Author Archive

Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

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.
Workforce

Apprenticeship programs are growing as the public sector faces workforce shortages

Registered apprenticeships, infrequently used by state and local governments in the past, are gaining the attention of staff-starved agencies.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Management

Access to public records is 'deteriorating terribly'

In a time when trust in state and local government is under siege, public access to information is particularly vital.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Workforce

Understanding Gen Z in the public sector

Managers can benefit by better engaging and communicating with the newest generation of workers in cities, counties and states.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Finance

Are tax incentives boons or boondoggles?

Though there’s lots of evidence that the economic development tool may not be effective, it is still in wide use. Fortunately, there are ways to control the potential waste of taxpayer dollars.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Workforce

How improvements in onboarding can lower employee turnover

One of the greatest challenges confronting state and local governments is a badly understaffed workforce. Here’s one technological and personal way to confront that problem.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Finance

How one city is looking to future-proof its budgeting process

Nationwide, cities are attempting to improve their budgeting. But none appear to be taking more dramatic steps than fast-growing Fort Worth, Texas.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Management

‘IGNITE’ing an educational fire in U.S. jails

An initiative launched in a Michigan county jail has been embraced as a national model for reducing jail violence and inmate recidivism.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Cybersecurity

An underused approach to fighting cyberattacks

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center offers free services to help localities with cybersecurity. Why aren’t more governments using them?

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Workforce

Solving the problem of understaffed jails and prisons

State and local governments are working to attract and retain corrections workers. But it’s not easy, and the task is complicated by high burnout rates due to understaffing.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Workforce

A Model for Reducing Female Incarceration and Breaking the Generational Cycle

A program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been changing lives for addicted women and their children. Here’s how it works.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Management

Will States Force Localities to Build Affordable Housing?

The need for more housing in America is undeniable. But with localities unlikely to change zoning laws to create more, states are stepping in.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Featured eBooks
The Digital Transformation of State and Local Government
Generative AI in State and Local Government
The Transformation of Government Services
Management

How One State Is Confronting PTSD Among Police Officers

Concerns abound about post-traumatic stress disorder in law enforcement. Minnesota, where the problem is acute, has ideas about how to curb the costs and keep more police working in the field.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Workforce

Can Performance Pay Help States and Cities Hang onto the Best and Brightest?

After years in which compensation tied to performance was considered a “failed experiment,” workforce pressures are bringing it back to the table again.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Digital Government

The CHIPS Act Challenge for State and Local Governments

The federal government has a powerful policy vision for the development of a vibrant U.S. semiconductor industry. How those visions play out is of intense interest.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Finance

An Attack on Auditor Independence Jeopardizes One State’s Fiscal Future

The Iowa Senate passed a bill that severely limits its auditor’s access to critical documents. The ramifications could be severe.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Digital Government

Data-Based Decision-Making Is Flawed When the Data Is Flawed

There are many reasons the quality of state and local data can be poor. Using that information can lead to unfortunate results.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Workforce

Finding Public Sector Workers in High Schools

Though many young people are ignorant about jobs in the public sector, internships can help educate them and draw them into the workforce.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Workforce

An Often-Overlooked Reason for Public Sector Job Vacancies

Agencies have struggled to recruit and retain workers, but it’s not uncommon for them to hold jobs open in order to shift salary dollars around in their budgets to cover other costs.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Workforce

When the Infrastructure Boom Meets the Workforce Crash

With federal dollars pouring into state and local governments for infrastructure, there’s one huge challenge: Who will do all the work?

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Management

How One State Is Excelling at Process Improvement

Every week Nebraska is contacted by other states to learn how it is saving staff time, streamlining projects and delivering better customer services. Here’s why.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene