John Kamensky

Using Czars to Govern

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 07:59

The media, and some members of Congress, continue to focus on President Obama’s use of “czars.” An article today by the Wall Street Journal’s Neil King examines how this dust-up highlights the ongoing challenge of how government is increasingly facing problems that reach across traditional agency and program boundaries. These problems include food safety, climate change, and the Recovery Act.

Lessons of Reinvention

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 07:56

Sixteen years ago today Vice President Gore presented the first report of the National Performance Review to President Clinton in a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. At the time, I was on the NPR staff and thought that the six-month review was over and that we’d all be going back to our home agencies. But it turns out that ceremony was just the beginning.

What Do You Do With 110,000 Data Sets?

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 07:54

The Obama Administration’s data.gov website now has 110,000 government data sets that you can access and download. So what do you do with this stuff? Well, Sunlight Labs, an open government advocacy group, is sponsoring a contest encouraging citizens (well, okay, data geeks) to come up with applications that use the data in interesting ways.

Federal Jobs: A New Era

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 07:52

The Washington Post reports that the Partnership for Public Service released a study this morning describing the hiring needs of the federal government. The study, "Where the Jobs Are 2009: Mission Critical Opportunities for America," says that the federal government needs to hire 273,000 new workers in the next three years.

Blogs as Public Policy Forums

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 07:46

A new study out by Brookings “Blogs as Public Forums for Agency Policymaking” looks at blogs created by top officials in five federal agencies and compared them to similar, but non-official blogs on the same topics to see how each are used to link citizens and government officials.

Launching the BizGov Blog

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 07:38

Welcome to the IBM Center’s latest step in Web 2.0!

We’ve been sponsoring a blog on presidential transition for the past couple of years and are now ready to take the next step – serial blogging! I’ll be joined by colleagues over the next few weeks in providing insight, news, and context on a wide range of management challenges facing public sector executives. Please join us!

Seven Drivers Transforming Government

Submitted by on Wed, 11/01/2017 - 10:26

In 2018, the IBM Center for The Business of Government marks its twentieth year of connecting research to practice in helping to improve government. The IBM Center continues to execute on its ultimate mission: to assist public sector executives and managers in addressing real world problems with practical ideas and original thinking to improve government.

Cross-Agency Collaboration: A Case Study of Cross-Agency Priority Goals

Submitted by on Wed, 10/04/2017 - 09:30

Congress granted the executive branch the authority to establish and implement cross-agency initiatives, via the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Modernization Act of 2010. That law, among other things, requires the Office of Management and Budget to designate “Cross-Agency Priority Goals” for a small handful of mission-support and mission-related areas, covering a four-year period, along with the designation of a goal leader and the requirement for quarterly progress reports.

Getting It Done

Submitted by on Wed, 08/10/2016 - 13:52

Those new to government will find a world very different than their previous experience in other sectors. Those returning to government will find a far different government than the one they left. Both will find a large group of stakeholders, including members of the United States Congress, very interested in every action they take. In addition, you will face the challenge of managing large organizations. If cabinet departments were listed in the Fortune 500, they would occupy slots in the top 20.

Six Trends Driving Change in Government

Submitted by on Wed, 10/23/2013 - 11:55

Today, government is in the midst of significant changes that have both near-term consequences and lasting impact. Such changes become more complex in nature and more uncertain in effect. At the same time, the demands on government continue to grow while the collective resources available to meet such demands are increasingly constrained. Government leaders, managers, and stakeholders face major challenges, including: fiscal austerity, citizen expectations, the pace of technology and innovation, and a new role for governance.

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Emeritus Senior Fellow
IBM Center for The Business of Government

Mr. Kamensky is an Emeritus Senior Fellow with the IBM Center for The Business of Government and was an Associate Partner with IBM's Global Business Services.

During 24 years of public service, he had a significant role in helping pioneer the federal government's performance and results orientation. Mr. Kamensky is passionate about helping transform government to be more results-oriented, performance-based, customer-driven, and collaborative in nature.

Prior to joining the IBM Center, he served for eight years as deputy director of Vice President Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government. Before that, he worked at the Government Accountability Office where he played a key role in the development and passage of the Government Performance and Results Act.

Since joining the IBM Center, he has co-edited six books and writes and speaks extensively on performance management and government reform.  Current areas of emphasis include transparency, collaboration, and citizen engagement.  He also blogs about management challenges in government.

Mr. Kamensky is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and received a Masters in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, in Austin, Texas.