One of the current mantras for government online services is to say that they are customer focused. This is an excellent aspiration and it is becoming a standard protocol to build services around iterative user testing. However once a service is up and running how do we ensure that we are still meeting our userRead… Read more »
By Tom Colangelo Anyone who keeps up with national news is aware of a recent problematic major website deployment. Media pundits were quick to blame leadership problems. A noted information technology pundit pointed to acquisition and contracting failures and the governments’ inability to “hire” talented contractors. An Inspector General review will undoubtedly identify both functionalRead… Read more »
Not content to focus on the benefits that social and digital engagement can bring, some advocates like to issue warnings about the inevitable demise of organizations that don’t jump on the social and digital bandwagons. Succumbing to that pressure, or perhaps feeling compelled by the bandwagon effect itself, leaders have gradually become interested in addingRead… Read more »
Most states have decided to list their expenses so their citizens can see where tax dollars are being spent. Listing the thousand, or millions, of individual transactions is good in theory, but these endless lists of expenditures fall dramatically short in providing the kind of transparency people yearn for as government continues to expand. GoodRead… Read more »
In launching our innovation program, my colleagues and I surprisingly received the most push-back from our most innovative colleagues. “We’re already innovating!” was the common refrain. True dat. We have jaw-droppingly talented colleagues who are doing amazing things to help U.S. exporters. However, these best practices aren’t often widely shared across an organization with officesRead… Read more »
Public Spend Forum is excited to release our study of IT procurement in the federal government, “Billions in the Balance: Removing Barriers to Competition and Driving Innovation in the Public-Sector IT Market.” The report is the result of months of research and dozens of interviews, and can be downloaded for free. As has become commonlyRead… Read more »
Content is king! This has become the mantra of social media, especially bloggers. As long as you have good content, they will come. Saying otherwise is blasphemy, heresy! And yet, a brave few souls are daring to challenge this. They whisper in dark corners that there is a new king in town. The king isRead… Read more »
How can you get your employees to give you the thumbs up? Improving morale is one place to start. “Budget cuts, restrictions, reduced resources, and shutdowns” could be the mantra of our times. Many public sector workers got into their field out of a love for service, but constant roadblocks can wear down even theRead… Read more »
I was working with an organization and ran into a strange situation. The head of their skunk works was a hero for doing things right. He was an inspiration for having his team working effectively, following the right order of build, making lists, all the stuff I treasure. The problem was nothing was coming outRead… Read more »
Five years ago, GSA’s Integrated Technology Services (ITS) team had an ambitious vision: to create a governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC) to meet all of the federal government’s IT services needs. But primarily ITS wanted to save time and money by eliminating the need for agencies to create their own contracts. That vision and commitment createdRead… Read more »