The basic structure of many federal agencies emerged long before the digital age. Today, government employees labor while trapped in an outdated bubble attempting to respond to fast changing technology, social and cultural trends, and short term political leadership.

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Agencies do change. The General Services Administration, for example, has reorganized and consolidated many times since Congress created it in 1949. Its workforce has declined 70 percent in 31 years — from 42,000 employees in 1980 to 12,600 recently. In addition, it has introduced new programs over the years to meet the needs of the agencies it supports. 

 

Contrary to public opinion, the government is often an early adopter of emerging technology and it responds to changing conditions.  However, this response is often in pockets, the result of action taken

by one individual.

 

At the political level, the favored change process is to hack the budget, freeze hiring, and appoint unqualified persons to disrupt the organization.

 

There is a better way. Agency executives need to consider the emerging opportunities and challenges broadly across the organization.

 

Agency leaders should organize to receive input about eight questions designed to provide insights and recommendations from across the organization and providing feedback from all levels of personnel.

 

1. Which agency jobs have become more complex because technology demands higher skills? Which jobs have become less complex although their official position descriptions still require high-level skills?

2. What skills does the agency need to develop to thrive in the networking age?

3. What agency functions will be critical in five to 10 years? Which current functions should be consolidated, minimized, or dropped entirely?

4. How could the agency use the Semantic Web and data-mining tools such as the Domain Awareness System jointly developed by the New York City Police Department and Microsoft to retrieve and display information from multiple sources?

5. How can the agency make the best use of all its talented employees, down to the GS-7 level?

6. Would it be possible to flatten some management levels at the agency?

7. How can the agency become an agency without boundaries and create an environment in which creativity, innovation, and flexibility are encouraged across programs?

8. How can the agency make the best use of emerging digital tools and enhance younger employees’ ability to think, learn, communicate, solve problems, and in general be more creative than previous generations?

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To respond to those challenges, officials in each agency should:

1. Announce they are committed to position the agency for the near future; and that they are seeking input from all employees.

2. Employ two futurists to present for discussion the emerging trends in governance and technology.

3. Rely on collective intelligence and crowdsourcing by organizing brainstorming teams based on a cross section of ages, not grade level, to develop responses to the eight questions (above) and vote on the top five ideas put forward by each team.

4. Establish an implementation team with a two-year deadline to work with line managers and implement the changes recommended by the brainstorming teams and approved by senior officials. The implementation team should have the power to influence the performance ratings of line managers.

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In summary, a broad approach with wide participation will provide better results for each agency than allowing change in pockets or the favored fragmented approach normally taken by elected officials.

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We, (through crowdsourcing) are smarter than I am.