Can we still accomplish big things?

• Author: Kavanagh, Shayne C.
• Position: THE BOOKSHELF

The authors set out to show that government can indeed accomplish big things. Taking their inspiration from NASNs moon landing and other successful government initiatives, the authors' premise is that a successful government undertaking is a system and journey, with the following steps:

1. Idea. The undertaking must start with a good idea.

2. Design. The idea is turned into a design by assigning specifics that can be implemented. This often happens in the form of legislation.

3. Stargate. Design must win approval, signaling a moment of democratic commitment, such as when a bill becomes law.

4. Implementation. There must be competent implementation.

5. Results. The initiative must generate the desired results.

Additionally, to be successful in the long run, a large public undertaking must be periodically reevaluated with respect to what is being done and how it is being done. The authors emphasize that these steps constitute a systematic journey and that focusing on any one step to the exclusion of the others is a key impediment to achieving big things.

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

Eggers and O'Leary describe each component of their system, including traps to watch out for and tools to make use of.

Idea Phase. The challenge of the idea phase is to break free of bias and invite new voices into the idea generation and selection process. This is because the biggest danger of the idea phase is confirmation bias--looking only at evidence that confirms your view of the world. Hence, counteracting confirmation bias is a major focus of the idea phase. The authors recommend gathering data to analyze the problem and developing and testing ideas, all while being careful not to ignore data that contradicts preconceived notions. The authors also advise seeking input from a diverse range of people, including people who are not within your field or discipline--subject matter experts and systems thinkers, customers of the program or service in question, and skeptics. Finally, during the idea phase, it is important to recognize that there will be opposition. Make sure you understand the concerns of others and that others know you understand their positions. Look for solutions that meet the interests of the involved parities, rather than focusing on bargaining positions.

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Design for Execution Phase. The challenge in the design stage is to treat it as a process for designing a solution that will work when it comes to implementation on the ground...