Robert Knisely

Recent Articles

• How Governments Can Make Better Decisions
• Aug 5, 2013
• System dynamics was invented a half-century ago to use technology to analyze complex industrial processes. It's got a lot of potential for the public sector.

• Thinking Outside the (Ballot) Box
• Nov 20, 2012
• We shouldn't have to stand in long lines to vote. If Estonians can cast their ballots over the Internet, why can't Americans?
• 1 Comments

• The Right Government Tool for the Job
• Oct 30, 2012
• An illuminating book lists 14 "tools of government." The trick is employing them wisely.
• 1 Comments

• What Government Can (and Can’t) Learn from Steve Jobs
• Oct 17, 2011
• Much of his distinctive and personal way of managing is a poor fit for the public sector. But there are some lessons in how he led.
• 2 Comments

• How Many Governments Do We Need?
• Aug 15, 2011
• America’s web of local governments made sense in the 1600s. For efficiency’s sake, it’s time to rethink that structure.
• 13 Comments

• The Secret to StateStat's Success
• May 12, 2011
• It is the 'in person' feature of StateStat that sets it apart from other successful performance measurement programs.
• 5 Comments

• GAO and the Department of Redundancy
• Mar 14, 2011
• Real increases in both effectiveness and efficiency are waiting to be harvested. This is unlikely to happen, however, if the system isn't driven to do so.
• 2 Comments

• Breaking the Tyranny of Rules
• Aug 23, 2010
• If we want more responsive government in an age of disintermediation, we need rules and regulations both tagged and accessible by everyone.
• 1 Comments

• In Search of “What Works”
• Jul 29, 2010
• A popular book from the 1980s chronicled the strategies of successful companies. Government leaders today are on a similar quest for effectiveness.
• 3 Comments

• Homelessness: Think Strategically, Act Humbly
• Dec 23, 2009
• The problem of homelessness has proven vexing for a long time. There were homeless people before that couple in a stable, and there still are...
• 1 Comments

• Not Being There
• Oct 26, 2009
• Organizations - even Federal bureaucracies - are only information and people. The more information becomes mobile, the less people need to be. A December 2008 report...
• 1 Comments

• Data to the People - A Tour of DC
• Aug 7, 2009
• The District of Columbia's Apps for Democracy initiative is turning government inside out and upside down. As a long-time resident of the DC area, I...