If you are like me, you've been wondering since January when the onslaught of change would relent. During this time of dramatic shifts, I was hopeful, knowing that while change is constant, our nation's leaders would eventually take stock of the impacts of overwhelming and seemingly haphazard transformation, and begin to course-correct. I've always said we live in the greatest country on earth and that our democratic institutions, though flawed, are resilient. After six months, our institutions have certainly been tested. Does it make sense to wait any longer to evaluate the impacts of recent changes if the dust may never settle?
Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor has given us a glimpse into what may be next for the administration, how some officials are thinking about their goals and how to implement their directives. The current approach to reform may now move beyond an initial test and disrupt phase into the more consequential effort: effective execution.
“Right-Sizing With Purpose,” a July 25 memo, was a needed and compelling message, with the right tone of empathy and recognition of the dramatic impacts on the federal workforce. A July 30 interview with FedScoop about moving on from DOGE as a catalyst to OPM operationalization emphasized the right focus, approach and framing on critical issues. OPM provides guidance and support to other agencies, OPM helps to orient government toward digital modernization for an AI-first world, and government now needs to tell a compelling story to bring more young people into federal service.
"We must seize the opportunity to reimagine our democratic institutions, federal workforce and how government serves the public." - James-Christian Blockwood
While the last six months have often been shocking and destabilizing, the memo and interview are both encouraging signs. We must objectively evaluate the impact of changes, and our leaders should revisit whether their efficiency goals have ultimately been achieved, which tactics have advanced them, and which were merely a distraction, or made things worse. We must also be practical and prudent about the impacts of shuttering agencies, redirecting or halting government funding, and pushing the boundaries of norms and testing law. We must observe and consider long-term implications of policy changes without warning or planning, disrupting international order, and promulgating programs that disadvantage certain localities or populations.
It's healthy to rethink and challenge old models. Movements toward reform, modernization and improving government effectiveness and efficiency are long overdue. We can and should acknowledge that reform is needed and that the current administration is serious about achieving it.
The Academy can help chart where we go next. We must seize the opportunity to reimagine our democratic institutions, federal workforce, and how government serves the public. To build on this momentum for reform, and harness it productively, government leaders should take three actions:
- Acknowledge the impact of past efforts. Whether intended or not, some recent actions had negative consequences, and it will require careful planning to mitigate or reverse course;
- Communicate and outline strategy and policy objectives about reshaping, resizing, and reimagining how government can work better. This must happen while sharing plans with agencies across the federal workforce, to ensure alignment and appropriate procedures for reform. The public must be informed, and will play a key role in providing feedback, especially those who will be most impacted; and
- Focus on the future. Leverage data, technology and AI to improve the speed and quality of service delivery and rebuild a federal talent pipeline that incentivizes young people to pursue careers in government.
The Academy was created and chartered to apply the talents of our country’s most accomplished public administrators toward the great governing challenges of our time. I believe the Academy has everything needed within it to meet that mission. We cannot wait for the dust to settle, we should be prepared to help implement policy objectives in a respectful, responsible and smart way, and now is the time.
