Federal Manager's Daily Report

PPS warns of an outdated government that is not keeping up with the world around it. Image: Shutterstock.com

The Partnership for Public Service, a leading good-government group, has issued a new warning about the state of the civil service and its implications for the nation, saying the government has reached a “critical moment.”

“Decades of persistent neglect, antiquated systems and, just recently, the longest government shutdown in our history have left much of the federal government unable to meet the demands of today’s interconnected, technology-driven world or prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. In short, we have an outdated government that is not keeping up with the world around it,” it said in its annual report.

For example, it said, compared with the private sector federal employees feel less encouraged to come up with new and better ways of doing things, and are less likely to say they have the necessary resources to do their jobs properly.

In response, the Partnership said it is expanding its efforts beyond its traditional focuses such as hiring reforms, leadership development, employee engagement training and sponsoring the Service to America Medals to also focus on improving the customer experience, fostering government innovation and strengthening government’s use of data and analysis.