BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Scholars, policymakers, and public administration professionals convened in Washington, D.C., to address pressing questions about the effectiveness of the U.S. federal government at the Evidence-Based Solutions for Improving Federal Government Performance Conference at the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) Jan. 13.
The event, a collaborative effort between the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, NAPA, and the Partnership for Public Service, featured discussions addressing key perspectives regarding federal government performance in the wake of the 2024 presidential election.
“Federal government performance has been an important policy issue for more than 40 years,” said James L. Perry, distinguished professor emeritus at the O’Neill School and one of the conference organizers. “This conference was one of the first forums to bring this issue front and center. The conference’s goal was to develop an evidence-based agenda for reform.”
Recent decades have brought heightened scrutiny to government performance as major failures in government performance shifted the issue from a policy concern to a key political priority. Scholars and practitioners alike recognize the urgent need to understand when and why government succeeds or fails and to identify solutions grounded in evidence.
The one-day conference included a keynote address by Phillip Howard, chair of Common Good, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization which advocates simplifying government.
Following the keynote, a group of distinguished experts, including Kevin Kosar from the American Enterprise Institute; Amy Holmes from the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence; Peter Warren, senior advisor to James Comer, who is the incoming Chairman of the House Oversight Committee; Jennifer Mattingley of the Partnership for Public Service; and Renata Lemos from the World Bank addressed the critical question: What can be done to improve federal government performance?
U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro also provided perspective gained from Government Accountability Office high-risk lists and its ongoing audit activities.
A post-conference report will summarize the discussions, highlighting proposed reforms, the evidence underpinning them, and areas of consensus and divergence among participants. The report will serve as a roadmap for advancing evidence-based practices and scholarship in federal government performance.
“Using evidence and data to improve performance will be key to rebuilding trust in the federal government in the years ahead,” said Academy President & CEO Terry Gerton. “The Academy was the perfect place to host this exciting forum with our partners and continue this critical work.”
For more information about the Evidence-Based Solutions for Improving Government Performance Conference, visit the event’s website.