The Government Finance Officers (GFOA)  of US and Canada has issued an "End the Acronym" policy statement urging all stakeholders to refer to the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report as just that or as the "Annual Report" or even say each letter of the former acronym individually "C. A. F. R."  As the premiere professional organization of government finance officials, GFOA is challenging a population that loves acronyms to discontinue one of the most widely used.  

It is about upholding the profession's ethics.  The acronym sounds like a slur to a more international audience and GFOA has placed a high value on Diversity and Inclusion in its new Code of Ethics.   This got me to thinking about how the Code has changed.  I had been using the old code in teaching and training for years, so I pull out my synopsis of it a lined it up with the top level statements of the new code (in a spreadsheet, of course!):

What was most striking in this comparison was the use of  "I" statements in the new code.  That and broad statements of principles.  It is simultaneously more expansive and more succinct.  Overall, a very impressive change.  When I dug a little deeper I found the YouTube video GFOA produced for the new code.  At time of writing it has 3 likes (one of which is mine!)  Give it some kudos if you too are impressed by GFOA's more holistic approach to ethics and how government finance strives to make the world a better place.  After all, what  we budget and what we measure is ultimately a statement of values.  

And speaking of values, GFOA has also come out with a publication to take inclusion up a notch and address directly issues of racial justice and the concept of defunding the police.  Whether that phrase inspires or exasperates you, one thing for sure is that local governments and finance officers will sit at the cross roads of divergent views.  GFOA has taken the topic head on and produced various resources.  

Coaching and facilitation helps organizations and individuals address important topics in a proactive and forward-focused way.  I feel honored to be in this space and to do work imbued with peace and accountability.   If you are tackling issues of ethics as an individual or in your organization, finance or otherwise, please let me know if my services can help.  

Innovation in the public sector is not an oxymoron!  In fact, government is a fertile environment for innovation because of the dedication to service, deep reserves of expertise, and competition for resources found there.  Traditionally, bureaucratic thinking constrains innovation because of its general nature to be rule-oriented with an emphasis on equality towards all actors.

A 2015 article from Stanford Social Innovation Review gives the idea of co-creation in government, a popular method of organizational change and innovation in the private sector, a thorough exploration.  One of its authors, Francis Gouillart, is also an author of the seminal work on the topic, The Power of Co-Creation (2010).   Co-Creation was also a topic for 2018 webinar by Alliance for Innovation, and featured a case study from Hennepin County, MI.
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I took some time to compare the steps of Co-Creation with the Arc of Coaching as developed by Duquesne University Professional Coach Certification Program.  The table below explains the alignment in a simplified way. Within each step resides many tools deployed by the professional coach. If your organization is adopting a Co-Creation approach to change,  professional coaching techniques and practices can help.  Please contact me for further info or assistance.    

For a generation, one of the most influential ideas to impact public service has been the landmark publication Reinventing Government: How the Entrepreneurial Spirit is Transforming the Public Sector, by David Osborne and Ted Gaebler.  A rallying cry to "revolt against bureaucratic malaise" and "build something better," it has inspired many public officials seeking to promote initiative and a sense of ownership in public organizations. Costs have been reduced and programs have been reformed because of the performance management programs inspired by Reinventing Government.  However, a recent column in Governing magazine outlined the unintended consequence of performance management: some public officials felt diminished by the performance management process, which shut down creativity needed to solve problems. For reinvention to deliver its high ideal, how can the technical changes such as performance management programs be built upon to allow people and groups to adapt and improve? We offer our help with this through an approach of peace and accountability. This is particularly useful when elected officials struggle with the efficiency and effectiveness of the organizations they have been tasked to lead or when staff feels politicized.  This matrix shows the top level "action words" used to describe our assistance:

​An approach imbued with peace and accountability doesn't avoid tough issues or assure certain outcome.  It does, however, add integrity to an improvement process by building support across the spectrum of opinions on how effective workers and organizations perform.  The result:  increased creativity, critical thinking, and shared responsibility.  

The TED talk by leadership expert Simon Sinek provides insight into the importance of trust in human relationships and organizations.  Inspiring words and good advice, especially for governments and nonprofits with small budgets and scarce resources.  Want to make the most of funds available?  Hire and empower good employees and don't micromanage them .  Are you an executive or employee feeling micromanaged by a board?  Consider whether or not the seven big questions are driving them. If not, seek help.   When considering the problem and costs of micromanaging, the lack of trust is the consistent theme.