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Jerry Mechlin

Jerry Mechling

Contributor

Jerry Mechling, an independent consultant, is a former faculty member of the Harvard Kennedy School, where from 1983 to 2011 he taught degree-program courses on information management and founded Strategic Computing in the Public Sector, a research and executive-education program. He also is a former research vice president at Gartner Inc.

A fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and four-time winner of the Federal 100 Award, he was formerly a fellow of the Institute of Politics; an aide to the mayor of New York City and assistant administrator of the New York City Environmental Protection Administration; and director of Boston's Office of Management and Budget.

He received his B.A. in physical sciences from Harvard College and his M.P.A. and Ph.D. in economics and public affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.

As technology-driven job displacement accelerates, governments have a big role to play in managing its impact.
As automation disrupts the workforce, we can look to places as diverse as Sweden and Singapore for better ways to cope with it.
In setting digital priorities, public leaders need to think about productivity, equity and trust.
The digital tools are getting better all the time. It's a critical opportunity to improve judgment and decision-making.
Accelerating digital disruption requires new approaches to governance and leadership.
Delegating IT to the techies isn't the way for governments to get the most out of today's increasingly powerful technology.
Our state, local and federal governments need to ramp up the sharing of technology and data beyond their enterprises.
We should use technology to improve what the institution does, building societal value and public support.
A new federal law aims to balance innovation and efficiency. It could serve as a guide for other levels of government.
Digital technology has given us tools that make a methodical approach to institutional learning more useful and powerful than ever.