The new administrator of the long-rudderless U.S. Agency for International Development is a real-time case study of how leadership matters. Rajiv Shah, 36, stepped into the job just five days before the devastating earthquake shattered Haiti. According to the Washington Post, Shah suddenly found himself designated the "unified disaster coordinator" and in meetings with the President in the Situation Room in the basement of the White House.
A "twofer" is when you get two of something at once - sort of two for the price of one. That's what you would have gotten if you were at the National Press Club yesterday morning.
On Wednesday, January 13, approaching the first year anniversary of the Obama administration, the Partnership for Public Service will release a report titled, Ready to Govern: Improving the Presidential Transition, on improving the presidential transition. Based on exclusive interviews with key transition officials from both the Obama and McCain campaigns, and the Bush White House, this report examines the transition beginning early 2008 through the President’s first year in office.
As mentioned here a few days ago in blog entry on innovation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has been given in fiscal year 2010, what seems to be a large pot of money and new authority to conduct a transformation initiative in four areas that have been historically underfunded in HUD as well as most other agencies:
Two departments received special authorities this past year that are intended to improve their abilities to manage. It will be interesting to watch to see how they use these authorities. If these agencies can demonstrate success, then there’s a good chance that Congress might extend these authorities to other agencies.
This is the time of year for predictions of what is ahead. Here’s a compilation of various predictions. Pick those that appeal to you!
Federal News Radio: Web 2.0 is Changing Government. In an interview in late 2009, editor Dorothy Ramienski came to the now-standard conclusion that “Web 2.0 and social networking tools are changing the way the federal government does business.”
Note: The IBM Center recently released Seven Drivers Transforming Government, a series of essays exploring key drivers of change in government. It is based on our research and numerous insights shared by current and former government officials. This blog is the second in a series of excerpts from each of the seven essays.
This edition of The Business of Government magazine provides a glimpse into the many different missions and programs of the U.S. federal government. It does so from the perspective of the mission leader, offering a snapshot-in-time discussion around challenges faced, innovations pursued, and initiatives yet to yield their desired outcomes. These are leadership stories that introduce you to those on the front line charged with delivering the business of government.
