RFID: The Right Frequency for Government

This report provides an overview of a major new technology now making great inroads in both the public and private sector - RFID technology. RFID stands for radio frequency identification. The report describes RFID technology and how it is being increasingly used. The report contains three cases of RFID application in supply chain management: (1) the Department of Defense, (2) the Food and Drug Administration and pharmaceutical industry, and (3) the Department of Agriculture's National Animal Identification System.

Ramping Up Large, Non-Routine Projects: Lessons for Federal Managers from the Successful 2000 Census

The purpose of this study is to examine the management challenges of the 2000 Census and how those were met, and to look forward at how the challenges of 2010 may be addressed. Missions and Programs

Executive Response to Changing Fortune: Sean O'Keefe as NASA Administrator

This report describes the tenure of Sean O’Keefe as administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The report describes how O’Keefe faced three difficult challenges during his three years at NASA. His first challenge was to solve the space station’s financial mess. His second challenge was to manage the aftermath of the Columbia shuttle disaster. His third challenge was to steward the President’s 2004 vision for the further exploration of space.

Global Movement Management: Securing the Global Economy

Global Movement Management (GMM) is a comprehensive and achievable framework for securing the key flows - people, goods, conveyances, money, and information - in the global economy against disruptive threats and building resiliency into the system. This framework can help overcome the key impediments to efforts to promote security in the global movement system, and motivate key stakeholders to work together to integrate security and resilience into the system.

The Next Government of the United States: Challenges for Performance in the 21st Century

So, what happens next? The next president will face a very different set of management challenges from the ones that confronted the current president when he took office. Can we begin to predict and start preparing to respond to these challenges? That is the task that Dr. Kettl took on, through our encouragement, using his insightful essay in Part I of this report to promote discussion during a two-day forum that the IBM Center for The Business of Government convened this past summer.

Moving from Outputs to Outcomes: Practical Advice from Governments Around the World

Perrin’s report provides substantial evidence that countries are moving toward a results-oriented approach in a wide variety of government contexts. Until recently, the process and performance of government has been judged largely on inputs, activities, and outputs. Based on a two-day forum sponsored by the World Bank and the IBM Center involving officials from six developed and six developing countries Perrin identifies state-of-the-art practices and thinking that go beyond the current literature.Managing for Performance and Results

Public Deliberation: A Manager's Guide to Citizen Engagement

There are new and exciting opportunities to engage citizens by informing, consulting, involving, and collaborating with them through a number of techniques; for example, the use of online surveys and peer-to-peer communication tools such as blogs and wikis. Many of these are now being piloted and used by states, localities, and nonprofits. There is also an increased interest by federal agencies. But the challenge of reaching those who don’t already participate as activists or interest group members remains.

Performance Budgeting: How NASA and SBA Link Costs and Performance

Dr. Blanchard’s report begins with a description of the statutory and conceptual foundations of costing requirements. He follows with a framework for integrating costs and performance. He then tells the story of how two very different federal agencies successfully met the PMA’s performance costing requirements. Blanchard draws upon published reports and articles, as well as his own experience leading PMA reform efforts at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Using the Balanced Scorecard: Lessons Learned from the U.S. Postal Service and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service

This report showcases two large federal agencies that adapted the balanced scorecard approach to their operations and have used it for more than five years to drive improved performance.

Effectively Managing Professional Services Contracts: 12 Best Practices

This report is targeted to the growing pool of government managers who are responsible for managing professional services contracts. It gleans a dozen best practices, based on real-world experience, currently used by successful managers across the government. A major theme of these experiences is the importance of creating a more effective working relationship-much more like a partnership than the traditional adversarial relationship-between the project officer, the contract manager, and the contractor.

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