The People Factor
Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service
Linda J. Bilmes and W. Scott Gould
Brookings Institution Press
Facing its greatest domestic challenges since the Great Depression, America is waking up to the realization that government is still important. In their new book, The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service, Harvard professor Linda J. Bilmes and IBM Vice President W. Scott Gould argue that the country cannot prosper without a strong, highly functioning federal work force to manage the government. The authors call for an investment of $10 billion to improve recruiting, training and management of the federal workforce predicting that investment will yield $300-$600 billion in productivity gains. Packed with cost and performance data as well as new research on what motivates applicants for government jobs, these former government executives provide a compelling business case for investing in the civil service so that it may better serve the nation. A must read for policy makers, civil servants and citizens who demand more from government.
Part One of The People Factor book shows why the U.S. personnel system needs reform, revealing the high price of inaction. Part Two lays out the specific steps that must be taken to achieve the necessary gains. Part Three focuses on how to implement the People Factor and make the authors’ vision a reality. They argue that the next president needs to turn this issue into a top priority and use political capital to push reform.
Highlights of the book include:
Congressional Testimony on Working for America Act » Nationwide Surveys of College Students and Private Sector Employees » Advance Praise for The People Factor "In recent decades, we have allowed the quality of public service in America to deteriorate badly and we are all paying the price. Bilmes and Gould have written exactly the right book at exactly the right time—a thoughtful, wise plan for overhauling government that will inspire a new generation of men and women to serve their country." —David Gergen, Professor of Public Service and director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School "I devoted thirty-eight years in uniform to building competent organizations that perform at the highest levels, even in the midst of crises when senior leaders might be changed out on short notice. The People Factor trumpets brilliantly the critical need to make similar investments in our federal workforce. By providing the requisite training, equipment, and leadership development, our federal workforce can perform the way Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coastguardsmen do—selflessly and mission focused." —General Eric K. Shinseki, U.S. Army (Ret.) "Ultimately our welfare as a nation depends on the quality of our government, and government in turn cannot be better than the people who staff it. Government staffing rarely makes the front pages but it is profoundly important to our future. This important book shows how we as a country can do much better." —Lawrence H. Summers, Director of National Economic Council "The People Factor is focused on how the government can achieve a better return on its most valuable asset—federal employees. It is a high-quality, comprehensive, and timely work on a topic that is little understood—but vital for the future well-being of our government." —David Walker, CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and former Comptroller General of the United States "Good government starts with good people. Bilmes and Gould provide a thoughtful and compelling primer on why our next president needs to take that principle to heart." —Max Stier, President, Partnership for Public Service "The shortage of good people is the single biggest limitation on good government today. In Washington’s welter of transition-year policy books, none takes on a more important subject, or deserves more attention from the new administration, than The People Factor." —Ashton Carter, Harvard University, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy
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