ASPANational

Accountability and Performance Update – Feb 23-Mar 1, 2026 Performance Comparisons Between Single vs. Collaborative Government Services Urban Affairs Review (gated article) This study examines whether general-purpose governments vs. their collaborativ…

Comparisons, reckoning, priorities: curated articles, Feb 23-Mar 1, 2026 @aspanational.bsky.social Center for Accountability & Performance - bit.ly/4cWgHbH

Federal supervisors are poised to soon face limitations on how many employees they can rate as above average in their annual performance reviews after the Trump administration on Monday proposed upending the process for evaluating civil servants. buff.ly/8oMggn0

New White House design team aims for ‘delightful’ websites — changing design ethos in the process Trump’s chief design officer says that his work shouldn’t be controversial, but his team’s track record has raised questions about who their websites are for, who they leave out and whether the White ...

NEW: A relatively under the radar White House office wants to use AI to overhaul the government's online presence.

But the track record of the team thus far has raised questions about who their websites are for, who they leave out and how much sleek design can do.

www.nextgov.com/digital-gove...

Accountability and Performance Update – Feb 16-22, 2026 A Guide to Measuring Performance: The City of Berkeley, CA Edition Barrett & Greene The Berkeley, California auditor’s office is well-known for the attention it pays to the measurement of perfo…

Guide, lessons, Moneyball - curated articles, Feb 16-22, 2026 @aspanational.bsky.social Center for Accountability & Performance - bit.ly/4aOUw4w

Accountability and Performance Update – Feb 9-15, 2026 Human-Machine Collaboration for Strategic Foresight Public Administration Review (gated article) This is a case study of an innovative pilot project conducted by an Australian state government…

Human-machine, governance system: curated articles, Feb 9-15, 2026 @aspanational.bsky.social Center for Accountability & Performance - bit.ly/4ri2l9V

Senior Government Lawyers Are Shirking Ethics Rules With Impunity State courts and bar associations must counter false—and dangerous—claims that state ethics rules don't apply to high federal officials.

#Ethics
Senior Government Lawyers Are Shirking Ethics Rules With Impunity
via @LawfareMedia

Accountability and Performance Update – Feb 2-8, 2026 OPM’s Challenge of Creating High Performance Cultures Government Executive (Howard Risher) To help federal agencies operate like modern high-performance organizations requires an understanding of t…

Challenge, predictive, power: curated articles, Feb 22-8, 2026 @aspanational.bsky.social Center for Accountability & Performance- bit.ly/4auEpcu

Social Security is directing employees who normally process benefits to answer phones instead After shedding thousands of employees, SSA is reassigning workers amid fears the moves will cause backlogs to grow.

The Social Security Administration is shifting more employees to its phone line, a move that employees say risks adding to backlogs

www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

Ethics organization calls for investigation into jewelry ad that features assistant secretary The Energy Department said that Audrey Robertson’s appearance was unpaid, occurred prior to her confirmation and that her government title was added by the business.

#Ethics
Ethics organization calls for investigation into jewelry ad that features assistant secretary
via GovExec

Who Owns the Water? Groundwater Governance Challenges in East Texas - PA TIMES Online The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Savanna BatsonJanuary 23, 2026 ast Texas boasts numerous surface water reservoirs and lakes and underground, the Gulf Coast Aquifer, Carrizo Wilcox Aquifer and the Trinity Aquifer have historically provided ample groundwater. However, as the […]

Now on #PATimes:
Who Owns the Water? Groundwater Governance Challenges in East Texas
By Savanna Batson

Holy moly! #ASPA2026 is only six weeks away. We're excited to see everyone in Hollywood! ICYMI, the agenda is on our website now! Check it out and see you soon!
www.aspanet.org/annu...

Our final Project 2025 #webinar is a week away, looking at social equity. You'll want to join us for this discussion!
More info and to register: www.aspanet.org/ASPA...

#Motivation
"There is something enormously fulfilling about being engaged in something bigger than yourself. It imparts a satisfying sense of purpose which, in my experience, is not attained in any other way."
- General Brent Scowcroft, Former US National Security Advisor

The Lingua Franca of Leadership, Identity and Opportunity in South Asia - PA TIMES Online The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Asad E. Butt January 23, 2026 In a quiet classroom in the marginalized hinterlands of Bihar, a young girl named Rina sits with her government school textbooks written in English. For Rina, English is a […]

Now on #PATimes:
The Lingua Franca of Leadership, Identity and Opportunity in South Asia
By Asad E. Butt

Bedtime Stories for Public Servants: For the Purpose of Consultation - PA TIMES Online The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By S. Mohsen FatemiJanuary 23, 2026 The river was low that spring, exposing stones no one remembered naming. From the council chamber windows, it looked patient, as if waiting for something to pass. Elena had […]

Now on #PATimes:
Bedtime Stories for Public Servants: For the Purpose of Consultation
By S. Mohsen Fatemi

When Congress voted to end the four-day partial government shutdown, lawmakers included language reiterating that all federal workers receive back pay, despite renewed wrangling by the Trump administration to the contrary. buff.ly/KFBWAQ3

#Equity
From @InsideHigherEd:
Texas A&M Closes Women’s and Gender Studies Programs

Today's edition of our news digest, Federal Workforce in Turmoil, is available. We're tracking current events related to the ongoing changes to the federal workforce so you don't have to - in your inbox or via the link below.
t.co/31dlD8efaf

US House advances bill to fund federal agencies The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday moved to advance a government funding bill that would end a shutdown that began on Saturday.

US House advances bill to fund federal agencies reut.rs/4qjCbT4

Accountability and Performance Update – Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2026 What Does It Take to Make Public Data Usable? Substack/Rebecca Mbaya This Substack account spotlights visionary changemakers in Africa. This interview spotlights a Namibian data analyst who moves b…

Oversight, systems, innovation: curated articles, Jan 26-Feb 1, 2026 @aspanational.bsky.social Center for Accountability & Performance - bit.ly/4qoSZYY

#ThisWeek is out with a ton of updates, #webinar info, publications, news and more! Check it out in your inbox and get involved with ASPA #ThisWeek!
t.co/tTcTnO63pm

Public Administration Paradigms in the AI Era: Revisiting and Reimagining - PA TIMES Online The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Tong ChenJanuary 23, 2026 From process automation to algorithmic welfare allocation, AI technologies are gradually integrated into public service delivery and policymaking. Yet classic public administration paradigms, designed for analog bureaucracies, are not sufficient […]

Now on #PATimes:
Public Administration Paradigms in the AI Era: Revisiting and Reimagining
By Tong Chen

ICYMI: PAR's Jan/Feb 2026 edition is out!
onlinelibrary.wiley....
Get it through your uni library or our website!

Our Project 2025 #webinar looking at integrity needed to be rescheduled due to a tech glitch. If you wanted to join but couldn't, join us this week: Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. ET!
t.co/HFdGq4i1Mv

After missing hiring goals, IRS dials back taxpayer phone assistance targets | Federal News Network IRS fell short of its hiring goals because of the government shutdown and a new requirement for IRS and Treasury Department leaders to approve hiring plans.

After missing hiring goals, IRS dials back taxpayer phone assistance targets federalnewsnetwork.com/management/2... via @aspanational.bsky.social

State Budget Stress Intensifies in 2026 as Federal Aid Fades With pandemic-era aid gone and long-term structural challenges looming, 2026 budget debates will test lawmakers’ ability to balance short-term gaps and future risk.

News you may have missed...
State Budget Stress Intensifies in 2026 as Federal Aid Fades
via @Governing

The College Football Playoff: A Public Administration Spectacle - PA TIMES Online The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Benjamin DeitchmanJanuary 16, 2026 Most fans may focus on the pageantry and physicality of college football, but no other sporting competition offers better insight into the intricacies and pitfalls of public administration than the […]

Now on #PATimes:
The College Football Playoff: A Public Administration Spectacle
By Benjamin Deitchman

Beyond Turnout: The Election Administrators' Institutional Capacity Question and Developing Voter Education Programs - PA TIMES Online The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Ramón PagánJanuary 16, 2026 Michael McDonald, a political scientist, compiled data showing that voter turnout in the U.S. averages 59 percent in presidential elections and 42 percent in midterms. In some local jurisdictions, turnout […]

Now on #PATimes:
Beyond Turnout: The Election Administrators' Institutional Capacity Question and Developing Voter Education Programs
By Ramón Pagán

Martin Luther King Jr. and the Moral Responsibilities of Public Administration - PA TIMES Online The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Malcolm K. OliverJanuary 16, 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day is often seen as a time to remember his legacy, but for public administrators, it should also be a moment for professional reflection. King […]

Now on #PATimes:
Martin Luther King Jr. and the Moral Responsibilities of Public Administration
By Malcolm K. Oliver

Did you miss it? ASPA launched a #webinar summary series: Critical Takeaways. The first one looks at our webinar thinking about Performance Audits. (And thanks to #ASPCAP for hosting it!)
www.aspanet.org/take...