Michael J. Keegan

Weekly Roundup: July 12-16, 2021

Submitted by on Fri, 07/16/2021 - 11:13

Five Ways Agencies Can Become More Agile. The government is beginning to adopt what many view as the new standard for how work gets done in a post-COVID world: the agile approach to project management. 

Building the U.S. Army of the Future

Submitted by on Thu, 07/15/2021 - 13:57

Kate Kelley, Chief Human Capital Officer at the U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC) joined me on The Business of Government Hour to discuss the AFC human capital strategy, its efforts to attract, reskill, and retain the right talent, and ways it is working to transform organizational culture. Here is an edited excerpt of our discussion, highlighting some of the key insights shared.

Weekly Roundup: July 5-9, 2021

Submitted by on Fri, 07/09/2021 - 13:42

Building Federal Evaluation Capacity: A Discussion of the New White House Evaluation and Learning Agenda Guidance. The Office of Management and Budget recently issued guidance to federal agencies about implementing key provisions of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Ac

The State of Risk Oversight: Survey of Enterprise Risk Management Practices

Submitted by on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 12:32

It is a leadership imperative for government executives to mitigate the potency of uncertainty by managing the realities of risk. Employing an enterprise risk management (ERM) process can assist leaders in doing just that. ERM can help decision makers evaluate the likelihood and impact of major events and formulate the best way to either prevent them or manage their effects, if they do occur. Many changes are now occurring that hold the potential to make government function better.

Weekly Roundup: June 21-25, 2021

Submitted by on Fri, 06/25/2021 - 13:10

The Battle for the Public Service Is Just Beginning. We are in the midst of a critical debate over the future of the federal workforce—and with it, about the future role of the federal government. It is raising questions more fundamental than at any time since the passage of the Pendleton Act, which established the civil service system in 1883. The questions speak to the role of administrators in our constitutional system of governance and, indeed, the Constitution itself.

Driving IT Modernization and Transforming Culture

Submitted by on Thu, 06/24/2021 - 12:29

In early 2019, Jamie Holcombe became the chief information officer at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He came to the agency to modernize and transform how USPTO uses technology to accomplish its constitutionally required mission. With a mission-first strategy, Holcombe has sought to drive next generation enterprise IT investments and implement better, faster, and cheaper ways to grant patents and register trademarks.

Weekly Roundup: June 14-18 2021

Submitted by on Fri, 06/18/2021 - 13:26

States and Localities Should Strengthen Data Analytics Capacity Using Rescue Plan Funds. This is the fourth of a multi-part blog series that will take a detailed look at the American Rescue Plan and the ways in which we can leverage it to strengthen the resiliency of our public health and human services infrastructure, and, in turn, substantially move the needle on social and economic mobility so families succeed for the long run.

4 Qualities Essential for Leading through Uncertain Times

Submitted by on Thu, 06/17/2021 - 13:48

My goal each week on The Business of Government Hour is straightforward: to interview key government executives and thought leaders who are tackling significant challenges and seizing opportunities to lead.

Weekly Roundup: June 7-11, 2021

Submitted by on Fri, 06/11/2021 - 13:15

The Government Technology Silver Bullet: Hiring In-House Technical Talent. If we want to have a lasting impact on the way that our country serves its people, we need to make the most of this momentum to address the root causes beneath these repeated failures.

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Leadership Fellow & Host, The Business of Government Hour
IBM Center for The Business of Government
600 14th Street, NW Second Floor
Washington, DC 20005
United States

michael.j.keegan@us.ibm.com

Michael has two decades of experience with both the private and public sectors encompassing strategic planning, business process redesign, strategic communications and marketing, performance management, change management, executive and team coaching, and risk-financing.

Michael leads the IBM Center for The Business of Government's leadership research. As the Center’s Leadership Fellow, his work is at the nexus of the Center’s mission – connecting research to practice. My work at that the Center complements frontline experience of actual government executives with practical insights from thought leaders who produce Center reports – merging real-world experience with practical scholarship. The purpose is not to offer definitive solutions to the many management challenges facing executives, but to provide a resource from which to draw practical, actionable recommendations on how best to confront such issues. Michael also hosts and produces the IBM Center’s The Business of Government Hour. He has interviewed and profiled hundreds of senior government executives from all levels of government as well as recognized thought leaders focusing on a range of public management issues and trends. Over the last four years, Michael has expanded both the show’s format and reach – now broadcasting informational and educational conversations with dedicated public servants on two radio stations five times a week and anywhere at anytime over the web and at iTunes. Michael is also the managing editor of The Business of Government magazine, with a targeted audience of close to 14,000 government and non-government professionals. Additionally, he manages the Center’s bi-annual proposal review process that awards stipends to independent, third party researchers tackling a wide range of public management issues.

Prior to joining the Center, Michael worked as a senior managing consultant with IBM GBS (Global Business Services) and as a principle consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Washington Consulting Practice (WCP). He led projects in the private and federal civilian sectors including the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, FEMA, and the Veterans Health Administration. Before entering consulting, he worked in the private sector as product development manager at a New York City based risk financing firm.

Since 2003, Mr. Keegan has been a reviewer for Association of Government Accountant’s Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting (CEAR)© program, keeping abreast of the most recent developments in authoritative standards affecting federal accounting, financial reporting and performance measurement. He is also a member of APPAM, the NYU Alumni Association, and the Data Center & Cloud Talent, USA. He holds masters in public administration and management from New York University and was the founder of its DC alumni group as well as previous treasurer of the NYU graduate school’s alumni board.