"Process has Trumped Outcome"

The Technology, Innovation & Government Reform Policy Working Group (TIG-R group) is advising the Obama administration to help implement the Innovation Agenda--including a range of proposals to create a 21st century government that is more open and effective, leverages technology, renews our commitment to science, and catalyzes active citizenship and partnerships in shared governance.

A member of the group is Vivek Kundra, the CTO for D.C. government. He posted an absolutely terrific video on his Facebook profile about the work of the TIG-R that I was able to track down on YouTube. (Thanks Bev Godwin for sharing!)

Kundra nails one of the big challenges when he says, that one of the biggest problems in federal government is that "process has trumped outcome...everybody is focused on compliance. Nobody is thinking about innovation and how to drive change within the government."

Now, it's not there there is NO innovation in government--of course there is. And it's awesome. BUT, every day projects are dismissed, canned, discouraged, pooh-poohed because "it can't be done." (Don't get me started on implied endorsement, for example.) Innovators are "asking forgiveness." [Wait for a new government acronym for this one (can we get FU in it?).] Many are keeping things underwraps, diminishing the ability for others to share and copy--and potentially missing important caveats.

Overall, the video is very hopeful. The people on the workgroup fully expect that government CAN innovate and meet the challenges. I agree with this, too.