Michael J. Keegan

The U.S. federal government spends tens of billions of dollars each year on social programs that have been shown to produce modest results or worse. In other cases, billions of dollars have been spent on programs and funding streams for many years, and yet little is known from rigorous evidence about whether the programs are producing good outcomes.

Columbia shuttle disaster of 2003, there was almost universal recognition that the space shuttle had to be replaced. In 2004, President George W. Bush directed NASA to build a shuttle successor as part of an overall “vision” to explore deep space. Then-NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe put the possibility of launching cargo and eventually crew to the ISS through private commercial means on the NASA agenda. In 2005, Michael Griffin, O’Keefe’s successor, established a program – Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) – to do just that.

Since December 2010, Dr. Jonathan Woodson has acted as the principle advisor on healthcare to multiple secretaries of defense. As assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, he has lead DoD’s military health system, overseeing the Defense Department's $50 billion health budget, and shepherding this mission critical care system through major reform efforts. I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Woodson shortly after he took the reins of MHS.

GAO: FEMA needs framework to improve IT systems. The Federal Emergency Management Agency needs to develop a governing framework for the oversight and modernization of IT investments, and needs to address holes in its tech workforce, according to a Government Accountability Office report released May 5. Not doing so limits the agency's ability to adequately respond to major disaster, GAO said. New White House guidance charts future of shared services.

Report card day: Agencies remain average or below on IT reforms. House lawmakers are set to release the second scorecard grading agencies’ implementation of the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) and the progress across all four categories is limited.

This nation stands on the verge of a new era in aviation.

The national airspace system is one of the largest and safest in the world. It’s also the busiest: in FY 2010, more than 700 million passengers flew on U.S. air carriers.

Throughout its history, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, has sought to promote sustainable homeownership, support community development, and access to affordable housing. It has also become evident that government best serves the taxpayer when it is performing well and producing sound results. Over the last couple of years, HUD has taken many steps to improve its management and performance in fulfilling its mission.

The imperative to improve the business operations of the U.S. Department of Defense has never been greater. Secretary of Defense Gates and Deputy Secretary Lynn have clearly articulated the pressing need for reform, driving action across all business areas such as acquisition and logistics, finance, and personnel. Transforming these business processes and systems is motivated by the need to make better use of resources, improve stewardship, and provide the best support possible to the warfighters.