New Research Report Recipients

We are pleased to announce our latest round of awards for new reports on key public sector challenges, which respond to priorities identified in the Center's long-term research agenda, see businessofgovernment.org/content/research-stipends.

We expect the following reports to be published in early 2015.  Details of each report are included in the below short summaries.

Recent Awards, to be Published Starting Winter 2015

Measuring IT Value in the Public Sector:  Designing Metrics and Dashboards by Dr. Kevin Desouza, Arizona State University

IT investments are varied, unique, and integral to all efforts including service delivery, citizen engagement, and running of internal business processes. While it is commonly accepted that IT investments have organizational value, quantifying the value impact of IT remains elusive. Metrics can be a powerful mechanism for agencies to assess and achieve their goals in an intelligent, evidence-driven manner. They offer agencies the ability to identify problems, target issues, evaluate processes, establish performance goals, monitor efforts and communicate results. This report will study how CIOs employ metrics for evaluating IT investments and projects, and can communicate the value of IT to stakeholders both within and beyond their agency.

Improving Strategic Sourcing Activities for the Business of Intelligence by Dr. Robert Handfield, North Carolina State University

Many intelligence agencies perform procurement and acquisition without proper procurement due diligence due to the rapid and unusual circumstances that typically define these environments. Many of the situations are also found in private industry, and can be better managed to reduce their cost through the deployment of strategic sourcing and category management activities. This report will explore the application of sourcing best practices to the intelligence community to drive down cost and meet budgetary pressures experienced by these agences.

Government IT and Risk Management Practices by Dr. Gwanhoo Lee, American University

This report will uncover why and how, from a risk management perspective, some mission-critical government IT projects experience major challenges.  Based on the analysis of the failures of complex government IT projects, this research identifies the common problems of current risk management practices and proposes effective models, tools, and strategies for managing risk.

Gaps Between Federally Funded Healthcare Delivery Systems and the Retail Sector in Supply Chain Best Practices:  A Case Study of the Veterans Health Administration by Ashlea Bennett Milburn, University of Arkansas and Dr. Shengfan Zhang, University of Arkansas

National health expenditures in the United States are growing at an alarming rate.  By 2022, health spending financed by federal, state, and local governments is projected to reach a total of $2.4 trillion.  Supply chains represent a promising area for cost reductions in healthcare systems.  As our largest integrated health care system, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) faces challenges in its complex supply chain system.  This report will characterize the gaps in supply chain best practices among government, retail, and the healthcare sector, using the VHA system as a case study. 

Risk Management:  An Essential Tool for Managing Government Agencies and Programs by Thomas Stanton, Association of Federal Enterprise Risk Management and Dr. Douglas Webster, Cambio Consulting Group

Change generates risk, and the federal government is changing faster today than perhaps at any point in memory.  As the private sector has become increasingly aware of the need for and value of risk management, so too has the federal government.  Enterprise Risk management (ERM) is a way for organizations, and government agencies in particular, to identify and address major risks that could prevent achievement of the agency’s goals and objectives.  This report will provide use case studies, analysis, and practical recommendations to show how effective risk management can be in government.

We congratulate our recipients and look forward to sharing their research in 2015.