provide examples of how agencies are improving citizen services.

Innovation
Structuring Innovation in the Next Administration
Hollie Russon Gilman and Jessica A. Gover, Stanford Social Innovation Review
How can policymakers, civic tech leaders, philanthropists, and social innovators reshape their approach to innovation, technology, and data so that the US government is more responsive and connected to the people?
Senators aim to codify Innovation Fellows ahead of Trump
Carten Cordell, Federal Times
Three senators are pushing a bipartisan bill to make an Obama-era innovation program law.

Presidential Transition
Donald Trump’s management agenda
Alan Balutis, Federal Computer Week
The president-elect has hinted at his management priorities.
Trump Names Transition Leaders for Government Management Agencies
Erik Katz, Government Executive
President-elect taps former Republican administration officials to head OMB, OPM and GSA “landing teams.”
Welcome to Washington. Are You Ready to Lead?
Dan Chenok, Government Executive
The new appointee’s guide to getting things done.
GSA to set up new training program to help appointees be better managers
Jason Miller, Federal News Radio
GSA releases a solicitation for a vendor to set up a political appointee orientation program. The National Academy of Public Administration says training is a big missing piece to the presidential transition.

Performance Management
Pay for Performance Could Be Coming to Federal Agencies
Howard Risher, Government Executive
Vice president-elect Mike Pence was governor of a state with a strong commitment to rewarding good performance.
When Performance Measures Go Horribly Wrong
Russ Linden, Governing
They have a powerful influence. But unrealistic, unreachable goals can produce unethical behavior.

Analytics/Evaluation
The Future of Evidence-Based Policy Hangs on the Trump-Ryan Relationship
Patrick Lester, Government Executive
Like nearly every other aspect of the federal political landscape, prospects for evidence-based policymaking were upended by the stunning results of the 2016 elections.

Innovation
What’s next for government innovation groups?
Adam Mazmanian, Federal Computer Week
Supporters are pressing for continuation of 18F and USDS, amid the uncertainty of tech policy in the coming Trump administration.

Presidential Transition
Putting Out the Welcome Mat
John Kamensky, Business of Government
The media is focusing on the pending Presidential Transition, speculating on who will be on the winner’s transition team. But inside the government, the transition officially began six months ago.
Getting it Done: Helping New Government Leaders Succeed
Dan Chenok, Business of Government
A new book aims to help new government executives acclimate quickly to the world of public service as practiced in Washington, D.C., and it contains a series of short strategic discussions about “dos and don’ts,” along with insights about working with key stakeholders from experienced political executives.
Donald Trump’s management agenda?
Steve Kelman, Federal Computer Week
Steve Kelman looks for clues (and raises concerns) about how the next administration might run.
Surprises in store for political appointees
Adam Mazmanian, Federal Computer Week
Political appointees from the private sector face a steep learning curve when joining the federal government.

Analytics/Evaluation
Why open data needs a mission
Chase Gunter, Federal Computer Week
According to the Obama administration’s top data scientist, open data has the power to help reveal and remediate social problems, but the data doesn’t mean much without a mission behind it.
Cool Cities Rely on Technology; Smart Cities Rely on Data and Partnerships
Ryan McCauley, Government Technology
Kansas City, Mo., serves as a model for how municipalities can encourage innovation and reap the long-term benefits.
OMB’s latest DATA Act guidance highlights PII, financial assistance
Meredith Somers, Federal News Radio
Personally identifiable information and data “validity” are the focus of the Office of Management and Budget’s latest DATA Act guidance.

Innovation
Innovation in government starts with being intentional
Dan Helfrich, Federal Computer Week
An industry leader argues that it’s good to keep the “dinosaurs” on their toes.

Open Government
Federal Advisory Committees’ Rosters and Costs Rise, Says CRS
Charles Clark, Government Executive
The next president, on top of making 4,000 political appointments to agencies in his first year, will also help name hundreds of specialized experts to more than 1,000 federal advisory committees.

Presidential Transition
Transition moves into high gear
Chase Gunter, Federal Computer Week
President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has 73 days to get ready to take over the federal government.

Performance Management
What Plumbers Can Teach Public Managers
Feather O’Connor Houstoun, Governing
When a program is dysfunctional, the problem is often in the pipes and valves it flows through.

Analytics/Evaluation
Actionable Measurement: Getting from “Prove” to “Improve”
Matthew Forti and Kim Siegal, Stanford Social Innovation Review
There’s a set of common questions every direct-service nonprofit should answer to maximize learning, action, and impact.

Customer Service
3 Cities Where User Experience Design Helped Make Services Better
Ben Miller, Government Technology
There are often easier ways to do the things that government does.

Innovation
DOD to create chief innovation officer position
Sean Carberry, Federal Computer Week
Defense Secretary Ash Carter is implementing some of the initial recommendations of the Defense Innovation Board, including the creation of a new position to drive innovation efforts.
Innovation Labs: 10 Defining Features
Lidia Gryszkiewicz, Tuukka Toivonen, and Ioanna Lykourentzou, Stanford Social Innovation Review
A closer look at what characterizes an innovation lab can help practitioners, funders, and scholars better understand what labs’ potential and limits might be, as well as better assess the social impact that comes out of the them.

Leadership
White House Announces 15 New Leadership Development Fellows From Top Career Ranks
Kellie Lunney, Government Executive
Defense, GSA, and NASA each earned two slots among second class of emerging leaders.

Open Government
Why government open-data practices are low-tech
Chase Gunter, Federal Computer Week
The open-data movement is still in its infancy. In a new report, the Data Foundation charts how it can grow up.
Report: Open data’s positives are still in their infancy
Carten Cordell, Federal Times
The promise of open data holds a lot of positives for agency leaders, but a new report finds that the road to that promise is still a long one.

Presidential Transition
Get Ready: Presidential Transitions Are Full of Surprises
Alan Balutis, Government Executive
The complicated shift to a new administration began months ago, but for some, the hard part is just beginning.