A Conversation About State Government Management and Policy

In July 2008, five former governors joined a small group of Pew Center on the States staff and advisors for an informal conversation about the importance of state government management in achieving goals that matter most to the public. This discussion took place at the headquarters of the Pew Charitable Trusts in downtown Philadelphia, just before the National Governors Association historic Centennial Meeting convened.

As these leaders understand so well, effective implementation is critical to the success of any policy solution. That’s where Pew’s Government Performance Project comes in—and why we  asked them to join in this conversation. While the challenges facing our states, our nation and the global community have risen sharply in the months since we spoke, so has the need for exactly this kind of dialogue about effective governance. The Project’s mission is to improve outcomes that matter to the public by strengthening government policy and performance.

We are greatly benefiting from these leaders’ insights on management lessons learned from their years of public service, and are happy to share as well their thoughts on both the challenges states are facing today and the potential solutions that are emerging for tomorrow.

Susan K. Urahn Managing Director Pew Center on the States

Neal C. Johnson Director Government Performance Project

 

Making the Grade 
Q. Governor Edgar, you walked in the door saying that getting discussion of management into the public conversation is one of the biggest challenges. What can we do better to get this subject on the radar screen, and how do Pew’s report cards help in this regard?

Attracting the Best 
Q. We talk a lot in states about workforce development, or preparation of the workforce. But what if state government were to become a leader in investing in the skills of its workers? In other words, if the governor said, ‘We’re making this investment in our workforce, and we expect other employers to do the same.’

Investing in Education 
Q. How can state governments make better use of performance information, and how can they gain buy-in from the legislature and other actors?

Involving the Business Community 
Q. How should the business community be involved in this conversation? All of you are business leaders yourselves, as well as serving in public roles, and so we especially appreciate your insights on how to engage the business community and perhaps build an economic competitiveness case for effective public management.

View full transcript of the conversation.