Session Descriptions and Detailed Schedule

Conference Moderators

Conference Moderator Warren Master – Editor-in-Chief, The Public Manager

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conference Moderator  Antoinette A. Samuel – Executive Director, ASPA

 

 

 

 

 

Conference Tracks

 

Track 1 – The Performance Challenge

Jonathan D. Breul, IBM Center for the Business of Government

 

 

 

 

 

Track 2 – The Accountability Challenge

Nancy A. Potok, McManis & Monsalve Associates

 

 

 

 

 

Track 3 – The Human Capital Challenge

Robert M. Tobias, American University

 

 

 

 

 

Track 4 – The Technology Challenge

Alan P. Balutis, Cisco Systems

 

 

 

 

 

Track 5 – The Communication Challenge

Shirl Nelson, Acquisition Solutions, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

Track 6 – The Governance Challenge

Dr. Lenneal J. Henderson, University of Baltimore

 

 

 

 

Monday, July 28, 2008

 

7:00–8:30 AM             Registration, Continental Breakfast

8:30–10:00 AM          Opening Plenary Session: Welcome and Overview
                                     of  Challenges

 

The conference kicks off with a welcome and overview of challenges by the six conference track leaders and an opening exchange with conference participants.

 

 

10:00–10:30 AM        Break Near Exhibit Area

 

Exhibits will open Monday morning across from the registration desk and will remain open until Tuesday morning. The Monday evening reception, continental breakfasts and all breaks will be held in the exhibit area.   

 

 

10:30 AM–12:00 PM Concurrent Panels Session 1

 

Track 1—The Performance Challenge


Demand for results drives new systems and behaviors: Over the past decade or so, government at all levels—both executive and legislative branches—has begun requiring short- and long-term plans, including strategic goals, measurable objectives, a system for assessing outcomes, and periodic reporting on results. More recently, decision makers have attempted to tie budget and other resource decisions to agency performance. How are organizations responding to this challenge?  

Moderator: Fred Steckler, Watson Wyatt Worldwide


Panelists:

  • Jackie Werth, HHSA, San Diego County, CA
  • Chuck Georgo, Nowheretohide.org
  • Stephanie Shipman, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

 

 

Track 2—The Accountability Challenge


Stewardship, ethics and new rules and realities: As public sector responsibilities, resources and sourcing relationships have grown in size and complexity, the challenge of overseeing and accounting for agencies’ proper execution of their mission and behavior of their workforce has become more problematic. Performance measurement aside, what pressing demands need to be addressed in this area, and how are organizations responding to the challenge? 

 

Moderator: John M. Palguta, Partnership for Public Service


Panelists:

  • Tony Griffin, Fairfax County, Virginia
  • Don-Terry Veal, Auburn University
  • Tom Mesenbourg, U.S. Census Bureau

 

 

Track 3—The Human Capital Challenge


New demographics and recruiting and retaining young professionals: Considering the anticipated departure of a high percentage of Baby Boomers over the next 3–5 years—including many from the senior-most ranks of government’s career leadership—and the difficulty in attracting younger generations to choose and sustain public service careers, what are agencies doing to better understand and meet this challenge successfully?  

 

Moderator: Richard Koonce, Watson Wyatt Worldwide


Panelists:

  • Glenn Starks, Defense Logistics Agency
  • Bob Lavigna, Partnership for Public Service
  • Andrew Krzmarzick, Graduate School, USDA
  • Jim McDermott, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

 

 

Track 4—The Technology Challenge

 

Keeping pace with expanding E-expectations: In recent years, government agencies have been improving and expanding electronic governance offerings—from robust, up-to-date Web sites providing much-needed citizen information to customer-friendly, one-stop, online service applications. Increasingly, the challenge for many agencies will be to not only keep up with other organizations that have raced out ahead, but for all organizations to keep pace with new technologies and rising expectations among all users—citizens, the business community AND a younger more Web-savvy public management workforce.

 

Moderator: Steve Ressler, Young Government Leaders


Panelists:

  • Alan Shark, Public Technology Institute
  • Jerry Brito, GMU Mercatus Center
  • John Sindelar, EDS

 

 

Track 5—The Communication Challenge


Making transparency an organization-wide value: Achieving openness and candor in public bureaucracies—within and among different levels and branches of government and with the public and the media has become increasingly problematic. Agencies and career civil servants are likely to adopt a risk-averse attitude and avoid sharing basic information for which others have a legitimate need. How are government organizations balancing the need for internal controls and confidentiality with the demand for increased freedom of information promised to our citizenry by law and essential for other public institutions to be effective in implementing their missions?

 

Moderator: Irene Rubin, Professor Emerita, Northern Illinois University


Panelists:

  • Greg Rothwell, Evermay Associates, Inc. (formerly DHS and IRS)
  • Nikki Jackson, Secretary, Personnel Cabinet, Commonwealth of Kentucky
  • Shelly Wilkie Martinez, U.S. Office of Management and Budget

 

 

Track 6—The Governance Challenge


Building trust in public-private collaborations: Establishing trust early on in the collaborative process is essential if you want to avoid the sluggish, argumentative bureaucratic experience that typifies attempts to cross organization boundaries. In this regard, how have government organizations successfully engaged the private sector, achieving high performance while remaining faithful to their missions and code of ethics and protecting the proprietary needs of their business community counterparts?

 

Moderator: John Kamensky, IBM Center for the Business of Government


Panelists:

  • Carroll Thomas, Manufacturing Extension Partnering Program, NIST, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • Claire Mostel, Team Metro, Miami-Dade County, FL
  • Donna Bennett, LMI (formerly U.S. General Services Administration)

 

 

12:00–1:30 PM           Luncheon Near Exhibit Area

                                      Welcome and presentation by Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon

 

 

1:30–3:00 PM             Concurrent Panels Session 2

 

 

Track 1—The Performance Challenge


Getting strategic results through performance-based acquisition: As the performance challenge moves into other management systems—in this case the acquisition arena—and decision makers attempt to link the procurement process to agency and vendor performance, how are organizations responding to these new demands?  

 

Moderator: Robert Shick, Rutgers University


Panelists:

  • Robert A. Burton, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, U.S. Office of Management and Budget
  • Terrence M. O’Connor, Esq., Albo and Oblon, LLP, Arlington, VA
  • Glenn Sutton, Federal Management Partners, Inc.

 

 

Track 2—The Accountability Challenge


Managing internal and external risk in the information age: In recent years, government organizations have been required to address a wide range of administrative and programmatic risks in the management of their mission responsibilities. How have new technologies made this job more difficult and at the same time given agencies even more effective tools and techniques to assess and mitigate such risks?

 

Moderator: Matt Grote,U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) and Young Government Leaders (YGL)


Panelists:

  • Earl Warrington, GSA’s Office of Acquisition Systems
  • Tony Pagliaro, BearingPoint
  • Burley Fuselier, McManis & Monsalve Associates

 

 

Track 3—The Human Capital Challenge


Measuring and compensating performance—linked or not?: As government at all levels has begun measuring agency results, and decision makers are attempting to tie resource decisions—including compensation for individual employee performance—to organization outcomes, how are public management leaders responding to this challenge?  

 

Moderator: Ruby DeMesme, BearingPoint


Panelists:

  • Brad Bunn, U.S. Department of Defense
  • Howard Risher, Human Resources Consultant
  • Tim Barnhart, Federal Management Partners, Inc.

 

 

Track 4—The Technology Challenge


Managing knowledge across organizational and jurisdictional boundaries: Many issues facing the American public today cannot be tackled without a national strategy. To name a few: homeland security and public safety, employment, health care, education, the environment, and long-term economic security. They transcend boundaries of federal, state and local governments and require collaboration among many sectors - public, private, nonprofit and beyond. Each requires a complex, multi-disciplinary approach to policy development and execution. How have government agencies led the way in this regard and what is being done to share knowledge institutionally across organization boundaries?

 

Moderator: Patricia Atkins, The George Washington University


Panelists:

  • Bev Cigler, Penn State University
  • Lyle Wray, Capitol Region Council of Governments—Hartford, CT
  • Bill Kaplan, Acquisition Solutions, Inc.

 

 

Track 5—The Communication Challenge


Engaging citizens and formulating policy in a federal democracy: For years, government organizations at all levels have reached out to give interested parties—other elements of government, nonprofits, the private sector and the public—an opportunity to advise and make comment on proposed rule making and other policy decisions. Given the volume, pace and complexity of policy formulation activities, how are government agencies engaging citizens today—particularly in the context of new communication technologies?

 

Moderator: Paul Crookall, Canadian Government Executive Magazine


Panelists:

  • Earl Mathers, Gallatin County, MT
  • Kim Kobza, Neighborhood America
  • Martha Dorris, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)

 

 

Track 6—The Governance Challenge


Finding common purpose in international collaborations: Avoiding delays, half-measures and counter-productive conflicts are challenges common to efforts that cross international boundaries. In this regard, how have government and public nonprofit organizations worked together successfully and with alacrity to achieve a common purpose in cross-cultural environments? 

 

Moderator: Arnold Leder, Texas State University (formerly with the Voice of America)


Panelists:

  • Sarah Craven, United Nations Population Foundation (UNFPA)
  • Heidi Breeze-Harris, One By One (www.fightfistula.org)
  • Myra Shiplett, Public Management Consultant (formerly with NAPA)

 

 

3:00–3:30 PM             Break Near Exhibit Area

 

 

3:30–5:00 PM             Transformation Workshops

 

Attendees may select from workshops given by these thought leaders:

 

LMI
Acquisition Solutions

Graduate School, USDA

American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)

BearingPoint

 

The Transformation Workshops will provide recent, first-hand case illustrations of culture change in public organizations. Government and industry presenters will share a range of real-life examples of transformation in action in 30-40 minute workshops offered in separate breakout rooms. Conferees will be able to choose from among more than a dozen highly interactive sessions that tackle a variety of challenges addressed at the conference, including: crossing boundaries for a better service delivery model, strategic human capital planning, continuity of government operations (COOP), workplace change, alternative sourcing, leading change, collaborative technologies, and more.

 

 

5:00–7:00 PM             Networking Reception Near Exhibit Area

 

Enjoy a sponsored buffet dinner served in the exhibit area providing an opportunity to meet speakers and conferees.

 

 

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

 

7:00–8:30 AM             Registration, Continental Breakfast Near Exhibit Area

 

8:30–10:00 AM          Concurrent Panels Session 3

 

Track 1—The Performance Challenge


Comparing performance against common standards: Casting the net more broadly, how have governments begun to make use of benchmarking, leading indicators and other learning organization methods to improve and evaluate performance in a comparative context? 

 

Moderator: Judith Thurston, BearingPoint


Panelists:

  • Jennifer Wilson, Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. Department of Defense
  • Jerry Ellig, George Mason University
  • John Kamensky, IBM Center for the Business of Government

 

 

Track 2—The Accountability Challenge


Outcome-oriented cost management, cost sharing and performance budgeting: Given the increased emphasis on performance measurement and the attempt to tie budget and other resource decisions to agency performance, how have organizations raised the bar on managing costs and employing more results-oriented budgeting techniques?  

 

Moderator: David L. Baker, California State University, San Bernadino


Panelists:

  • Irene Rubin, Professor Emerita, Northern Illinois University
  • Paul Posner, George Mason University
  • Gary Land, BearingPoint

 

 

Track 3—The Human Capital Challenge


Developing professional leaders and managers: Given the complex, wide variety and pressing nature of the transformative challenges facing today’s government organizations, what are agencies doing to prepare their current and future leaders and managers to drive this change over the next several decades?

 

Moderator: Howard Balanoff, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX


Panelists:

  • Linda Osgood, Public Building Service, U.S. General Services Administration
  • Pat Galagan, ASTD
  • Casey Wilson, Management Concepts (and Montgomery College)
  • Ed Girovasi, LMI (and American University)

 

 

Track 4—The Technology Challenge


Managing virtually in a technology-smart organization: In the past decade, not only has virtual office technology come of age but the private sector has surged ahead in its application. Typically, progress is driven by such bottom-line considerations of reduced capital budget, space or seat costs, increased customer satisfaction, improved employee recruitment, retention and productivity, etc. How are government agencies taking advantage of these technologies to meet similar bottom-line concerns, cyber-security issues and other emerging public sector challenges?  

 

Moderator: Harriet West, Clifton Gunderson, LLP


Panelists:

  • Joseph M. Zurlo, LMI
  • Dan Mintz, U.S. Department of Transportation*
  • Gerald Charles, Business Solutions Group, Cisco Systems, Inc.

 

 

Track 5—The Communication Challenge


Leading and managing change in a global setting: So many of the world’s public sector challenges have increasingly taken on regional and even global dimensions—whether related to environmental or climatic changes, public health threats, catastrophic natural or man-made disasters, terrorism, etc. What is the public sector doing to prepare practitioners for related leadership and managerial roles aimed at communicating a more global perspective among career government officials around the world?

 

Moderator: Chris Sonnesyn, Watson Wyatt Worldwide


Panelists:

  • Kevin Marshall, Federal Executive Institute (FEI)
  • Robert Kramer, American University
  • Jack Maykoski, International Institute, Graduate School, USDA

 

 

Track 6—The Governance Challenge


Inter-organizational collaboration in the face of catastrophic disasters: In the past few decades, federal, state and local governments have been confronted with many catastrophic disasters—some caused by the force of nature (e.g., the 1994 Northridge earthquake, more recently Hurricanes Katrina and Rita), and others by man (the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, more recently the events of 9/11). What is government doing to prepare for and respond more effectively to such events, and how are lessons learned and new techniques in one setting institutionally shared with others?

 

Moderator:  Bev Cigler, Penn State University


Panelists:

  • Ron Carlee, Arlington County, VA
  • Dee Lee, FEMA
  • Heather Gatlin, Lutheran Social Services—Austin, TX
  • Kim Ainsworth, Greater Boston Federal Executive Board

 

 
10:00–10:30 AM                    Break Near Exhibit Area

 

 

10:30 AM–12:00 PM             Concurrent Panels Session 4

 

Track 1—The Performance Challenge


Fostering an organization-wide performance culture: What new insights can be gleaned from federal, state and local efforts over the past decade to evolve or transform the basic assumptions and behaviors that lead to improved organization performance? How are agencies setting standards, holding organizations accountable and considering changes to HR law, personnel policies and systems, and other innovative ideas (e.g., "employment at will") in pursuit of a performance-based culture?

 

Moderator: Linda Washington, U.S. Department of Transportation


Panelists:

  • Bill Trahant, Watson Wyatt Worldwide
  • Frank Bauer, Graduate School, USDA
  • Steve Benowitz, Center for Transformation and Strategic Initiatives (CTSI)

 

 

Track 2—The Accountability Challenge


Strategic sourcing in the face of increased requirements: For the past several decades, as public agency personnel levels have headed south and mission responsibilities have crept north, more and more agency work has been performed by non-governmental intermediaries or vendors. Are there limits to these arrangements? And what strategies and techniques have organizations employed to maximize the return on such investments and minimize potential risks?

 

Moderator: Susan Marquis, LMI


Panelists:

  • Joseph Alexander, Grant Thornton
  • Colleen Barros, NIH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Tim Long, Acquisition Solutions, Inc

 

 

Track 3—The Human Capital Challenge


Strategic human capital planning and the workforce of the future: Given the demographic shifts that have already taken place and that will accelerate over the next few years, coupled with significant change in both the demands on government and the technologies that offer dramatically new solutions, what are agencies doing to correspondingly restructure and reconfigure the public management workforce?

 

Moderator: Tim Dirks, GRA, Inc.


Panelists:

  • Ann Cotten, University of Baltimore
  • Linda Taglialatela, U.S. Department of State
  • Tim McManus, Partnership for Public Service
  • Peter Ronayne, Federal Executive Institute (FEI)

 

 

Track 4—The Technology Challenge


Continuity planning, telework and the workplace of the future: Over the past several decades, the public sector has slowly made increasing use of telework and other flexible workplace arrangements to respond to a variety of societal problems: metropolitan area traffic congestion, air pollution, inadequate or unaffordable child care arrangements, etc. Recently, it has become abundantly clear to many that a more compelling reason for public agencies to become “telework-ready” is to ensure continuity of government operations in the event of a significant work stoppage. What are agencies doing to move in this direction, and how can these efforts be integrated into a larger initiative to evolve the workplace of the future?

 

Moderator: Wendell Joice, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)


Panelists:

  • Eric Kretz, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Danette R. Campbell, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Michael Dziak, e-Work.com, Inc.

 

 

Track 5—The Communication Challenge


Communicating across networks, not within stovepipes: Given the inter-dependent nature of today’s public sector challenges and solutions, government agencies and occupational groupings will need to go outside their own vertically integrated comfort zones and interact with other bureaucratic sub-cultures to get outcomes envisioned in new performance plans. How are agencies reaching out across traditional boundaries, and how are basic organization assumptions and behaviors changing with respect to sharing information and collaboration in planning, resourcing and managing efforts of common importance?

 

Moderator: Mark A. Abramson, Leadership, Inc. (formerly HHS, CEG, IBM)


Panelists:

  • Carroll Thomas, Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, NIST, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • Leann Jenkins, Oklahoma City Federal Executive Board
  • Peggy Alfonso, Acquisition Solutions, Inc.

 

 

Track 6—The Governance Challenge


Stewardship in an era of outsourcing, right-sizing and performance measurement: Increasingly, more and more government work requirements have been sourced to private contractors, due in part to agency personnel levels not keeping pace with increased responsibilities. Given the need to measure and report on the performance of all parties, how are organizations communicating oversight and accountability roles and responsibilities in such a demanding, resource-stretched environment?

 

Moderator: Kathryn E. Newcomer, The George Washington University


Panelists:

  • Ashley Lewis, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • James Edward Kee, The George Washington University (formerly Department of Administrative Services, Utah)
  • Phil Kangas, Grant Thornton

 

 

12:00–1:30 PM           Luncheon Near Exhibit Area

 

 

1:30–3:00 PM             Plenary Session 2: Leading and Managing Change in a Multisector Environment

 

As public agencies have outsourced portions of their work to other governmental and non-governmental “partners,” the profile of an agency “team” has changed dramatically. Not only is it possible to have members of the agency workforce drawn from different levels of government, but it is increasingly likely to have team members from the private sector as well (e.g., vendors, contractors, grantees, etc.). What are agencies doing to achieve coherence among these “blended” workforce arrangements and at the same time comply with legislative, regulatory and other stewardship requirements?

 

Moderator: Jenna Dorn, National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA)


Panelists:

  • Alethea Long-Green, NAPA
  • Scott Gould, IBM
  • David Cade, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Robert Tobias, American University

 

 

3:00–3:15 PM             Break Near Exhibit Area

 

 

3:15–4:30 PM             Closing Plenary Session (3) – Building a Near-term Transformation Agenda

 

Considering the challenges and opportunities discussed over the past two days, what near-term choices are advisable? And how will these new directions likely transform bureaucratic cultures making government at all levels more agile; more transparent; more efficient and effective; more responsive to civil servants, citizens and the business community; and more engaging to younger generations considering careers in public service? Track leaders and others share their views on these urgent matters making use of Web 2.0 and related collaborative technologies to obtain feedback and ideas from conference participants.

 

Moderator: Patricia McGinnis, Council for Excellence in Government (CEG)


Panelists:

  • Alan Balutis, Cisco Systems
  • Martin Goldberg, BearingPoint
  • Lenneal Henderson, University of Baltimore
  • Nancy A. Potok, McManis & Monsalve Associates
  • Kate Walker, President, Young Government Leaders (GAO)

 

* Invited

 

4:30 PM                      Conference Adjournment