ASPA 2021 Annual Conference

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The ASPA Conference this year, Picking Up the Pieces: Pandemics, Protests and the Future of Public Service, will be held online starting April 9, 2021. The conference offers 7 days of content, 56 hours of programming and over 150 panels. Please visit the ASPA Annual Conference page at https://www.aspanet.org/ASPA/Events/Annual-Conference/Annual-Conference.aspx to find out more on all the great panel tracks and special speakers. Registration is open and is a great price for the outstanding knowledge you will gain for your personal development and to do your job even better.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”62″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]By NCAC Board Vice President Allen Lomax[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories: ASPA News, Current Events, Event

Happy 100th Birthday U.S. Government Accountability Office

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This year marks the 100th birthday of the US Government Accountability Office (GAO). The Congressional agency, originally called the General Accounting Office, was created by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921. Its name was changed in 2004. Throughout its history GAO has saved the federal taxpayers many millions of dollars and made government much more efficient and effective. GAO’s work focuses on anything and everything that impacts the lives of the American people. To discover GAO’s rich history and work, please visit its web page GAO@100 https://www.gao.gov/about/what-gao-is/hundred-years-of-gao/

Here’s to another 100 years!

Here is an interesting connection of GAO to ASPA—Elmer B. Staats, the Fifth Comptroller General of the United States (1966-1981) the title of the head of GAO, was a founding member of ASPA in 1939, was President of the Washington, DC chapter (now NCAC) (1948-1949) and ASPA’s National President (1961-1962).

 

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By NCAC Board Vice President Allen Lomax

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Natalie Donahue (Federal Government)

My name is Natalie Donahue and I am the Chief of Evaluation in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State.
In my spare time I also serve as the Membership Chair for the Washington Evaluators (the American Evaluation Association’s DC region local affiliate organization) and teach public policy courses for The Ohio State University (my alma mater).
I lead an incredible staff of Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists in measuring and evaluating the effectiveness and long-term outcomes of ECA’s exchange programs through conducting complex analyses and evaluations, monitoring our programs, and building the evaluation capacity of our colleagues and external partners. I am also responsible for coordinating ECA evaluation initiatives and policy within the Bureau and ensuring ECA’s evaluation efforts are aligned with Department of State and Congressional policies and priorities.
I lead an incredible staff of Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists in measuring and evaluating the effectiveness and long-term outcomes of ECA’s exchange programs through conducting complex analyses and evaluations, monitoring our programs, and building the evaluation capacity of our colleagues and external partners. I am also responsible for coordinating ECA evaluation initiatives and policy within the Bureau and ensuring ECA’s evaluation efforts are aligned with Department of State and Congressional policies and priorities.
My team’s work provides a means to better understand where ECA programs are successful and where improvements can be made – all in the effort to ensure U.S. taxpayer dollars are being spent effectively. The data and analyses provided by my team’s efforts enable ECA program staff and senior leadership to assess performance and inform strategic planning at both the Bureau and individual exchange program levels. As our Bureau is dedicated to transparency and accountability, all evaluation reports are posted online so the American people are aware of and understand the effectiveness of ECA exchange programming.
It’s an exciting time for my team and I as we are now piloting our new Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework; our Bureau-wide monitoring system we collaboratively created with relevant stakeholders throughout 2019. This includes a strategy crosswalk of how ECA programs advance National Security Strategy priorities. You can find out more about the MODE Framework here.
I’m always happy to meet new people (particularly those with good book recommendations!) so feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear from you!
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Steven Putansu, PhD (Federal Government)

I split my time as a public servant at the US Government Accountability Office (GAO); a professorial lecturer at American University; and a public management scholar. I try, as much as I can, to find connections between research and practice, and across academic fields and disciplines, to advocate for thoughtful development and use of policy knowledge in government decisions. This means finding a balance between often competing goals and working to ensure that considerations of the four pillars of economy, effectiveness, efficiency, and social equity are incorporated throughout decision making, policy implementation, strategic management, and evaluation processes.
I have been a dedicated public servant for over ten years. This role has given me the opportunity to generate and analyze evidence to support results-oriented policy and effective, efficient, and equitable governance. My methodological contributions have ensured rigorous technical standards in hundreds of GAO performance audits, helped provide policymakers with high-quality information for overseeing federal programs, and supported the best use of taxpayer dollars. I am so proud to be a part of the team at GAO, where I am surrounded by other dedicated and committed public servants working to improve federal government spending, processes, management, and outcomes. GAO has given me the opportunity to work in dozens of policy areas, and I am always excited to understand and try to find opportunities to improve federal programs across the spectrum of policy. That said, two of the contributions I am most proud of are 1) Evidence-Based Policy and 2) Policy Coherence.
I have supported many GAO engagements that have reviewed the use of strategic planning, performance management, evaluation, and evidence-based policy to support and improve decision making across the government. This has given me an appreciation for evidence that is sufficient and appropriate for different purposes, for the values and tradeoffs among different methodological approaches, and for the continued importance of ideological, interest, and institutional influence on decision making. This work helps ensure that federal programs generate and use strong evidence to support their decisions. It also gave me many important insights for my book, which assessed how policy knowledge works in concert with political factors in decisions about federal education policy.
Over the past ten years, GAO has built a body of work on fragmentation, overlap, and duplication (DOF, for short) in the federal government, and I have been lucky to be a part of this work for nearly the entire time. This work comprehensively looks at the effects of DOF – both positive and harmful – and thoughtfully considers how actions to reduce, eliminate, or better manage these areas can improve how government works. This body of work has led to over $400 billion in financial benefits for the federal government, and numerous non-financial improvements to the planning, coordination, and implementation of fragmented, overlapping, and duplicative programs.
There are many amazing public servants and academics on twitter! You can follow me at @steveputansu – then check out who I follow to find some real superstars!
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Connie L. Berhane (Federal Government)

It gives me great pleasure to introduce myself. I am a Senior Management Analyst with over 20 years of Federal Civil Service. I currently work for the Department of the Army, Force Management Support Agency.
First, some fun facts about me. I love to travel!  My previous excursions were Aruba, Dominican Republic and Grand Turks and Caicos.  I was scheduled to cruise to Alaska in June of this year but Covid19 had its say….what a bummer! I enjoy spending time with family and friends, volunteering in my spare time and “chalking up” a few steps with Fitbit Workweek hustle! That’s how I exercise and it’s fun too!
As a Senior Management Analyst, I oversee diverse portfolios of Army organization structure and major systems for multiple Army Commands.  The products I provide are data driven, integrate manpower, personnel and equipment. I offer comprehensive leadership, management and technical guidance across organization management communities.
My agency plays a vital role in processes which establishes and resources mission-ready Army organizations and all elements of the Army Organizational Life Cycle Model that meets the Secretary of the Army’s statutory requirements to resource; maintain and station the Army.
We ensure the Army is efficiently and effectively organized, manned, equipped, trained, and sustained through delivery of our products. My work is very unique.  I am able to evaluate and apply organization designs and models that meet the critical needs of the Army. I am proud to serve as a member of the Army team and Institution.
It has been a pleasure sharing a few tidbits about me!  I can be reach reached at clberhane@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
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Arthur Elkins (Local Government)

My name is Arthur Elkins and my employer is the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC). I serve in the role of Inspector General at WSSC.
As the independent Inspector General for WSSC, I provide leadership to a team of auditors, investigator, legal counsel and support staff whose mission is to assist WSSC with recommendations designed to enhance programmatic and operational efficiencies and effectiveness, compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and policies that support and advance WSSC’s mission to provide safe and reliable water to our environment in an ethical, sustainable, and financially responsible manner.
Our independent work provides a means for transparency, accountability, and assurance to WSSC rate payers, who are citizens of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties Maryland, that their funds are being used as intended by State law, regulations, and policies.
I can be reached at a564e@msn.com or via LinkedIn.
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NCAC Board Retreat to Assess Chapter’s Progress and Plan for the Future

On Saturday, January 4, 2020, the NCAC Board started the New Year by meeting to assess the chapter’s progress during 2019 and to plan for 2020. The Board thought 2019 was successful and was pleased with trying a new format for some of its events. That new format was the World Café style format used for its October program on education and November program on regional affordable housing issues. It was agreed that while the format was successful, it needed to be mixed with other formats throughout 2020 to provide the best events to NCAC members. 

Looking ahead, the Board set a regular production schedule for the Chapter newsletter. Now, the NCAC newsletter will be produced in January, March, May, July, September and November 2020. They also agreed to hold five chapter events during 2020—two in the spring, one in the summer and two in the fall. The Board further agreed to refresh the Chapter’s web site and make it a better knowledge tool for NCAC members. The Board agreed to make sure that all of its work and the Chapter’s programs focus on the Chapter’s mission–providing personal growth, knowledge-sharing and networking to NCAC members. 

All Board members agreed that the Saturday together was fun and productive. Look for exciting changes in 2020.

Allen Lomax

By NCAC Board Secretary Allen Lomax

Categories: ASPA News, Current Events

Nawras Taffal (Federal Government)

I am a leader with a strong engineering and public administration background, and executive skills that when put to use can make things happen. I have a passion for success and believe strongly in honesty, integrity, hard work, commitment to work and core principles. I’m a strong leader, a talented engineer, and a problem solver with strong interpersonal skills.

I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from The State University of New York at Buffalo, a Certification in Management & Executive Negotiation from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Master of Public Administration at George Mason University.

I am the Founder and CEO of Young Engineers of America (YEA). I also work at the Department of Defense as a Civil Engineering Project Manager, and I bring about 8 years of professional experience in engineering, public administration, and executive management. I am also the current director at the National Capital Chapter of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), and a membership champion at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

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Chris Harrington (Local Government)

Budget and Management Analyst, Dept. of Finance, City of Baltimore

I currently work for the City of Baltimore in the Department of Finance as a Budget and Management Analyst. Before coming to Baltimore, I spent nearly three years leading government affairs for a statewide advocacy organization in Connecticut.

As a Budget and Management analyst I am responsible for guiding eight agencies through the City’s outcome based budgeting process. Additionally, Baltimore is nationally recognized for its fiscal responsibility and budgetary prowess. I assist my portfolio of agencies in financial planning during the current fiscal year to ensure that operational goals are effectively met and resourced. Finally, I also identify and implement managerial and procedural changes to make City government work more efficiently.

Outside of my work with the City, I am researching and developing a public health toolkit, which is designed to integrate explicit considerations of public health in decisions including policies, practices, programs, and budgets. Too often, policies and programs are developed and implemented without thoughtful consideration of public health outcomes. When public health is not explicitly brought into operations and decision-making, poor public health outcomes are likely to be perpetuated.

The problems that our world faces are becoming increasingly more complex. In trying to solve these problems, I help government to understand how the financial and administrative decisions they make today can impact the people they serve years down the road. Our current environment is the sum of all the decisions that were made before us. It is our responsibility to do everything that we can to better our present and future.

I look forward to connecting with more ASPA-NCAC members. Feel free to reach out to me through my LinkedIn profile, or email me at Christophereharrington@gmail.com

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