Accountability & Transparency: What does it mean to your organization?
The prompt for this round of the FEDforum is "Accountability & Transparency: What does it mean to your organization?”. This week, hear from the National Academy of Public Administration.
Transparency has been a foundational term in several recent studies that we have completed at the National Academy of Public Administration* (the Academy). In engagements with multiple support functions within the US Department of Agriculture’s National Finance Center (NFC) and the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center (FPAC), transparency was front and center as the Study Teams analyzed processes and activities that were shaping the customer experience.
While assisting FPAC with the development of recommendations to best leverage and improve upon the set of systems and processes that make up its current E-Catalog to provide more efficient and effective service delivery to its Customer Agencies and external partners, a key element was transparency. Best practice research shaped a recommendation to include information that informs decision-making and builds transparency with users. Some illustrations of transparency in practice include clear definitions of the services; a clear explanation of what is included in the service; pricing terms; and comparison with other similar options available to mention a few. Additional examples of transparency that can assist FPAC with improved performance included more visibility into modifications to processes and more communication with customers to ensure their feedback is being received and acted upon. Similarly, the NFC report provided examples of the benefits of transparency – especially in showing how customer money is spent, and that it is spent well. Much of the research and analysis of both studies was grounded in part by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)’s definition of customer experience and a combination of factors that result from touchpoints between an individual, business, or organization and the Federal Government. A key outcome of these interactions includes equity/transparency of the process, which informs and empowers the customer in their decision making.
Additionally, the work of the Academy’s Agile Government Center bolsters the benefit of transparency and how it contributes to accountability. “By encouraging involvement of these stakeholders early in a project or program, the benefits can be twofold: the transparency that is inherent in agile processes can actually facilitate effective oversight; and the ongoing collaborative contributions from the oversight function can ensure that the project is operating within requirements as it progresses.” With many of our Fellows coming from oversight functions within local, state, and federal agencies, accountability is front of mind in all the work we do. We have been fortunate to work with many of these organizations to support them in their mission achievement. We are currently working with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the United States Agency for International Development, assisting them with development of an updated strategic plan as well as an assessment of their human capital capabilities. Similarly we have worked with the Department of Homeland Security OIG and the Department of Commerce OIG providing similar support. The role of OIGs in ensuring accountability and appropriate use of taxpayer dollars is a critical one and this work is a key focal area for the Academy. As we begin a new fiscal year, we look forward to new opportunities to shine the light on the value and impact of transparency and its contribution to achieving greater accountability.
*The National Academy of Public Administration (the Academy) is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization established in 1967 to assist government leaders in building more effective, accountable, and transparent organizations. Chartered by Congress to provide nonpartisan expert advice, the Academy's unique feature is its nearly 1,000 Fellows—including former cabinet officers, Members of Congress, governors, mayors, and state legislators, as well as prominent scholars, business executives, and career public administrators. The Academy helps the federal government address its critical management challenges through in-depth studies and analyses, advisory services and technical assistance, congressional testimony, forums and conferences, and online stakeholder engagement. Under contracts with government agencies, some of which are directed by Congress, as well as grants from private foundations, the Academy provides insights on key public management issues, as well as advisory services to government agencies. If you would like to find out more about how the Academy can support your organization, please visit us at www.napawash.org.
The column from the National Academy of Public Administration is part of the FEDforum, an initiative to unite voices across the federal community. The FEDforum is a space for federal employee groups to share their organizations’ initiatives and activities with the FEDmanager audience.
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