G. Martin Wagner

G. Martin Wagner

Submitted by on Tue, 03/27/2018 - 16:18

Mr. Wagner was a Senior Fellow of the IBM Center for The Business of Government. Mr. Wagner joined the Center after 31 years of public service. He had most recently restructured and ran GSA's Federal Acquisition Service - the largest government organization delivering acquisition, technology, and management services to federal agencies.

Getting It Done: A Guide for Government Executives

Submitted by on Tue, 02/12/2013 - 13:32

Four years ago, the IBM Center for The Business of Government released a book to guide new government executives, especially new political appointees. The goal of the book was to quickly acclimate new government executives to the world of public service as practiced in Washington, D.C. The book, entitled Getting It Done: A Guide for Government Executives (this is the first version), contained a series of short strategic discussions about "the dos and don’ts" of Washington and presented useful insights about working with key stakeholders and constituencies.

The Guide: Helping the New Administration Succeed in Washington

Submitted by on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 10:54

The transition from campaign to governing requires that presidential policies be transformed from rhetoric into an actionable agenda and then into concrete results. Neither good policies nor sound investments are likely to work, let along succeed, if undermined by poor implementation. Too often, however, federal management issues are considered somewhere between “uninteresting” and “a waste of time.” The reason: Washington is a policy town. If you are focused on politics or policy, “management” is often ignored or simply left for someone else to figure out.

Getting It Done: A Guide for Government Executives

Submitted by on Fri, 10/10/2008 - 00:00

This book has been written for those who have answered the call to public service. We greatly appreciate their willingness to work on the nation’s greatest problems.

The Operator's Manual for the New Administration

Submitted by on Sat, 07/12/2008 - 13:47

The Operator's Manual is a guide of how government works and how to make it work to advance policy goals and objectives. We present, in brief and simple terms, descriptions of the most important tools and levers that executives can use to advance agency goals and the president's agenda. This Manual will help executives understand the terrain of government, become familiar with the terms and lingo used inside agencies, and know how to effectively use the tools of government.

Retired, Associate Administrator of General Services Administration (GSA) Retired, Fellow, The IBM Center for The Business of Government
General Services Administration (GSA)
United States

Mr. Wagner was a Senior Fellow of the IBM Center for The Business of Government. Mr. Wagner joined the Center after 31 years of public service. He had most recently restructured and ran GSA's Federal Acquisition Service - the largest government organization delivering acquisition, technology, and management services to federal agencies.

As GSA's chief policy official, Mr. Wagner brought best private sector management practices to the federal government. He was an initiator or facilitator for most of the federal government's management improvement initiatives, including electronic government, lines of business, and FirstGov, now USA.gov.

A founding member of the CIO Council, Mr. Wagner worked effectively with agency program managers, CIOs, CAOs, CFOs, OMB, Congress, and industry. During his career with the federal government, Mr. Wagner received both Meritorious and Distinguished Presidential Rank Awards. The Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive is awarded to 1 percent of the approximately 6,000 career members of the Senior Executive Service (SES).

Mr. Wagner has undergraduate and graduate degrees in economics and engineering from Princeton University.