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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.

With electronic infrastructure now so widely available, writes Jerry Mechling, the next step for government is reorganizing, re-allocating and redefining agencies and functions.
Transition time is the right time to transform the government and economy -- as enabled by information technology.
Public managers know all too well the barriers to sharing services across jurisdictional boundaries. One county in Michigan is knocking them down in ways others may soon need to emulate.
A workshop analyzing where shared services are now found Canada was a leading example of where things may be heading next.
It offers ways for governments to tap the wisdom of crowds.
In turbulent times, institutions must respond with increasingly energetic, leadership-driven innovation.
Cleveland is unique in its approach to broadband, its emphasis on entrepreneurial innovation and its focus on the region rather than on the city, the state or the nation, writes Jerry Mechling.
Information technology is critical for innovation, but the IT-driven innovation of the future will be much more difficult than anything we've done so far.
As we move deeper into the Information Age, leaders must help us move forward on the risks and returns of innovation.