Forthcoming Research Reports

We expect the following reports to be published starting in late 2025.  Short summaries of each report follow:

Accelerating Digital Transformation in Public Organizations Through Public Procurement by Ana Maria Dimand, Florida State University; Petra Ferk, New University, Slovenia; Jane Lynch, Centre of Public Value Procurement, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, UK; Andrea Patrucco, College of Business Florida International University; Esmee Peters, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands.

This report will investigate the impact of emerging technologies on public procurement processes across various countries. It will analyze how different nations implement these technologies, identify challenges in adoption, and assess their effects on efficiency, transparency, and cost-effectiveness. The report will provide actionable insights for public sector leaders in the U.S. and globally as well as a comparative analysis of technology implementation, best practices, common challenges, and policy recommendations.

Combining AI and Metadata Analytics for Enhanced Government Financial Oversight by Dr Irakli Petriashvili, Rutgers School of Public Administration’s Transparency and Governance Center

This report will investigate how AI and metadata analytics can enhance financial auditing processes at the federal level to detect fraud. By evaluating current audit practices of the GAO and agencies, analyzing public spending metadata, and applying machine learning models, the study will identify inefficiencies in traditional approaches and propose innovative solutions. Based on real-world datasets, the research aims to leverage government spending data in developing recommended strategies to increase financial audit capabilities. The findings aim to improve early fraud detection and enhance public sector performance and accountability. 

Harnessing Generative AI: Boston’s Institutional Setup and Approach to Data-Driven Governance and Civic Engagement by Juncheng Yang, Data-Smart City Solutions, Harvard Bloomberg Center for Cities. 

This report will explore Boston’s integration of Generative AI (GenAI) in urban governance, focusing on its pilot adoption and institutional foundation. By analyzing Boston’s position as the first U.S. city to release GenAI guidelines and its history of technological innovation, the study examines the institutional drivers and challenges in launching and governing recent GenAI initiatives. The investigation highlights GenAI’s impacts on data-driven decision-making, transparency, accountability, and inclusive civic engagement. The final report will offer evidence-based strategies, best practices, and actionable, scalable recommendations for adoption by local, State and Federal government leaders. 

Immersive Workspaces: Reimagining the Future of Governmental Work for Innovation, Efficiency, and Wellbeing by Alexander Richter, Victoria University of Wellington, Australia and Shahper Richter, University of Auckland.

This report will examine and illustrate how immersive workspaces, leveraging technologies such as AI, VR, AR, and digital twins, can transform government workforce practices. The report will analyze established methods based on discussion with government officials in several countries), and will apply future-thinking approaches to explore the potential for workforce transformation using these technologies. The resulting report will combine forward-thinking scenarios of the future of government with actionable recommendations to help government agencies build adaptive & resilient teams, drive efficiency, and secure mission alignment.   

Improving Federal Government Performance by Dr Howard Risher and James Perry, Indiana University. 

This report will develop a practical strategy for improving agency performance, based on ‘hands-on’ involvement in the management of organizations across agencies and organizational levels with experienced officials and experts in private and public sector management.  The report will highlight proven national and international ‘best practices’ that will be valuable to government leaders.