Search results for ""Author Mark A. Abramson""

Managing for Results 2002 summarizes five innovative, yet practical, approaches that public sector organizations use to better manage for results, increase organizational performance, and improve accountability to stakeholders. Patrick J. Murphy and John Carnevale tell the story—and the lessons—of how the Office of National Drug Control Policy crafted a government-wide strategic plan to combat drug abuse in the United States. Paul E. O'Connell describes how New York City's Police Department slashed its crime rate by developing CompStat to track crimes and hold police commanders more accountable for cutting crime in their precincts. Peter Frumkin explains how the State of Oklahoma uses milestone contracting to improve the performance of non-profit social service providers. David Frederickson reports how the Federal Government Performance and Results Act also improves the accountability of state government. Finally, Kathryn E. Newcomer and Mary Ann Scheirer show how executives can use program evaluation to improve agency performance. From these case studies, Mark A. Abramson and John M. Kamensky develop lessons which government leaders can use in managing their organizations for results.

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Learning the Ropes: Insights for Political Appointees is geared to providing helpful advice to new political appointees on a variety of topics related to the challenge of managing in government. Chapter two by Judith Michaels presents key lessons learned from two surveys of previous political appointees, as well as personal interviews with nearly 50 former political executives from both Democratic and Republican administrations. Chapter three by Joseph Ferrara and Lynn Ross dispel common myths held by political appointees about careerists and by careerists about political appointees and sets forth constructive 'rules of engagement' that political and career executives can use to form partnerships in achieving the administration's program and policy objectives. Chapter four by John Trattner presents advice for working with Congress, including an overview of how Congress functions, how decisions on money and programs are made, appropriators and authorizers, legislators and their constituencies, oversight, and how to get things done. Chapter five by John Trattner describes how political appointees can work with the media, including advice on how to minimize the impact of bad news, offensive and defensive strategies, and how to survive in the government/media culture. Chapter six by Mark Abramson and Paul Lawrence presents useful advice on eight lessons involved in transforming organizations. Chapter seven by Dana Michael Harsell presents advice for political appointees on working with career executives to 'manage for results.' The final chapter by Chris Wye describes how political executives can overcome common problems in the design, alignment, use, and communication of performance measures and information.

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Transforming Organizations provides in-depth case studies of outstanding government executives who dramatically changed both the performance and management of their organizations. The book includes case studies of Dan Goldin of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ken Kizer of the Veterans Health Administration, James Lee Witt of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and four high-ranking government officials who changed procurement in the Department of Defense. In addition, the book includes interviews with NASA Administrator Goldin and FEMA's Director Witt. The volume also includes an essay by Ken Kizer on his experience transforming the Veterans Health Administration. From these case studies, Mark A. Abramson and Paul R. Lawrence develop eight lessons that all executives can learn from in transforming their organization: select the right person, involve key players, engage employees, and persevere.

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