Winter 2010 — Volume 39, Number 4

FEATURE

 

The Changing Workplace

People

2010 Best Places to Work

Anne Kelly

The 2010 rankings for the Best Places to Work in government are the latest edition of this ongoing series, following the 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009 versions. The latest results reveal that employee satisfaction increased in 68 percent of federal organizations. The highest scoring workplace categories are employee skills and mission match, teamwork, pay and benefits, and training and development. For the second consecutive time, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) topped the list, followed closely by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), and the U.S. Department of State.

Anne Kelly is a principal at Computer Services Corporation (CSC) and member of the Partnership for Public Service. Contact her at annekelly4@aol.com.

 

Budgets

Local Government Cutback Budgeting

David L. Baker

Local government cutback budgeting refers to reducing operations below the current level. It forces organizations to realign expenses with revenues. The larger the gap between expenses and revenues the greater the cutback required to restore a balanced budget. Cutback budgeting also may target a general policy theme or a specific agency or department. For instance, a city may de-emphasize libraries and parks in favor of more law enforcement or fire protection. In that circumstance, funding for libraries and parks may be reduced, held flat, or curbed from growing at a previous rate. This results in a cutback budget for those departments. Concurrently, resources may be diverted to preserve or grow public safety programs.

David L. Baker is associate professor at Cal State San Bernardino and a former California county administrator. A version of this article appears in Governmental Budgeting Workbook (Birkdale Publishers, January 2011). Contact him at dbaker@csusb.edu.

 

Technology

Moving Telework from Compliance to Competitiveness

Anne Weisberg and Mark Porell

Before the ink was even dry on the president’s signature of the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, you could almost hear the sighs of “déjà vu all over again” across the nation’s capital. Historically, telework-related bills have been passed and memoranda written, but the fact remains that only 6 percent of all federal employees telework even one day a week. So when the snowstorms shut down Washington, D.C. last winter, the work of the federal government ground to a halt—the cost was roughly $70 million per day in lost productivity. Why then, with so much attention on the issue, do so few federal workers telework? The answer lies in large part in the opposing views managers and employees think of telework. Managers consider telework something they have to allow employees to do; employees think of telework as something they should be allowed to do.

Anne Weisberg is a director of talent in Deloitte Services. Contact her at aweisberg@deloitte.com. Mark Porell is a manager in Deloitte Consulting, Federal Human Capital Practice, and a member of the federal talent strategies team. Contact him at mporell@deloitte.com.

 

Learning

Revisiting the Work-Life Balancing Act

Patricia Armstrong and 13L

Do you feel your life is balanced? Like most everyone, we find striving for balance between work and home a daily challenge. We search for balance because we are happy when we do the things we believe in. It seems simple enough that we should work less and spend more time doing what we enjoy. The trouble is that we must shift our mindset from making the outside world happy to making our inner selves happy. To be good leaders and role models at work, we need to find balance. So who are some examples of government leaders exercising work-life balancing techniques?

“13L” is an exciting group of mid-career federal employees who are passionate about the practice of leadership. The group’s purpose is to promote effective leadership in the federal government, advance meaningful discussion and inquiry of federal leadership issues, and support fellow members in their professional growth and career development. For more information about 13L and its members, visit the group’s website at www.13L.org, or contact Patricia Armstrong at patricia.armstrong@navy.mil.

 

Contents

Symposium | Preparing for Climate Change

State and Local Governments Prepare for Climate Change

Frances L. Edwards

A political debate rages over the science of climate change, but local governments have to cope with the realities of heat waves and blizzards, and changes in sea levels and fresh water supply. Observed impact of these events rather than scientific theory may offer a less controversial basis for climate change public policy development. Impact from changes in sea levels on islands has already been observed, especially along shorelines and barrier reef islands. The impact of climate change is expected to exacerbate the threat from many natural hazards, such as hurricane wind speeds, wildfire frequency, storm surge levels, and the occurrence of flooding.

Frances L. Edwards, PhD, is the deputy director for National Transportation Security Center of Excellence at the Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University in California, and director of the master of public administration program. Contact her at kcthm@yahoo.com.

 

Global Lessons on Development Planning and Climate Hazards Reduction

Stephen Bender

The exposure to climate hazards of urban populations at various locations around the globe has now reached crisis proportions, with development being a principle driver of vulnerability. Preventing catastrophic loss and responding to environmental disasters is increasingly the subject of development planning, as economic losses exceed the economy’s ability to recover. Development is now identified as the much needed driver of climate risk reduction. How can integration of climate change adaptation and disaster risk management into economic development be reflected in planning for economic, social, and natural resource infrastructure, as well as in the public administration and civil society processes that design, adopt, and implement those plans?

Stephen Bender is an international development specialist with a focus on disaster mitigation and emergency preparedness in developing nations, having had a career with USAID working in the Americas. Contact him at baybender@verizon.net.

 

Impact of Climate Change on Public Health

Bruce Binder

Public health is concerned with the health of people as groups; healthcare is concerned with the health of individuals. In the United States and other developed counties, public health actions taken in the 19th and 20th centuries have increased how long and how well people live. In 1850, the life expectancy in the United States was 38.8 years; by 1900 the life expectancy had risen to 48.8 years. Today, a child born in the United States can expect to live 78.3 years. Until the mid-1900s contaminated water and food and communicable diseases were just part of living—and dying—in the United States. Today, in developing counties, they remain a major threat to public health. While outbreaks still occur, these issues no longer plague the United States. However, they could return.

Bruce Binder, MPH, CEM, is an international consultant on emergency medical response and disaster planning. He’s also a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster responder, following a career with the Veteran’s Administration in emergency medical management. Contact him at bruce.binder@comcast.net.

 

Greener Transport Mitigates Climate Change

Frances McCormack and Frances L. Edwards

Climate change and its related hurricanes and storms also bring transportation into the emergency response arena as an evacuation asset, which requires special consideration when designing roadways or track bed routes. Technology should be applied to monitor and warn about the potential effects of flooding, wave action, winds, and temperatures that exceed the design standard for infrastructure. Professor Steven Cohen of Columbia University’s Earth Institute points to the need for improved—and resilient—transit services in congested cities. Only significant federal subsidies will enable cash-strapped transit agencies to be a partner in GHG emission mitigation through more attractive mass transit systems, and climate change adaptation through more resilient infrastructure. Cohen suggests that congestion pricing for cars in urban areas could generate both the funding and incentive for urban mass transit that could be a partner in climate change management.

Frances McCormack, P.E., was an engineer with the City of San Francisco, and a student in the Engineering Management program at San Jose State University. She passed away unexpectedly in May 2010. Frances L. Edwards, PhD, CEM, is the deputy director for the National Transportation Security Center of Excellence at the Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University, and director of the master of public administration program. Contact her at kcthm@yahoo.com.

 

Climate Change and Cultural Preservation at the National Zoo

Adrienne Spahr

In agencies and institutions that are largely federally funded, climate change initiatives are no longer just a “feel good” effort. Under President Obama’s Executive Order 13514: Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, agencies are required to track and report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and integrate sustainability into strategic plans. Government managers are struggling to gather and interpret data to understand the impact their organizations have on climate change. The task of capturing GHG emissions and overall environmental impact is hard enough when you have large federal buildings to manage. It’s even more difficult when you are the world’s largest museum and research complex: the Smithsonian Institution. Now take that challenge one step further if you are the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, whose paramount mission of animal care is conducted in a museum that exists primarily outdoors with living exhibits.

Adrienne Spahr is founder and principal consultant of Green Living Consulting (Info@greenlivingconsulting.com). Contact her at as@greenlivingconsulting.com.

 

CCS: A Necessary Element in Future Energy Production

Michael J. Mudd

To some, the concept of “Clean Coal Technology” is an oxymoron. To others, it is recognition that technology is able to meet virtually any aspiration that people envision as a way to improve lifestyle. Since the passing of the Clean Air Act of 1976, engineers have developed and commercialized technologies to erase many of the environmental damages associated with the use of fossil fuels. Emissions of the key pollutants—soot, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury—have been reduced to de minims levels. Technologies that use fossil fuels—coal, oil, or natural gas—look nothing like those used some 50 years ago. The challenge is to develop, prove, and commercialize technologies that can decouple the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere from the use of fossil fuels. The realm of technologies to reduce CO2 emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels falls under the term of “carbon capture and sequestration.” This begs the question: Why develop carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies? Why not just eliminate the use of fossil fuels?

Michael J. Mudd is the retired chief executive officer of the FutureGen Industrial Alliance and a recognized industry expert in Clean Coal Technology. Contact him at mikemuddsr@gmail.com.

 

Attracting Strange Bedfellows: Climate Users Reshape the Conversation

John Selman and Matt Daigle

In the 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, former Vice President Al Gore expressed frustration with this circumstance—that he was unable to generate within the public a greater sense of urgency about climate change issues. In the film, Gore states that he has been trying to tell the story about dangers facing our planet for many years but has not yet succeeded in communicating his message. Five years later, most environmental professionals would disagree with Gore; most feel that he has done a tremendous job communicating the issues about global warming and the threat to our planet. But Gore’s concern is a valid one. To this point, the American public has yet to rise in unison and call for the action that climate change researchers insist is needed.

John Selman is the program director for LMI’s Energy and Environment Program, where he leads more than 50 professionals in designing solutions to complex energy, climate, and environmental issues. Contact him at jselman@lmi.org. Matt Daigle is senior public affairs specialist for LMI. Contact him at mdaigle@lmi.org.

 

Articles

Government Accountability

From Back Room to Board Room

Jeff Steinhoff and Laura Price

November 15, 2010, marked a red-letter day for federal financial management as the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 (CFO Act) celebrated its 20th anniversary. Widely heralded as the most comprehensive financial management improvement legislation in 40 years, the CFO Act has more than lived up to its hype. Since it was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, the federal CFO community has moved far beyond basic accounting responsibilities (the “back room”) to a leadership role (the “board room”) that provides support across agency programs and operations at the enterprise level. The journey continues today as federal CFOs further expand their capabilities to create value. As the nation continues to dig out of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, there is growing recognition for the importance of dealing with large federal budget deficits and a daunting estimated $89 trillion long-term fiscal gap.

Jeffrey C. Steinhoff, CGFM, CPA, CFE, is executive director of KPMG Government Institute and managing director of KPMG, LLP. Contact him at jsteinhoff @kpmg.com. Laura A. Price, CGFM, CPA, is a partner at KPMG. Contact her atlprice@kpmg.com.

 

Performance Management

Keys to Successful Performance Management

Kaye Kendrick

Performance measurement initiatives have emerged in all organizational sectors and at all levels within organizations throughout the past century. The concept of “performance management” came about in the last half of the 20th century as a way to ensure that goals were consistently being met in an effective and efficient manner, as well as a way to systematically account for resources. Government has pursued performance management in a variety of ways. Over the years, there have been quality initiatives, such as total quality management (TQM) and performance-based budgeting. Currently, the Obama Administration reports building on prior efforts, expecting agency leaders to set specific challenging goals that advance outcomes, followed by driving progress on those priorities with regular data-rich reviews.

Kaye Kendrick is president of Kaye Kendrick & Associates. She has served as a government auditor early in her career, from within state government and for a regional CPA firm. Contact her at Kaye@kayekendrick.com.

 

Citizen Engagement

Municipal-Level Surveys and Recycling in Kentucky

Janice Lynn Bowers

We typically think of surveys as tools to help us do one of two things: obtain information to determine what services or programs are needed or measure the quality of service delivery and the effects of our programs. In both cases, we are collecting information with the goal of obtaining feedback and making any necessary changes. We typically do not think of surveys as a way to disseminate information, with the goal of bringing about change in the behavior of a constituency. The following two examples illustrate that surveys can inform and bring about change.

Janice Lynn Bowers is assistant professor of psychology at Kentucky State University. She served four terms as city commissioner and three terms as mayor pro tem in Frankfort, Kentucky, from 2001 to 2009. Contact her at lynn.bowers@kysu.edu.

 

Departments

Commentary

The Frustration of Informal Rule Making

Thomas O. Gessel

Some of the frustration with respect to informal rulemaking revolves around the lack of understanding of APA provisions and the consequent uncertainty regarding what actions may be necessary to comply with its provisions and related authorities. The relevant informal rulemaking provisions of the APA, which was promulgated in 1946 and is no longer a stand-alone statute, are set forth at 5 U.S.C. 551, 552, 553, and 701-706. The provisions of 5 U.S.C. 551 contain definitions, including the definition of the term “rule.”

Thomas O. Gessel is president of Rulemaking Services and a former director of the office of regulatory law in the Office of General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He currently drafts rulemaking documents for federal agencies and teaches a rulemaking course for the Graduate School. Contact him at tgessel@rulemakingservices.com.

 

Book Review

Expanded Visions for Today’s Growing Governance Challenges

J. Christopher Mihm

The two important virtues of Strategic Public Management: Best Practices from Government and Nonprofit Organizations are its scope and its practicality. The 19 contributors cover a full range of day-to-day management challenges that public managers face and provide concrete examples and specific real-world steps that those managers can take to respond to growing citizen expectations for more results-oriented and effective government. As such, the 17-chapter volume will be most helpful to program managers and those interested in the Certified Public Manager (CPM) program. For example, Howard R. Balanoff ’s chapter provides a very insightful overview of the history, value, and current status of the CPM program.

J. Christopher Mihm is managing director for strategic issues at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), a fellow and board member of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), and a board member of The Public Manager. The views in this review are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of his organizational affiliations. Contact him at MihmJ@gao.gov.

 

The Uncivil Servant

Cost-Cutting Is One Man’s Meat

Grimaldi

The U.S. Congress is looking to reduce the deficit by cutting the cost of government. Because the accepted definition of government waste is a program that doesn’t benefit citizens, Congress is looking for places to cut where constituents aren’t affected. But modern government is so pervasive that there is rarely a nook or cranny into which it doesn’t reach. In the midst of all this jockeying for a fi scal conservative position, the incoming majority party in the House of Representatives will appoint the so-called “King of Pork,” Congressman Hal Rogers of Kentucky, to head the powerful budget committee. Gee, how sincere are they about the process they are about to embark upon?

After many decades contributing his irreverent salvos to The Public Manager (sort of a tonic to accompany the serious matters discussed within its pages), Grimaldi will today move on.