This post was originally published on cpsrenewal.ca. I find myself thinking about the launch of Healthcare.gov with a bizarre frequency. I think it’s fascinating as a case study and, I believe, emblematic of a broader unaddressed problem. The Long Story Short Healthcare.gov launched on October 1, 2013 to serve as a hub for US citizensRead… Read more »
Leaders are trying to use measurements as their swimming goggles. It is the major technique they are relying on. My beef with measures is that we are not applying them proportionally. – Martha Johnson. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “measure twice and cut once.” But in government it seems like we are measuring eight times.Read… Read more »
Originally posted on #GovLife. One of the things we hear about a lot when we talk about innovation is the rate of adoption. Whether or not an idea (no matter how amazing) succeeds is a huge risk, and it’s not just applicable to government. The characteristics listed in 5 Common Characteristics of Ideas That Spread,Read… Read more »
“At GSA I encountered an insidious war between the Rights government and the Performance government.” – Martha Johnson. Back in the 1800s the US passed legislation that created the civil service. The objective of the legislation was change the civil service from a rewards system where you got your job just if you voted forRead… Read more »
There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may wellRead… Read more »
Originally posted on #GovLife We’re always told “don’t judge a book by its cover”, so trust me when I say “don’t judge this article by its title”. We all know (or at least should know) Alexis from his days at reddit. In 2008, after watching hisTED talk, I became an instant fangirl and haven’t lookedRead… Read more »
There is such a good story surrounding GSA, it’s a story of innovation and stewardship for the government. I feel that story needs to be front and center for people. I feel even though I am no longer in a leadership position at GSA, it is still a good thing to do, to carry thatRead… Read more »
Now that a semblance of normality has returned to Washington it’s time to ask an important question: What are the shutdown’s costs to the federal workforce? We know the tangible costs in terms of dollars. But what about the hidden costs which are more difficult to measure? In addition to lost economic productivity and America’sRead… Read more »
Originally posted on #GovLife. Last week I went to the William Eggers’ Open Forum at the Institute on Governance, where we discussed some of the concepts in his new book, Solution Revolution. I was involved in a discussion on the scalability of good ideas, which raised some topics that have come up in other conversationsRead… Read more »
In a FCW recent article, Nolan Jones, Director of eGovernment Innovation, NIC, discusses why the federal government must plan now for going mobile and states, “mobile implementation is unquestionably difficult. Yet, it also is essential.” Of course there are many reasons the federal government hasn’t fully jumped on the mobile train, despite the benefits ofRead… Read more »