ALEXISWICHOWSKI
READINGS
Note - ** means you are responsible for procuring
INTRO & OVERVIEW
What we talk about when we talk about innovation in government. Overview of course syllabus & assignments
FOUNDATIONS
Political philosophy on what it means to govern and be governed, to be a citizen in a democracy, and the core responsibilities of the public servant
** Habermas, J. (1962/1989). The structural transformation of the public sphere (Chapter 2, “Social structures of the public sphere, pp. 27-56. Chapter 3, “Political functions of the public sphere,” pp. 57-88). Cambridge: MIT Press.
Putnam, J. (2016). “The tech geeks burden,” TechCrunch.
Government Digital Service UK - Service Standards
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GOVERNING IN 2022
How-to guides and personal accounts of how innovative government policy-making actually works; how to navigate and conquer the bureaucracy
**Richard Haas, The Bureaucratic Entrepreneur. (Ch1, pp. 1-12 “Finding Your Way”; Ch. 3, pp. 55-79, “North: Those for Whom You Work.” Brookings Institution.
O’Reilly, T. (2010). “Government as a platform” (Ch. 2, pp. 11-39) Open Government, O’Reilly Media
Wichowski (2017). "Hack the bureaucracy: a user's guide to getting things done in government (with or without tech)." [ LINK ]
(OPTIONAL) Observatory of Public Sector Innovation. Embracing Innovation in Government
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THE PSYCHOLOGY OF POLICYMAKING
Overcoming human obstacles in policymaking. Mapping the motivations and forces that drive government decision-making
**Robert Cialdini, Influence: Science and Practice. Ch 6 pp. 178-202 “Authority”; Ch. 7 pp. 203-232 “Scarcity,” Allyn & Bacon.
The New America Foundation, Getting the Work Done: How Innovation Really Works In Government
**Joseph Nye, Soft Power. Ch. 1 pp. 1-32 “The Changing Nature of Power,” Public Affairs.
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POLITICS VS DATA
Navigating the need to account for political pressures that ignores the data. Accounting for external pressures, including party politics, citizen advocacy, private sector interests, and the 24-7 news cycle
Noveck, B. (2010) “The single point of failure.” (Ch. 4, pp.49-69) Open Government, O’Reilly Media
Caimey, P. (2017). “The politics of evidence-based policy making,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics, Oxford University Press.
Entman, R. & Stonbely, S. (2018). “Political Scandals as a Democratic Challenge | Blunders, Scandals, and Strategic Communication in U.S. Foreign Policy: Benghazi vs. 9/11.” International Journal of Communication, Vol 12.
Bracken, M. (Apr 8, 2019). “Digital Transformation is a Leadership Problem,” Medium.
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EVIDENCE-BASED POLICYMAKING
How to use evidence to strengthen policy making
(2018). “The Evidence Based Policy Making Resource Center,” Pew Charitable Trusts (“Program Assessment,” “Budget Development,” “Implementation Oversight,” “Outcome Monitoring,” “Targeted Evaluation”)
"Setting goals and developing specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives."
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Rooney, J. & Vanden Heuvel, L. (2004). “Root Cause Analysis for Beginners,” Quality Progress
Wilson, Bill. “Root cause analysis articles,” (Meaning of Root Cause I & II, Phases of Root Cause Analysis)
Ku, Pavel. (November 30, 2018). "4 Values of the Agile Manifesto and 12 Agile Principles Easily Explained." Medium.
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DIGITAL GOVERNMENT & DATA ANALYTICS
Ushering digital transformation into government & incorporating basic data analytics to further policy-making goals
Numanović, A. (2017). “Data Science: the next frontier for policy making.” Policy Hub
Gover, J. (2018). “How to do data analytics in government.” Government Technology
(Explore) Harvard Kennedy School Ash Innovation Center Civic Analytics Network Solutions Search
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PITCHING & PERSUASION
Memo-drafting and quick pitches to persuade authority figures; mastering the unspoken rules of bureaucracy navigation to ensure your ideas stick
Orwell, G. (1946). “Politics and the English Language,” Horizons
**Heath, C. Made to Stick. Ch.1, pp. 3-24. “What Sticks,” Random House.
(1999). “How to craft a tight, persuasive memo.” Business Management Daily
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PRESS CONFERENCE
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GUEST SPEAKERS
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SO WHAT?
Applying innovation in government lessons to actual work in the field in government and any other change-averse institution
Lincoln, A. (1863). The Gettysburg Address
Obama, B. (2004). Democratic National Convention Keynote Address.
Kalil, Thomas. (2017). “Policy Entrepreneurship at the White House” Innovations, Vol. 11, Number 3/4
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FINAL PRESENTATIONS
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