GOVERNMENT 2.0 STUDY MAKES CASE FOR “CHANGE” IN GOVERNMENT – HIGHLIGHTS CHALLENGES OF TRANSITION FROM RHETORIC TO REALITY
Federal Managers and Average Americans Agree Poor Management Practices Squander at Least One-Third of Tax Dollars
Crystal City, Va., September 22, 2008 – Primavera Systems, Inc., today announced the results of its second annual government management study – “Government 2.0 – The Performance Opportunity.” The study shows that both Federal managers and average Americans are calling for management reform in the next administration. Federal managers leverage their inside knowledge to provide specific recommendations on how the next administration can improve. These recommendations point to Government 2.0 – the next generation of government that leverages technology to enable two-way communication with the public, improve management practices, and prepare the leaders of the future.
Gaps in Perception – Cracks in Foundation
With mere weeks until the next Presidential election, the study reveals that average Americans believe that 42 percent of U.S. tax dollars are wasted due to government inefficiency. The value of this “Efficiency Gap” equates to the combined personal income tax payments of approximately every taxpayer in the 11 states that comprise the Northeast. Surprisingly, Federal managers echoed the perception of waste, reporting that they believe nearly one-third of their own tax dollars are wasted or misused.
Not a Lost Cause – Improve Management Processes and Tools
Average Americans and Federal managers also agree that the government must manage government programs more efficiently. Just 10 percent of Americans are satisfied with Federal management practices, and only 17 percent of Federal managers would give their agency an “A” for management effectiveness. Eighty-seven percent of Federal managers say some or all wasted tax dollars could be recovered through improved management practices.
Three-quarters of Americans desire increased visibility into Federal spending and management performance. Forty-three percent of Federal managers assert that non-standard management systems in Federal agencies present a significant obstacle to achieving this goal.
The Transition Is Not a Cure-All – Communicate to Achieve Results
Few Federal managers believe the transition to a new administration will result in immediate improvements. In fact, 63 percent believe that government performance accountability and reform will suffer during the transition to the next administration. Federal managers also gave the next administration thoughts on how to succeed during the transition. Their most-cited piece of advice? Listen to seasoned government managers.
Americans, too, want to see more communication from the government. Seventy-five percent of Americans would like the government to notify them when a program goes over budget, why it is over budget, and what the agency will do to fix the problem. Sixty percent of Americans say the government should publish information about government spending online.
Visions for the Future – Federal Managers Offer Government 2.0 Advice
Federal managers offer several pieces of advice to the next administration. When asked how the government can improve management practices, Federal managers provided the following recommendations:
- 65 percent suggest a standardized system for reporting and tracking project updates and changes
- 55 percent recommend a standardized system for reporting project problems in real time
- 47 percent say that providing project managers with access to the same project information at the same time would greatly benefit management continuity across the board
“Both average Americans and Federal managers are clearly focused on the challenges and opportunities presented by the administration transition,” said Nicole Styer, Vice President, Marketing, Primavera. “Echoing the presidential candidates’ call for reform, accountability, and transparency, this study outlines what needs to change if the change talk is to go beyond rhetoric. Without enhanced and standardized management infrastructure, no matter who wins in November, Americans will be served up more of the same.”
Methodology
The “Government 2.0 – The Performance Opportunity” findings are based on an online survey of 3,868 members of the general public and 382 Federal managers. The general public survey has a margin of error of +/-1.58 percent with a confidence level of 95 percent. The Federal manager survey has a margin of error of +/-5.01 percent with a confidence level of 95 percent. The study is available for download at http://www.primavera.com/connect.
About Primavera
Primavera is the world's leading provider of project, resource and portfolio management software. Our industry-specific solutions help project-driven organizations create a competitive advantage by making better portfolio investment decisions, improving governance, prioritizing project investments and resources, and delivering tangible results back to the business.
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We encourage you to learn how Primavera can help you meet your project goals and business objectives. For greater detail on Primavera solutions and real-world customer successes, visit www.primavera.com today.
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