People

Do federal managers play favorites in career advancement?

Many workers think their managers promote based on favortism, but that's not necessarily so.

People

What's hot on campus? Performance measurement

Blogger Steve Kelman is happy to report that the Kennedy School of Government has seen a serious uptick in the number of students interested in the issue of performance measurement in government.

Digital Government

Google, China and Internet censorship

Blogger Steve Kelman reports on the reaction of the Chinese press to Google’s new stance on Internet censorship.

People

Govloop's acquisition forum gains traction

The forum is turning into a real meeting place for acquisition professionals to share ideas and get real-time feedback both on broad policy issues and specific projects.

People

Looking for new ways to attract young people to government

The Partnership for Public Service tries an interesting approach to filling entry-level jobs in critical areas, writes blogger Steve Kelman.

People

A new job description for supervisors

The government's current retirement wave is an opportunity to revitalize the supervisory function, writes Steve Kelman.

People

Performance data: 'Use it or useless'

The Obama administration wants agencies to go beyond simply measuring performance to using the feedback on a daily basis, writes blogger Steve Kelman.

People

Customer service tips from developing countries

Other countries appear less constrained when developing new ideas for getting feedback, writes columnist Steve Kelman.

People

Empirical evidence can help inform debate about whether a management approach will improve government

Good empirical evidence about a phenomenon can help inform the debate about whether a management approach will improve government or not, Steve Kelman writes.

Acquisition

Bring back share in savings

It's time to revive the statutory encouragement for this innovative approach to services contracting, Steve Kelman writes.

People

The case for pay for performance

A review of academic research finds tying compensation to metrics can pay off, writes columnist Steve Kelman.

Acquisition

How contractors can help agencies save money

The contracting community should work together to find creative ways to meet OMB’s goal of reducing contract spending.

Acquisition

5 ways to improve procurement

Here are the best ideas that nobody is talking about.

Digital Government

Performance management sticks around

The Obama administration, under the guiding hand of the impressive Chief Performance Officer Jeff Zients, has re-jiggered the Bush administration approach to performance measurement in a positive direction.

People

Past performance returns

After years of benign neglect from the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, it looks like the use of past-performance data in contractor selection might be back on the agenda.

Cybersecurity

China's cybersecurity fears sound very familiar

I came across a fascinating article while traveling in China that tells us a lot about Chinese perceptions of cybersecurity issues — and something about the human psyche as well.

People

Kelman: Hybrid workforces complicate outsourcing reforms

Federal HR practices, more than sound contracting strategy, encourage blended workforce creation.

People

Kelman: Challenges to conventional thinking can prompt novel ideas

Iconoclasts spur innovation because they do not settle for familiar ideas or solutions.

People

Kelman: Rethinking fixed-price contracting

It makes sense to convert some work to fixed-price contracts, but agencies will need more acquisition staff.

People

Learning from Facebook

Although many Facebook users dislike its new design, the new look makes personal connections deeper.