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Celebrating Excellence in Government

Celebrating Excellence in Government

On April 11, the Wilder School at Virginia Commonwealth University’s 16th annual Excellence in Virginia Government (EVGA) Awards celebrated Virginians who have made extraordinary contributions to the practice of government…

Rethinking School Board Interest Groups

Rethinking School Board Interest Groups

As a practical applied field, it is our responsibility to understand the governing context as it exists, and to generate research that aids those on the front line of governing.…

Whistleblowing: A Necessary Duty

Whistleblowing: A Necessary Duty

Whistleblowing is a necessary check against unethical, illegal and/or discriminatory actions and can restore integrity to a department, city, agency and the public service field.…

The Changing Environment for Work—and Incentives

The Changing Environment for Work—and Incentives

State and local governments have already made many adjustments to their incentive policies to acknowledge the real changes their communities and businesses are experiencing. It is imperative that incentive policy…

Chief Inclusion Officer as Complexity Manager

Chief Inclusion Officer as Complexity Manager

A chief inclusion officer can help government organizations become comfortable with complexity by bringing a sense of calm to the chaos of organizational and policy complexity, thereby strengthening the relationship…

New Organizational Health and Performance Directive for Federal Agencies: A Fertile Field for Research in Employee Engagement and Leadership Development

New Organizational Health and Performance Directive for Federal Agencies: A Fertile Field for Research in Employee Engagement and Leadership Development

My research uses selected questions from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) to build a Leadership Communication Index that I compared to OPM’s Employee Engagement Index. The hypothesis is that…

Every State Is a Battleground Now

Every State Is a Battleground Now

As public administrators, we are faced with upholding our state laws and municipal statutes. If states continue to impose their will upon other states or jurisdictions for any reason, we…

The Federal Budget: How Big is Too Big?

The Federal Budget: How Big is Too Big?

We do have a suggestion to help think through the righteous problems of the national government vs. local government: Put a group of non-partisan economists, public administrators and experienced, elected officials in…

Who Knows Better? Educators or Parents

Who Knows Better? Educators or Parents

While educators must meet standards set by state and federal officials, parents also set their own standards—after all, children are the product of particular homes. Parents may have certain values…

When Your County Is No Longer Effective: Case Study of Broward County, FL Emergency Management Division

When Your County Is No Longer Effective: Case Study of Broward County, FL Emergency Management Division

This article will discuss how the Emergency Management Division of Broward County, FL lacks an effective program to assist the 31 cities within its jurisdiction that encompass close to 1.9…

Collaborating, Creating and Choosing: An Exploration of Participatory Budgeting

Collaborating, Creating and Choosing: An Exploration of Participatory Budgeting

The participatory budgeting process is a growing way to promote participation and reduce inequities within governments and schools. By creating participatory budgeting processes and by eliminating barriers to involvement, organizers…