Leadership

Quotable Quote

“I can tell you, having spent some time within the federal agencies, I’ve been amazed that some of the smartest people I’ve ever met in my life are federal government employees.” –Vivek Kundra, Federal CIO at FOSE (Source: Jackson, Joab (2009): Kundra courts the risk of innovation, GCN, April 2, http://gcn.com/Articles/2009/04/06/Kundra-innovation.aspx?Page=5)

New Leadership Development Seminars from the Partnership for Public Service

To deliver solutions that the times demand, our government needs a new generation of leaders who are more than managers – they must be innovators whose creativity in problem-solving stands up to the complexity of 21st century challenges. The Partnership’s Annenberg Leadership Institute Seminars help federal agencies build the in-house capacity to innovate and solveRead… Read more »

New Report from Harvard Kennedy School: “UNMANNED AND ROBOTIC WARFARE: Issues, Options, And Futures.”

From the Report: “We stand today on the cusp of a revolution in warfare. Unmanned and robotic warfare has taken its first steps and will soon assume a prominent, if not dominant, position in the doctrine, strategy and tactics of the United States military. We are not alone… “As the United States has gained extraordinaryRead… Read more »

April Event at Harvard K School: “Leadership for a Networked World: Innovation through IT for Senior Leaders in Government”

For those with an interest: At Harvard K School, April 14-16, 2009. Come join Jerry Mechling, Steve Kelman, Nicholas Negroponte, Jeff Frankel, Calestous Juma, Bob Behn and other Harvard faculty for a classic Executive Education event. See the full description and tuitions here: “Public leaders and institutions play a critical role in society’s most importantRead… Read more »

AABPA Announces Speakers for Symposium on Financial Crisis

American Association for Budget and Program Analysis 2009 Spring Symposium April 16, 2009 Capital Hilton Hotel 16th and K Streets, NW, Washington, DC Farragut North Metro, Red Line McPherson Square Metro, Orange and Blue Lines TRANSFORMING CRISIS INTO OPPORTUNITY AABPA is pleased to announce the following additional panelists will be joining us on April 16:Read… Read more »

Management Trial and Error

Now that I have been in Government service for nearly thirty years I can comment with authority on trends I have seen. And they come and go. Remember Total Quality Management (TQM)? Remember ISO 9000? Various Government Departments embraced these systems like couch potatoes embrace the latest fad on the Home Shopping Network. They loveRead… Read more »

Federal Eye: Obama’s Latest Signing Statement

Talk about a minor technicality! President Obama issued a signing statement yesterday objecting to one minor item in the monster Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. At issue is whether Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has to consult with lawmakers when making appointments to an obscure commission. The omnibus comprises more than 150 individual billsRead… Read more »

Conference Time

I’m spending time at our Agency’s National Grant and Interagency Agreement Conference. Today is a day of early meetings. The conference actually kicks off tomorrow– and I am the lead on five 90 minute breakout sessions. It should be an interesting time this week. I am responsible for sessions on Post-Award Monitoring and Cost Review.Read… Read more »

Federal Eye: Locke Joins Census Bureau Outreach Efforts

In his first official act as commerce secretary, Gary Locke urged the leaders of groups volunteering with the U.S. Census Bureau to increase their outreach efforts among the nation’s minority groups, noting the government has simplified the process in an effort to boost overall participation. “It’s our job to let Americans know that taking partRead… Read more »