The authors focus on the financial and programmatic compliance requirements of managing grants at universities, with the understanding that at a foundational level, the ethical conduct and integrity of conducting research is critical to the success of the U.S. federal government’s $40 billion annual research and development investment with universities. However, the emphasis on procedural accountability is increasingly undermining the ability of academic researchers to focus their attention on conducting the research itself.
Dan Chenok is Executive Director of the IBM Center for The Business of Government. He oversees all of the Center's activities in connecting research to practice to benefit government, and has written and spoken extensively around government technology, cybersecurity, privacy, regulation, budget, acquisition, and Presidential transitions. Mr. Chenok previously led consulting services for Public Sector Technology Strategy, working with IBM government, healthcare, and education clients.
The past 30 years have witnessed major change across the management landscape of the federal government. That history provides important lessons both for today’s leaders and for those of future administrations. Yet little has been written about the role leaders and teams have played in the evolution of management reforms—often overcoming high odds to achieve success, sometimes experiencing failure, each time learning and moving forward. And rarely is attention paid to understanding what remains relevant from past experience to inform future strategies.
Margaret Weichert, deputy director for Management, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), joined me on The Business of Government Hour to discuss the Trump administration’s vision for modernizing the U.S. federal government to meet the mission, service, and stewardship realities of the 21st century. This is an excerpt of our conversation.
Inventorying Federal Research.Federal Timesreports: “The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy . . . wants to decrease burden on researchers by setting data repository standards for federal agencies to provide “optimization and improved consistency” across the federal government’s repositories.”
Americans are increasingly dependent on timely, reliable, and accurate information on weather, water, and climate for the protection of life and property, as well as the enhancement of the nation’s economy. In fact, a nationwide survey indicates that weather forecasts generate $35 billion in economic benefits to U.S. households, about six times the cost spent on weather forecasting and research. Extreme weather becomes more common and damaging due to a confluence of physical and socioeconomic factors.
We are pleased to announce our latest round of stipends for new reports on key public sector challenges, which respond to priorities identified in the Center's research agenda. Our content is intended to stimulate and accelerate the production of practical research that benefits public sector leaders and managers. We expect the following reports to be published in late 2020.
USAID seeks to deliver sustainable development solutions. As part of its mission, USAID advances U.S. national and economic prosperity, demonstrates American cooperation, and promotes a path to self-reliance and resilience of aid recipients. The purpose of foreign aid should be ending the need for its existence, and USAID provides development assistance to help partner countries on their own development journey to self-reliance—looking at ways to help lift lives, build communities, and establish self-sufficiency.
