What government does : how political executives manage / Paul Lawrence, Mark A. Abramson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lawrence, Paul R., 1956- author.

Abramson, Mark A., 1947- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Obama, Barack.

Political leadership--United States.

Political leadership.

United States.

Government executives--United States.

Government executives.

United States--Politics and government--2009-.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

x, 196 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2014.

Summary:

To understand the challenges of political leadership and how top executives succeed in accomplishing an Administration's objectives, business-in-government experts Paul R. Lawrence and Mark A. Abramson present the findings of a four-year study of top political appointees in the Obama Administration. The 42 participants-Deputy Secretaries and agency heads-provide case studies of how each approaches the management challenges and achieves the mission of their organization. Full of behind-the-scenes insights and practical advice from government political executives on how they face management challenges in real time, What Government Does: How Political Executives Manage offers indispensable insights to current and prospective political appointees and everyone interested in understanding how leaders make government agencies more effective. The new book, a follow-up to their previous book, Paths to Making a Difference: Leading in Government, presents an insightful framework of what government does. Instead of thinking about government by policy area, the authors present an alternative approach in which government executives are categorized by the type of agency they are managing. The book includes chapters on Deputy Secretaries, producers, regulators, infrastructors, scientists, and collaborators. Book jacket.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Introduction 3

What This Book Is About 4

What We Would Like the Office of Presidential Personnel to Know About Different Types of Jobs 5

Chapter 2 The Job of the Political Executive: Running an Agency 11

Assessing the Organization 13

Strengthening the Organization 14

Obtaining Mission Alignment 16

Developing Strong Processes 17

Mastering Metrics and Measuring Progress 19

Building Relationships 20

Enhancing Credibility and Visibility 22

Fostering Innovation 24

Innovation in Action 27

Innovation Initiative: The Department of Veterans Affairs 27

The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Program: The Department of Agriculture 29

The Race To The Top Program: The Department of Education 31

The Every Day Counts Program: The Department of Transportation 33

Chapter 3 The Deputy Secretaries 35

Understanding the Job of the Deputy Secretary 36

Key Components of the Job of the Deputy Secretary 37

Serving as an Alter Ego for the Secretary 37

Serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Department 39

Serving as a Convener 40

Serving as a Policy Advisor 41

Serving as a Leader of Departmental Initiatives 41

Serving as Crisis Manager 42

Serving as Liaison to Stakeholders 42

Deputy Secretaries in Action 42

Rafael Borras at the Department of Homeland Security 42

William V. Corr at the Department of Health and Human Services 44

W. Scott Gould at the Department of Veterans Affairs 46

Seth D. Harris at the Department of Labor 48

David J. Hayes at the Department of the Interior 50

Dennis F. Hightower at the Department of Commerce 52

Maurice Jones at the Department of Housing and Urban Development 53

Kathleen A. Merrigan at the Department of Agriculture 54

Anthony W. Miller at the Department of Education 56

Thomas R. Nides at the Department of State 58

Daniel B. Poneman at the Department of Energy 60

Appendix to Chapter 3: Profiles of Deputy Secretaries Interviewed 62

Chapter 4 The Producers 73

Understanding the Job of the Producer 74

Key Components of the Job of the Producer 75

Delivering the Output 75

Getting the Metrics Right 76

Focusing on Customers 79

Working Style of Producers 80

Producers in Action 81

Allison A. Hickey at the Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs 81

David J. Kappos at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce 83

Alejandro Mayorkas at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 85

John T. Morton at the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security 86

Robert A. Petzel at the Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs 88

John S. Pistole at the Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security 89

David H. Stevens at the Federal Housing Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development 91

William J. Taggart and James W. Runcie at the Office of Federal Student Aid, Department of Education 92

Appendix to Chapter 4: Profiles of Producers Interviewed 97

Chapter 5 The Regulators 107

Understanding the Job of the Regulator 108

Key Components of the Job of the Regulator 109

Operating in a Politically Contentious Environment 110

Getting the Rules Out and Running an Organization 110

Responding to Unexpected Events While Keeping the Organization Running 112

Constantly Engaging with and Responding to Stakeholder Concerns 113

Regulators in Action 114

Michael R. Bromwich at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, Department of the Interior 114

Margaret Hamburg at the Food and Drug Administration 115

Allison M. Macfarlane at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 117

Joseph A. Main at the Mine Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor 118

David Strickland at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation 119

Inez Moore Tenenbaum at the Consumer Product Safety Commission 121

Jon Welfrnghoff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 123

Appendix to Chapter 5: Profiles of Regulators Interviewed 124

Chapter 6 The Infrastructors 131

Understanding the Job of the Infrastructor 132

Key Components of the Job of the Infrastructor 133

Serving as an Instructor 133

Serving as a Producer 135

Serving as an Engineer 135

Infrastructors in Action 135

Jonathan S. Adelstein at the Rural Utilities Service, Department of Agriculture 135

Arun Majumdar at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Department of Energy 137

Victor M. Mendez at the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation 140

Joseph C. Szabo at the Federal Railroad Administration, Department of Transportation 142

Appendix to Chapter 6: Profiles of Infrastructors Interviewed 144

Chapter Seven: The Scientists 149

Understanding the Job of the Scientist 150

Key Components of the Job of the Scientist 151

Guarding the Scientific Integrity of Their Organization 151

Interfacing with the Political Leadership of Their Organization 152

Making Their Organization Relevant to Government Decision-Making 152

Strengthening the Institution 153

Reaching Out to External Stakeholders 154

Scientists in Action 155

Rebecca M. Blank at the Economics and Statistics Administration, Department of Commerce 155

Patrick D. Gallagher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce 157

Marcia K. McNutt at the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior 159

Richard G. Newell at the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy 161

Kathryn D. Sullivan at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce 163

Appendix to Chapter 7: Profiles of Scientists Interviewed 166

Chapter Eight: The Collaborators 171

Understanding the Job of the Collaborator 172

The Small Agency Collaborator 173

The Partner Collaborator 174

The Central Management Agency Collaborator 174

Collaborators in Action 175

Daniel M. Ashe at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 175

John Berry at the Office of Personnel Management 176

David A. Hinson at the Minority Business Development Agency, Department of Commerce 177

Pamela Hyde at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services 179

Raymond M. Jefferson at the Veterans' Employment and Training Service, Department of Labor 180

Mary K. Wakefield at the Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services 181

Appendix to Chapter 8: Profiles of Collaborators Interviewed 183.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9781442232426

1442232420

1442232439

9781442232433

OCLC:

870978454