Leadership

The solution to procurement woes, people?

Hiring is one of the biggest challenges in government. Getting the right people in the right position is key for an effective government. Just as hiring the right NIH scientist is key to curing disease so too is hiring the right procurement official. However, well-trained procurement officials are hard to find and the lack ofRead… Read more »

Why are large procurements so complex? Healthcare.gov vs. Deepwater

Healthcare.gov has been a massive contracting challenge from the onset. What went wrong? “Contractors have pointed the finger at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, citing insufficient guidance, inadequate resources, a lack of authority to lead the project and changes requested a month before the site went live. In testimony to the House CommitteeRead… Read more »

4 Leadership Lessons from the Grammy’s

Last night was one of my favorite nights of the year, the Grammy’s. Ever since a kid, I’ve loved music and watching the Grammy’s was a staple every year, regardless of my current fad (whether I was a hip-hop head to college radio indie hipster to Dylan aficionado). While watching the Grammy’s last night, IRead… Read more »

Getting You Hired – New Job Application Tool for Local Government

Getting a government job can seem like an uphill battle and the application process can be brutal and bureaucratic. But now the people at Vision Internet have created a tool to help streamline the process for local governments. Ashley Fruechting the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Vision Internet. She told me during GovLoop’s State andRead… Read more »

3 reasons why we should revive gov conferences

Conference spending at four agencies fell 88 percent from fiscal 2010 to 2012, according to a report released Jan. 3 and those agencies weren’t alone. Across government spending on training and conferences fell. So what should feds who are want to grow and network do? Tom Fox is the Vice President for Leadership and InnovationRead… Read more »

Confronting Institutional Inertia

Recently, Matthew Burton, former Acting CIO and Deputy CIO of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, posted an excellent series of blog posts documenting his experiences and lessons as a CFPB IT executive. While the technical details and personal insights are the most valuable aspects of his posts, I’d like to focus on a couple ofRead… Read more »