Year in Review 2023 and a Look Ahead

As we reflect on this past year, the IBM Center marked a significant milestone with the celebration of its 25th anniversary continuing to expand and diversify its mission to connect public management research with practice. Since 1998, we have helped public sector executives improve the effectiveness of government with practical insights and best practices. 

Over the last twenty-five years, the Center has published 500 reports by leading public management researchers in the academic and non-profit communities - all of which are available at our web site, www.businessofgovernment.org. With a total of 18 new reports published in 2023, these publications continue to focus on major issues facing governments today with recent reports encompassing such diverse topics as building public trust in scientific decision-making, uses of quantum computing, improving program performance using intergovernmental grants, progress in the application and use of artificial intelligence, preparing for disruption, and the value of using strategy mapping among other timely and important public management topics.

In the latter part of 2023 as part of its 25th anniversary celebration, the Center released a new book, Transforming the Business of Government: Insights on Resiliency, Innovation, and Performance. Government leaders need practical, actionable insights on how best to manage and lead through uncertain and disruptive periods.  The insights and actions detailed in this book provide a practical path forward in transforming the business of government to meet evolving demands. The book gathers lessons learned, recommendations, and insights from two key Center initiatives:

Future Shocks -- a partnership with the National Academy of Public Administration and the IBM Institute for Business Value – was convened to help government leaders further identify core capabilities critical to building resilience, building on lessons learned from pandemic response efforts. Insights derived from Future Shocks series and reports inform the first six chapters of this book.

“Future of Government” Challenge Grant Competition -- we solicited essays from academics and thought leaders describing a future of government that can help inform agency readiness—identifying strategic actions for innovation and performance to drive agency missions forward. These essays pointed to new ways of understanding and framing problems; new processes to solve problems; and new implementation solutions. Nine essays—encompassing such topics as AI, quantum computing, data and evidence, oversight, shared services, and customer experience—comprise the last section of this book.

Along with this new book, the Center also expanded its partnerships and collaborations hosting several roundtables and kicking off global initiatives with recognized thought leaders and practitioners, turning those efforts into timely, insightful, and useful assistance to government executives.  We discuss these efforts, several of which continue into 2024, below.

In addition to our research and publications, the Center continues to produce The Business of Government Hour - an interview program with government executives and thought leaders who are changing the way government does business. Since its inception, the Business of Government Hour has broadcasted 1000 interviews with 39 original shows in 2023, exploring topics such as leadership, management, technology, innovation, public service, as well as the mission of government in the 21st century. 

Reflections and Highlights 

In 2023, the Center engaged in many significant discussions with government leaders from across the globe through various platforms, from our weekly radio show to partnered roundtables and events; benefited from groundbreaking research by a wide variety of leading academics and other stakeholders focusing on the success of government; and published numerous articles and blogs that highlight key issues facing the public sector and offer practical actionable recommendations for government executives.  

As we reflect on this year, we thought it useful to highlight some of the Center’s key interviews, popular reports, and insightful blog posts, along with links to the full content for each.

The Center looks forward to an active and engaging 2024 supporting good government practices and innovative public management solutions, with specific focus areas that will include AI, cybersecurity, workforce modernization, global collaboration, and more. We wish our colleagues who work in government, and those who support government and have a stake in its success, a very happy new year!

For more detail, the links below highlight some of the key outcomes and successes in 2023:

Reports and Publications – Year in Review 2023 

Interviews from The Business of Government Hour - Year in Review 2023

Highlights from the IBM Center Blog – Year in Review 2023  

Strategic Initiatives: Roundtables and Partnerships – Year in Review 2023