Author Archive
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.
Public Safety
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.
Management
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.
Tech & Data
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.
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.
Tech & Data
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.
Management
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.
Finance
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.
Management
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?
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.
Health & Human Services
How One State is Curbing Growth in Health Care Costs
Massachusetts is known for high medical expenses. But a unique initiative there is helping to dramatically slow increases and has other states taking notice. Here’s how it works.
Featured eBooks
Management
Government Employee Input—‘Shark Tank’ Style
Missouri has a way for frontline state employees to pitch ideas to high-level judges in hopes of getting them implemented. It's based on a reality TV show.
Management
The Future of Government Jobs: No Field Will Be the Same
It’s impossible to perfectly predict what state and local public sector employment will look like a decade from now. But some clear signs are emerging.
Management
The Future of State and Local Government Jobs
Public sector workplaces are expected to change dramatically in the coming years, with major implications for employees and agencies. In this special series, Route Fifty explores what’s ahead.
Management
Building a More Diverse Public Sector Hiring Pipeline
Local governments are rethinking how they go about connecting with job candidates. “It’s just not enough to post a position and then say we have no qualified diverse talent,” says one official.
Management
How to Regain Citizens' Trust After a Financial Scandal
Just getting rid of the people involved isn't enough. A complex task follows for local leaders to restore faith in the government.
Finance
How Cities and Counties Are Thinking Big With Their ARPA Plans
Across the country, some local governments are using federal aid from the American Rescue Plan to launch "transformational" projects in areas like affordable housing, public safety and ridding homes of lead—things that will endure long after the money is spent.
Management
Why Job Applicants Are Frustrated With the State and Local Government Hiring Process
New survey findings reveal that many workers are interested in public sector jobs, but get bogged down in the application phase.
Health & Human Services
The 'Impossible' Federal Standard States Can't Meet as They Work to Assist Low-Income Families
Critics say a longstanding performance metric for work participation that is part of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program is faulty and should be reformed.
Management