Excellence in Government

The federal government must make improved customer service a priority

COMMENTARY | A good government requires good customer experience—and that requires serious reform, writes one observer.

The federal government must focus on developing and supporting leaders dedicated to serving the public interest

COMMENTARY | Unlike organizations within the private sector and the military, the executive branch does not have a systematic, deliberate approach to developing and supporting federal leaders, writes one good government advocate.

5 steps for government reform

COMMENTARY | Fixing these systemic issues would maximize the impact of agencies and career civil servants already doing amazing work every day, writes one good government advocate.

The Good Government Agenda for 2025 and beyond

COMMENTARY | A good presidential Management Agenda is, well, good. But a Good Government Agenda might be better.

Agencies need to consider alternative personnel systems

A new model for government is still to be developed, but history and the current problems make it clear the GS system is not the answer.

How a culture of unaccountability permeates the federal government

COMMENTARY | Accountability is essential for an organization to function effectively.

VA is leading the way to restoring trust in government

COMMENTARY | The hard work of improving customer experience can restore faith and trust in government institutions.

Honoring our heroes and a call to serve at the VA

COMMENTARY | The Veterans Affairs Department offers an unparalleled opportunity for doctors, nurses, and mental health professionals to give back to those who have already given so much.

From payment accuracy to program integrity

COMMENTARY | The staggering level of pandemic fraud coupled with mounting concerns about the size and trajectory of the nation’s debt load should elevate program integrity as a top management focus, writes one observer.

Private sector’s best practices can help agencies bring feds back to the office

COMMENTARY | Federal agencies can help employees ease their way back into the office this fall by creating a healthy and flexible workplace culture, writes one observer.

Meet the winners of this year’s ‘Oscars’ of public service

The recipients join the over 750 awardees of the Partnership for Public Services’ recognition program since it began in 2002.

‘Neutral competence,’ partisanship and efforts to overhaul the civil service

COMMENTARY | One scholar argues that a radical movement to shift powers to the president would be disastrous for the federal workforce.

Efforts grow to undercut prosecutors’ authority

COMMENTARY | Some Republican lawmakers in Georgia are looking to remove District Attorney Fani Willis, a Black Democrat representing a majority Black district, from office. The effort in Georgia is not happening in a silo.

Reinventing government: Reflections 30 years later

Three leaders of government reinvention under Vice President Al Gore reflect on their favorite accomplishments and what they see as challenges for leaders of the future.

A basic flaw in the federal pay system

COMMENTARY | The system wasn’t designed to be competitive with the private sector, and that’s a problem in today’s job market.

What the United States can learn from Australia’s recent catastrophic failure to listen to career government experts

COMMENTARY | A hastily launched 2016 program to reduce overpayment of government benefits was plagued by “unfairness, probable illegality and cruelty,” an Australian commission later found.