IBM: 10 Challenges in Public Management Identified for Decade Ahead
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Public sector managers can expect a wide range of new challenges in the next decade, according to the IBM Center for The Business of Government, which detailed the next 10 critical challenges facing public policy management in the decade to come.
Informed by government leaders and public policy academics, the Center cited the following as significant management policy issues expected to face government decision makers and public sector program managers at all levels of government in the United States and around the world:
Fiscal Sanity - Reform outdated federal retirement and healthcare programs to reflect current economic and budgetary considerations.
Crisis of Competence - Manage a quickly changing talent pool in the public service sector.
Information Overload - Implement new systems to manage onslaught of data and extract intelligence needed for critical decisions and strategy-based solutions.
Governing Without Boundaries - Adapt organizational and management structures to combine knowledge and skills flexibly around changing tasks.
E-Government Is Only the Beginning - Restructure services around customers rather than agency programs, creating new role for public managers in service delivery.
Government By Contractors? - Realign to concentrate on balance between the core capabilities needed by the government for internal and contractor process improvements.
Results Really Do Matter - Transform federal department and agency cultures to create collaborative, results-oriented organizations.
"Green" Leadership - Blend public policies that encourage technology and management innovations to respond to environmental challenges and potential crises.
Security and Privacy in a Flat World - Factor security and privacy issues into all technology decisions, capturing all possible advantages while also managing the risks.
Expect Surprises - Policy makers need forward-looking information to set the stage for early warnings and emerging threats and to make informed choices about effective government responses.
Building on its work over the last 10 years, the Center has begun research into each of these critical challenges, continuing its role as a trusted resource for providing government leaders, policymakers and public sector program managers with the latest thinking and research.
"The Center has earned a reputation for deep understanding of public management issues," says Albert Morales, managing partner of the IBM Center for The Business of Government. "Exciting change is happening throughout government and we look forward to continuing our role in bringing independent thinking and practical insights to public sector managers, documenting and sharing knowledge that can help inspire, advance and strengthen our government programs."
