2016 Top Management Challenges for State & Local Government

Government solicitations for services frequently include a requirement to identify key personnel who will work on the awarded contract. If so, offerors may be required to also include resumes and letters of commitment for each person proposed in the specified key personnel position(s), and the proposed key personnel usually will be considered as part of the solicitation’s evaluation criteria.

Now that America has hired a new president and congress, how will they influence total rewards public policy issues? Will president-elect Donald Trump keep the promises he made on the campaign trail? Who will the new key leaders be in the Trump Administration at the Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other agencies charged with enforcing workplace regulations? And what will Congress prioritize in terms of workplace issues?

Governments are increasingly adopting new technologies designed to improve processes and limit friction. Open-source software – software with easily edited source code – is one way agencies are leveraging modern tools to boost efficiency and cut costs. Unlike proprietary software, open-source software is developed and modified by a community rather than a single author or company. This decentralized, collaborative approach to source code provides an added level of flexibility that prevents lock-in and keeps organizations agile. Open-source software is also a strategic asset – owning source code keeps governments up to date with market-leading trends and is an economic advantage that can lower costs.

An independent audit committee is a fundamental component of good corporate governance and this is no different in the Public Sector. The audit committee plays a key role in providing independent advice and assurance to the accountable authority to assist them in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities in a number of key areas. These may vary between State and Territory governments and the Australian Government but may include areas such as an entity's financial reporting, internal control systems, systems of risk oversight and risk management and performance reporting.