NACo IT Policy Summit

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LEADERSHIP Eight Imperatives for 2000 and
Beyond

• NACo IT Policy Summit
• November 12, 1999
• Dr. Jerry Mechling, Harvard University

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Old wisdom Whats changed?
B/C
1.0
high volume, routine authority
low volume, non-routine negotiation

• Now innovation, high returns/risk engage!
• The future in a single word e-commerce.

• Then automation, low returns/risk delegate!

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1. Learn the IT-related basics
Problem too much for anyone to know. Solution
some hands-on, plus a focus on customer service
and organizational change. Example British
Airways, with serious investments in training.
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2. Reinvent, dont just automate
Problem comfortable automation and
entrenchment. Solution reengineering for
cross-boundary integration and enticing
self-service. Example the private sector still
leads, but were moving from dissemination to
transactions to bigger reengineering.
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3. Forge cross-program and public-private
partnerships
Problem program by program alone doesnt cut it,
but broader efforts risky. Solution mobilize
external stakeholders, especially around industry
groups and other communities of
interest. Example take Singapore seriously.
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4. Protect privacy and security
Problem the time bomb. Solution understand
and plan for defensible trade-offs up front,
especially through established good
practice. Example Canadian systems to warn
pharmacists of drug interactions.
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5. Implement with best practice
Problem a less than stellar track
record. Solution dont organize for technology
only, but for the change and politics
involved. Example Y2K has provided learning
experiences, raising recognition of the nature of
the problem.
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6. Promote equity and community
Problem an increasing gap, with decreasing
cohesiveness. Solution redefine universal
service and focus on supporting inclusion and
community. Example the E-rate, but its just a
start.
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7. Build new revenue and business models
Problem threats against revenue sources,
especially sales and business taxes. Solution
reform the budget process, developing appropriate
revenues for a global electronic
economy. Example analytic work has begun, along
with experiments for long-term and fee-based
funding.
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8. Prepare for digital democracy
Problem the rising importance of difficult
cross-boundary conflicts. Solution experiment to
make political participation and standard setting
simultaneously easier and more meaningful. Example
just getting started, with efforts such as
QUEST, Santa Monica PEN, and ICANN.
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Parting Thoughts . . .
1. IT-enabled futures The leadership
issue for 2000 and beyond. 2. Its innovation,
not automation you cant delegate it to
technicians. 3. Continue to educate yourself. 4.
Assess your options. Services immediately,
then governance. 5. Go for it! In conclusion, as
JFK said . . .
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It is time for a new generation of leadership to
cope with new problems and new opportunities.
For there is a new world to be won. John
Fitzgerald Kennedy July 4, 1960