John O'Leary

Recent Articles

• Self-Service Savings
• Mar 2, 2011
• The theory seems to be that automation is a bad thing because it eliminates good jobs. Inefficiency, however, simply isn't good public policy.
• 3 Comments

• Social Impact Bonds, Policy Debutante
• Feb 28, 2011
• The idea behind Social Impact Bonds is fairly simple. Instead of paying for effort, governments pay only for measureable results.

• Do Budget Cuts Drive Efficiency?
• Feb 15, 2011
• Will spending cuts lead to greater efficiencies? Or merely a reduction in services?
• 5 Comments

• Legislative Leaders Facing the Crisis
• Feb 7, 2011
• State legislatures are on the front line of government and have a profound impact on how innovative state government is or isn't.
• 1 Comments

• Fair Pay for Public Employees: A Question of Efficiency
• Feb 2, 2011
• Designing a compensation system that is both fair and promotes efficiency is a real challenge.
• 14 Comments

• In NYC, 'Simple' Won't Come Easy
• Jan 20, 2011
• In his State of the City address, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a major push to streamline government operations.

• Efficiency by the Numbers
• Jan 5, 2011
• Has the 'by the numbers' approach worked in practice? Not surprisingly, the answer is yes in some instances and no in others.
• 10 Comments

• Innovative Reading
• Dec 22, 2010
• Reading suggestions for public officials looking to get up to speed on innovative management.
• 5 Comments

• Rewarding Efficiency in New Jersey
• Dec 21, 2010
• It is one of the enduring conundrums of public budgeting: How do you feed success and starve failure?

• Social Media Boom and Bust
• Dec 14, 2010
• Gov. 2.0 has led to some real enhancements. The focus on results must continue for Gov. 2.0 to deliver fully on its potential.
• 2 Comments

• The Courts vs. Efficiency
• Dec 9, 2010
• Courts exist for a reason, but over-reliance on the bench for operational oversight can produce more due process than is due.
• 5 Comments

• Free Your Data
• Dec 8, 2010
• Evidence is mounting that unlocking your raw data is a great way to enhance public services at very little cost.
• 1 Comments

• Owing the Government, Money for Nothing
• Dec 2, 2010
• Many government agencies can and should do a better job of making sure that those who owe government money, pay it.
• 3 Comments

• The Future Can Wait
• Nov 23, 2010
• We are all for innovation, but finding new and creative ways to kick the can down the road is not what we had in mind.
• 2 Comments

• Cornered in the Corner Office
• Nov 15, 2010
• Hopefully, the current crisis will encourage thoughtful reexamination of even the most politically difficult policy reforms.
• 1 Comments