Beyond Bad News

Now I hasten to add that we here at Government Executive do not relentlessly focus on "bad" news to the exclusion of the good, since our mission is to help our readers learn about techniques to make their programs and agencies work better. Still, you can't write about what's working to solve problems without describing the problems themselves and, as I say, there is no shortage of those. This was underlined in early June by Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., and OMB director Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. as they unveiled a report by Thompson's Governmental Affairs Committee titled "Government at the Brink." The report describes systemic deficiencies in government's handling of its workforce, finances and information technology systems, and documents overlap and duplication in federal programs. A second volume offers a detailed look at the management problems of 18 departments and agencies.

You have only to peruse this month's Government Executive to be impressed by the variety of large problems federal agencies are confronting. The Defense Department, as George Cahlink reports, is eyeing another round of politically tough base closings, as it works to align physical facilities with force structure and save a few billion dollars for modernization. Firefighting agencies, Brian Friel reports, are struggling to digest the big helping of money and extra staff Congress gave them after last year's difficult fire season. The Federal Technology Service, writes Shane Harris, is weathering a storm of criticism from Congress and vendors about the slow pace of agencies' adoption of new telecommunications systems. The IRS faces hugely difficult challenges as it installs and adapts to new tax collection technologies, as Karen Schwartz reports. And the Air Force has the new assignment, writes Katherine Peters, of developing plans to protect space-based assets vital not only to military but to civilian communications.

Without a doubt, agencies like these are making good-faith efforts to meet their challenges effectively and efficiently. At the same time, there is no doubt that waste and inefficiency permeate government. While we in the press can continue our ongoing vigilance-Government Executive has been playing the watchdog role for more than three decades-true progress on management reform takes more than just exposing problems.

Now, as federal agencies tackle challenges old and new, is a perfect time for President Bush and Congress to open an honest discussion of how government's very organization may be the greatest impediment to management reform. As it swings into action encouraging outsourcing and thinning management ranks, the Bush administration would do well also to consider using the bully pulpit to launch a review of the role and structure of government for the 21st century.