On Goals and Systems
3 min read
Disclaimer: Note that while I work as a public servant, this is entirely my own initiative and what I post...
Data, public safety, and the economy
2 min read
It may not seem immediately obvious, but public safety is an important contributor to economic growth. When a crime is...
Recalibrating fixed beliefs
7 min read
Evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould warned that “the most erroneous stories are those we think we know best – and...
GovScience 4.0: The rise of “social” science
8 min read
The federal government’s Blueprint 2020 initiative provides an opportunity to re-think how governments deliver public science in the digital age....
How to hire the best and brightest
2 min read
One of the challenges facing the public service is recruiting and retaining younger, bright college students. It is often assumed...
“Decide once, check many”: data, analytics and border control
2 min read
Border control is an important element of modern society. We live in a world where terrorist threats are all too...
As certain as death and taxes
4 min read
Benjamin Franklin said that "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." I think...
The new normal: Creating a cost-conscious government culture
5 min read
For government to fulfill its mandate of serving citizens, considerable spending is continually required to support and improve current programs...
A data-based approach to health care
2 min read
Health care is one of the most important services that governments can deliver – yet it is also one of...
Stewards of innovation: Leaders in the middle
2 min read
Middle managers are emerging as the true change makers and disciples of reform. These traditional targets of downsizing and restructuring...