News stories, op-ed pieces, and press releases about PSG.
PSG Announces Executive Changes
In a long-planned transition, The Public Strategies Group (PSG) today announced that company Vice President and co-owner Laurie Ohmann has been named chief executive officer, and Thomas Moss, a former executive in Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura’s administration will serve as chief operating officer effective January 1, 2008. (September 2007)
Governing Magazine Interviews Peter Hutchinson
PSG Co-Founder and former Minnesota gubernatorial candidate, Peter Huchinson, is interviewed. Peter answers questions regarding his campaign, his former role as finance commissioner of Minnesota, performance measurement in government, health care, and more. (June 2007)
Your Budget: From Axe to Aim (pdf version)
The May 2007 edition of Public Management Magazine reviews the Budgeting For Outcomes (BFO) process within Fort Collins, Colorado. PSG worked with Fort Collins to implement a BFO budget during its 2006 fiscal year. (May 2007)
Turn Budgeting on its Head, Turn Out Results Citizens Want
PSGer Beverly Stein discusses Budgeting For Outcomes, in this month's issue of Nation’s Cities Weekly. Instead of starting with the previous year’s budget and justifying increases or cuts from that base, BFO calls upon government leaders to start with a set of results that matter to citizens and to allocate available dollars to each of those results. (February 2007)
NACo Describes “Budgeting For Outcomes” in Multnomah County
The National Association of Counties (NACo) recently featured Snohomish County’s outcomes-based budget in an article entitled “Counties erase deficits by ‘budgeting for outcomes” (BFO). The article reviews the past three BFO budget cycles within the county, explains some of the improvements brought about using BFO, and investigates the relevance of BFO in both healthy economic conditions, and times of fiscal crisis. (December 2006)
Rick Cole Named Public Official of the Year
PSG client extrordinaire and Ventura City Manager, Rick Cole, has been named one of Governing Magazine's 2006 Public Officials of the Year. He is among an elite group of public officials being honored for excelling in both elected and appointed roles. (November 2006)
PSG's Charter Agencies Idea Spreads
Iowa’s award winning Charter Agencies program continues to receive national attention. Most recently, Tacoma, Washington, has considered adopting a similar strategy to help it move “beyond bureaucracy” and toward a performance-based, customer service-focused government. (October 2006)
Panel starts budget work with outcome-based approach
Montana’s Billings School District is using a Budgeting For Outcomes approach to increase citizen involvement and purchase results for the communities it serves. The Billing’s Gazette reports on recent activities. (February 2006)
Downsizing Bureaucracy
The Baton Rouge Business Report covers the latest news regarding Louisiana’s efforts to battle bureaucracy in state government. "We're becoming more entrepreneurial, customer-focused, making programs work for the taxpayers and looking for the biggest return on our investments," says Angelle Davis, secretary of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. (February 2006)
Dallas' Budget List: City finally is starting at a good place
The Dallas Morning News reports, "To its credit, and the credit of City Manager Mary Suhm, the Dallas City Council is doing things differently this year. It's starting with the big questions: What results do people want, and how much are they willing to pay for those results?" (January 2006)
Dallas Charts New Way To Set Goals
The Dallas City Council is using the Budgeting For Outcomes approach to focus more on results at planning talks. "This is going to put it all together, and it will become our road map for the next 10 years," says Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia. (January 2006)
Iowa: A State Shapes Up
An article in the November issue of Governing Magazine highlights the state's efforts to get its agencies to adopt a more entrepreneurial spirit. Read the full text of the article on the magazine's web site. (November 2005)
Transformation One Measurable Step at a Time
PSGer Beverly Stein recently gave a conference key note address on the importance of performance measurement to the transformation of governments. See a video of the presentation on Sustainable Seattle's web site.
School Board Mulls Budget Overhaul
The Jefferson County (CO) School District is considering changing their budgeting process based on the Budgeting for Outcomes approach. Read about their progress on the Canyon Courier web site.
Public Strategies, Public Acclaim
PSG was recently profiled in an article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Read the article on the Pioneer Press web site. (August 2005)
Iowa's Charter Agencies Win Prestigious Innovations In American Government Award
The State of Iowa's Charter Agency initiative has been recognized by Harvard's Ash Institute for Democratic Governance as one of it's six Innovations in American Government Award winners. PSG was a key partner in Iowa's Charter Agency effort.
Needed: A Higher Education Investment Advisor
In an April 12 opinion piece in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, PSG Partner Rick Heydinger calls on the Minnesota State Legislature to form a Higher Education Performance Council to focus investment in post-secondary education in the state.
Big Shock Waves May Require Radical Change
PSG's Budgeting for Outcomes approach to government reinvention is touted in an article in Crain's Detroit Business, a magazine covering business issues in Southeast Michigan.
Two PSG Projects Named Innovation Award Winners
PSG's efforts in Iowa and Washington State were recently recognized by the Council of State Government as recipients of their 2004 Innovation Awards. The CSG's Innovation Awards Program is designed to highlight new solutions implemented by agencies to the changing face of state governance.
Budgeting for Outcomes: Delivering Results Citizens Want at a Price They Are Willing to Pay
In the August, 2004 edition of the Government Finance Review, PSG partners David Osborne and Peter Hutchinson discuss the need to reinvent the budgeting process by focusing on outcomes. Published by the Government Finance Officials Association, this article summarizes the approach to budgeting Osborne and Hutchinson put forward in their book, The Price of Government. This is a rather large Acrobat Reader PDF file and will take some time to download.
A City-County Tax Summit?
Expanding on a Price of Government discussion in Charlotte, NC, City Council Member Susan Burgess calls for more coordination between city and county officials in setting the area's spending and revenue priorities in this op-ed piece from the Charlotte Observer. This document is in Acrobat Reader PDF file format.
(August 2004)
A Better Way to Levy Taxes
As an example of the Price of Government principles in action, Mecklenburg County (North Carolina) Commissioner Jim Puckett calls for a shift in the budgetting process in this op-ed piece from the Charlotte Observer. This document is in Acrobat Reader PDF file format.
(August, 2004)
Priorities reached for services
In an article in the October 1 edition of The Oregonian, PSG's work in with the Multnomah County (Oregon) Board of Commissioners is highlighted as the county reinvents its priorities for service delivery.
(October 2004 )
Government Minus Red Tape Equals Success
PSG's work with the Iowa Reinvention Partnership is featured in an article from the Des Moines Business Record. Originally published on August 8, 2004, this article discusses how the flexibility provided state agencies through the Iowa Charter Agency pilot project has allowed participating agencies to reinvent themselves and save taxpayer dollars while providing better service to Iowans.
(August 2004)
Keeping Priorities Alive: An Editorial from the Seattle Times
In an editorial about former Governor Locke's reinvention of the budgeting process in Washington State, the Seattle Times highlights the priority-based approach Locke developed with the help of the Public Strategies Group.
Watching Osborne's Government Fixes
Nationally-syndicated columnist Neal Peirce featured PSGer David Osborne in a recent column in which he examines the fiscal crisis facing governments today. Peirce touts The Price of Government the book Osborne wrote with fellow PSG team member Peter Hutchinson, as holding the key to solving the budgeting challenges faced by state and local governments. Read Peirce's column on the Post Writers Group web site by clicking the link above, or get a summary of The Price of Government here.
Osborne Sees "Permanent Fiscal Crisis" in Massachusetts
In an article in the Boston Globe, PSGer David Osborne cautions against viewing the recent positive economic news as a return to the flush times of the 1990s. He sees Massachusetts as one of a number of states in a "permanent fiscal crisis" calling for significant structural change in the way state government operates.
PSG Fixes Public Budgets
The Public Strategies Group and its work assisting governments in these tight budgetary times is featured in this article in the Minneapolis - St. Paul Business Journal. The article highlights the successes of PSG, including its work in Washington State and Iowa.
"Confessions of a Civil Servant" Cited in The New York Times
PSG partner Bob Stone's book, "Confessions of a Civil Servant," was cited in the "What They're Reading" column of a recent edition of The New York Times.
(December 14, 2003 - The New York Times )
Reflections on Iowa Governor Hiring PSG
Newspaper article (9/14/03) summarizes PSG's pioneering contract with the State of Iowa and progress in the first year.
(September 14, 2003 - Minneapolis Star-Tribune )
Mayor-Elect Hosts Session on Improving City Services
(June 26, 2003 - Denver Post)
Hickenlooper Solicits Ideas
...from our very own Camille Barnett
(June 26, 2003 - Rocky Mountain News)
From PSG, Good Ideas For State To Consider
Op-ed piece by Minneapolis Star/Tribune editorial writer citing budget balancing ideas proposed by PSG founders, Peter and Armi. "Hutchinson and former deputy revenue commissioner Babak Armajani, his PSG partner, are full of ideas about spending government money well."
(Jan 10, 2002 - Minneapolis Star Tribune)
PSG Supports Reinvention Strategies in the Dominican Republic
Roberto Obando, PSG intern, visits his home country: the Dominican Republic. During a busy week, Roberto met with the former president Leonel Fernandez; he also met with representatives of the current administration. Roberto was also interviewed by Listin Dario and an account of this discussion was carried by the paper.
(July 30, 2001 - Listin Dario )
PSG Helps Federal Agency 'Go Paperless' At The U of M
A local company has played a key role in helping to reshape the federal agency that will partner with the University of Minnesota to deliver 'paperless' student financial aid, says The Public Strategies Group's Babak Armajani, the company's CEO.
(April 25, 2001 - PSG Press Release )
Work By PSG Helps Illinois Agency Gain Prestigious Award
Illinois Department of Children and Services (DCFS) Receives Ford Foundation Innovations Award
(December 18, 2000 - PSG Press Release )
PSG Reinvents Government Services in New York
PSG's current projects involve New York's property tax system and the office of substance abuse.
(November 27, 2000 - PSG Press Release )
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