The 2007 Service to America Medals have been awarded, bringing to light the work of America's finest public servants.  This year, the Partnership for Public Service awarded 10 medals for achievements at Defense, Energy, HUD, the Navy, State, and the VA.  Max Steier, founder of the Partnership, noted "the true ...

Got a federal program you think is a waste of money?  Or one you think has helped you or your family?  You can see what kind of marks the federal government gives its own programs at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/.  The program is a result of the Office of Management and ...

The Department of Defense is beginning its move towards paying department employees on the basis of individual employee performance, Stephen Barr reports in the Washington Post.  Government employee labor unions and advocacy groups have raised numerous objections to transition, which could end up affecting up to 200,000 people.  See Barr's ...

Tom Shoop reports in Government Executive on two surveys measuring the level of performance of our federal bureaucracy.  One was completed by the general public, the other by its employees.

Any guesses as to which one was more critical?

Read Shoop's article here.  It’s entertaining and informative.

There are new survey results to ponder.  A plurality (45%) of federal employees disagrees with the statement: “Pay raises depend on how well employees perform their jobs.”

Read Stephen Barr’s Federal Diary column today [The Washington Post, Feb. 12, 2007].  Do you get the sense that ...

An iteration of the traffic-light-style performance rating system for federal agencies has morphed into Results.Gov, a new web site.  Jenny Mandel’s article (govexec.com) announces this development.

This site appears to be a combination PR deal:  PR as is Public Relations and PR as is Performance Results.  You get ...

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has concluded that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must strengthen its ability to provide effective training support for those charged with developing and implementing personnel systems reform.

With all the controversy surrounding pay-for-performance reward systems, the balking National Security Personnel System (NSPS), ...

The beat goes on.  The on-again, off-again attempt to revolutionize (or merely stir up) how government employees are evaluated and paid continues to march forward.

Karen Rutzick informs us of the emerging details behind this system, one that has enjoyed, if that’s the word, considerable attention in Union halls and ...

It’s an interesting concept called collective bargaining.  Readers at “The Forum” know about the battles with the U.S. government and federal unions over adoption of new rules to govern how employees are evaluated, paid, promoted, demoted, and otherwise affected in their daily jobs.

Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers ...

Here we go again.  The neverending saga of performance evaluations, pay-for-performance, cronyism, etc., continues unabated in a world handicapped by imperfect, biased beings:  humans!

We’ve discussed this issue many times at Understanding Government.  Yet, it’s worth hammering home the point that we humans have these inherent faults, and biases, ...