Author Archive
Ideas
VA acquisitions asks vendors to show their work
COMMENTARY: The principle of "do, don't say" could be catching hold at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Ideas
A bittersweet birthday party for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy
Steve Kelman worries that the Biden administration is steering federal buyers away from best-value goals.
Ideas
An innovator at DHS
Steve Kelman spotlights digital transformation expert Scott Simpson of the Procurement Innovation Lab at the Department of Homeland Security
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Checking in on digital government in China
COMMENTARY | Steve Kelman writes that an online system for registering complaints and comments about government services has its roots in China's imperial past.
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Touching base with some young contracting officers
COMMENTARY | Steve Kelman connects with up-and-coming federal procurement officials.
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Getting better deals for the government
COMMENTARY | Steve Kelman explains that common sense has often had a tough time getting accepted in debates about procurement policy.
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Driving innovation from the middle
COMMENTARY | NASA's Jennifer Elkins is an example of how senior civil servants can affect change in large organizations.
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Remembering reinventing government 30 years later
Commentary | Steve Kelman remembers how Al Gore's Reinventing Government effort helped change federal procurement.
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Keep the focus in procurement on best value products and services for the government
Commentary | Steve Kelman argues that the current cornerstone of Part 1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation is the right one for taxpayers and agencies.
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From Shanghai to a Senate-confirmed government post
COMMENTARY | Steve Kelman presents the story of another fed who’s been around for years since leaving the Kennedy School.
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Great job, US Embassy in Beijing
COMMENTARY | Steve Kelman cheers an Independence Day message that touted American-style freedom to a Chinese language audience.
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We like to think we are best at digital, but maybe not
COMMENTARY: Steve Kelman thinks the United States could learn a few things about technology-enhanced infrastructure from Europe and China.
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The long-time civil servant on the front lines of the default battle
Dave Lebryk is not widely known to the public but the Treasury official occupies a critical spot when it comes to measuring the daily cash position of the federal government.
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From Harvard to Ukraine
Steve Kelman catches up with a former student whose work has taken him to the front lines of U.S. efforts to curb nuclear proliferation.
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Is the Biden administration's management agenda getting back on track?
On the federal contracting front, reforms seem to be working better in practice than in theory.
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Why formal government communications work better than informal ones
A study looks at how expectations of government style influence how citizens respond to messaging.
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Dissenting from our toxic political culture
Steve Kelman says it's important in this highly partisan era to find points of disagreement with one's own party.
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Remembering Professor Carter
Steve Kelman reflects on the former defense secretary's life in government and academia.
