• The Ethics of the Magnificent Seven
• BY: Bob Stone   |   April 23, 2008
• What I learned from the 1960 flick, writes Bob Stone, is the distinction between law and ethics. Law requires obedience to the enforceable, while ethics requires obedience to the "unenforceable."
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• The Right Kind of Accountability
• BY: John D. Donahue   |   April 16, 2008
• Unlike the private sector, the public sector is accountable to multiple stakeholders with different priorities. John D. Donahue provides guidance on managing these competing demands.

• What'll It Cost Me?
• BY: Russ Linden   |   April 9, 2008
• When public employees ask the question "what is in it for me," they are evaluating what the change requires from them. Russ Linden provides insights in to how to manage the process of change.

• What to Measure?
• BY: Robert D. Behn   |   April 2, 2008
• Usually, what we really want is an outcome, but all we can actually measure is an output, writes Robert D. Behn.

• Can't Ideology and Policy Expertise Just Get Along?
• BY: Paul L. Posner   |   March 26, 2008
• Policymakers are more polarized and driven by ideology than ever before, writes Paul L. Posner.

• Boston's Thomas M. Menino
• BY: Stephen Goldsmith   |   March 24, 2008
• In nearly every state across the country, families are being forced from their homes, and the American dream of homeownership is turning into a nightmare. Well before the current crisis, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino made preserving and creating affordable housing a priority.

• Innovation: Beyond the 'Big Bang'
• BY: William D. Eggers   |   March 19, 2008
• Even those organizations doing some of the most creative work in government haven't necessarily created a culture of innovation, writes William D. Eggers. So how does government innovate more consistently?

• A Roadmap to Measuring Performance
• BY: Robert J. O'Neill Jr.   |   March 12, 2008
• Since 1994, the Center for Performance Measurement, created by ICMA, has helped participating jurisdictions improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their public services through the collection, analysis and application of performance information.

• Hope to Be the Next Silicon Valley? What Every Mayor Should Know
• BY: Stephen Goldsmith   |   March 10, 2008
• Transforming cities into competitive hubs for economic growth is a top priority for our nation's mayors. Yet, the traditional "firm chasing" and incentivizing efforts frequently fall short. This week, I welcome guest authors Ed Glaeser of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Robert Litan of the Kauffman Foundation to address this issue.

• What Does Your CIO Really Need to Know?
• BY: Jerry Mechling   |   March 5, 2008
• They really need to know, writes Jerry Mechling, how to earn a role as a trusted member of the leadership team.

• Goal Power
• BY: Shelley Metzenbaum   |   February 27, 2008
• A well-framed goal has tremendous power in driving government accomplishments to new heights. So, asks Shelley Metzenbaum, what makes some goals effective performance drivers and others ineffective?

• Denver's John Hickenlooper
• BY: Stephen Goldsmith   |   February 25, 2008
• .

• When 'Stat' Programs Meet the Ossified Enterprise
• BY: Feather O'Connor Houstoun   |   February 20, 2008
• All the measurements and accountability sessions in the world can miss the boat, writes Feather O'Connor Houstoun, if they don't inspire the redesign of broken systems.

• Vulgar Accountability
• BY: H. George Frederickson   |   February 13, 2008
• Bringing measures of performance to bear on matters of accountability is clearly a good idea. So, asks H. George Frederickson, how can we make modern applications of accountability viable?

• Innovative Ideas for New Mayors
• BY: Stephen Goldsmith   |   February 11, 2008
• Achievements of recent winners of Harvard's Innovations in American Government Award were recognized, in part, because they are readily transferable to other jurisdictions.

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Comments

• Telling Truth to Power
  
  "Yes, I agree with Ed's comment.
  
  Although this is a tragedy, it is not cause for termination...."
• Public Management and the Challenge of the Last Mile
  
  "An interesting way to present one of the many problems of a bureaucracy.You can't have..."
• Can Performance Help in Reducing Deficits?
  
  "The last paragraph highlights the best opportunity making a difference with performance..."