Report addresses SES collaboration

Earlier this year, the IBM Center for The Business of Government published a report examining the ability of Senior Executive Service (SES) members to lead and collaborate on cross-agency initiatives. The report, Developing Senior Executive Capabilities to Address National Priorities, is one of three recent IBM Center reports that examine the impact of the Government Performance and Results Act of 2010 (GPRAMA), which required the development of government-wide priority goals and greater coordination among agencies.

The report intends to facilitate discussion about how SES members would be able to lead major, cross-agency initiatives focused on national priorities, and is organized in two parts. The first part explores the possibility of creating a subset of SES members who would be government-wide cross-agency leaders. The second part is a case study of how the Department of Veterans Affairs created a corporate senior executive management office to more effectively develop, manage, and deploy its senior executive corps.

The report found the lack of SES mobility across agencies to be a major obstacle to developing the talent and experience needed for effective interagency collaboration. While the drafters of the original 1978 civil service reforms intended for all SES members to have a government-wide perspective, SES members often find it difficult to form cross-agency partnerships due to limited resources or a focus on local programs.

For more information on the report, please follow the link below.
Developing Senior Executive Capabilities to Address National Priorities, IBM Center for The Business of Government