Author Archive
Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Over the course of nearly 30 years, Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene, principals of Barrett and Greene, Inc. have done much-praised analysis, research and writing about state and local governments. Described by Peter Harkness, founder of Governing Magazine as "by far the most experienced journalists in the country covering public performance," they pioneered "grading the cities, counties and states" in management. Related to that work, they founded the Government Performance Project.
They are columnists and senior advisors at Route Fifty, special project consultants to the Volcker Alliance, senior advisors at the Government Finance Research Center at the University of Illinois in Chicago and fellows in the National Academy of Public Administration. Greene has been named chair of The Center for Accountability and Performance at the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). In addition, they are visiting fellows at the IBM Center for the Business of Government and consultants to the National Association of State Personnel Executives.
Finance
Equity Budgeting in Cities: Directing Dollars Where They’re Needed Most
A growing number of cities are turning to their budget offices to help treat historically underserved communities more fairly.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Health & Human Services
Paid Sick Leave and the Prolonged Pandemic
State HR officials are concerned that if they can’t find a way to extend paid sick leave benefits, employees will start showing up to work contagious.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Smart Cities
How Downtowns Can Rebound After the Pandemic
They have to offer more than office space.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Management
A Burnout Crisis Hits Government
COMMENTARY | A soon-to-be released survey reveals some surprising findings about local and state public sector employees’ struggles and how helping them feel connected to each other can reduce burnout.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Tech & Data
How to Fairly Use Algorithms to Make Tough Decisions
COMMENTARY | With computer power increasingly used to guide policies adopted by states and local leaders, governments need to take steps to ensure the underlying algorithms aren’t biased.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Health & Human Services
More Crucial Than Ever, EMS Agencies Are Short Staffed and Overworked
COMMENTARY | Adequately staffing emergency medical services has been a problem for some time, potentially putting lives at stake. The pandemic threatens to make shortages worse.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Tech & Data
Can Better Data Fix America’s Policing Crisis?
COMMENTARY | As society debates law enforcement reform, far better data is necessary to provide a road map for needed changes.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Finance
The Draining of State Rainy Day Funds
COMMENTARY | At least 10 states have already tapped their emergency reserves, even as budget experts expect the worst revenue declines caused by the coronavirus pandemic to come in the months and years ahead.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Public Safety
Why We Need to Pay Attention to Police Officers’ Mental Health
COMMENTARY | A new study found that as police are under more scrutiny than ever, their mental health struggles remain profound.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Tech & Data
Shrinking State and Local Government Office Space
COMMENTARY | With states and local officials searching for ways to cut budgets, many are looking to reduce how much real estate they occupy.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Infrastructure
What Happens Next With Affordable Housing?
COMMENTARY | States and local governments already haven’t been investing enough to help build housing that poor families, and sometimes even middle-class people, can afford. And now funding could be yet another victim of the coronavirus.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Management
The Escalating Crisis in Police Hiring
COMMENTARY | As revenues drop and passionate debates over police mission, budget and purpose continue, cities still face the arduous task of recruiting top-notch candidates.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Management
The Poor Performance of Performance Contracts
States and local governments have embraced “performance contracts,” requiring contractors to meet certain objectives. Too often, however, they don’t actually check on the success in meeting these goals.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Public Safety
Can Civilian Oversight Change Police Behavior?
COMMENTARY | Cities across the country are looking at creating police oversight bodies. That makes questions about their efficacy and value more important than ever.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Management
Kansas City Government Employees: 'Please Don’t Rush to Reopen'
COMMENTARY | What are public sector employee concerns about the return to work? Kansas City has a better idea than many other local governments based on multiple employee surveys.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Finance
Pandemic Aid: What Can We Learn From the 2009 Stimulus?
COMMENTARY | As state and local leaders wait to see if they will get more federal aid to deal with their growing revenue shortfalls, fiscal stability will be more attainable by paying heed to experts who helped the country out of the Great Recession.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Health & Human Services
The Hidden Crisis: Caring for Vulnerable Adults at Home During the Coronavirus
COMMENTARY | Faced with fears of contagion and shortages of personal protective equipment, home and community care workers and providers struggle to serve a vulnerable population.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Management
‘There’s Never Been Anything Like This:’ Managing the State Employee Workforce
An interview about the challenges faced by human resource directors as they figure out leave policies, hazardous duty pay and countless other workforce issues during the coronavirus crisis.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Tech & Data
The Coronavirus Cyber Safety Challenge: 'New Opportunities for the Bad Guys'
COMMENTARY | State and local governments confront multiple technology security issues as they deal with proliferating attacks and a disease-transformed work environment.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Management
Lessons from States that Embraced Telework Before the Coronavirus
COMMENTARY | How to avoid certain pitfalls now that many—or most—employees must now work from home.
- By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene