GOVERNING: Summit on the Cost of Government

GOVERNING’S Summit on the Cost of Government is an invitation-only gathering of public officials to confront the structural problems in government and explore the path forward.

After the recession, where do states go from here?  What are the smart strategies to accelerate recovery, restore stability and create sustainable growth as governments go through a fundamental reset of the way they do the public’s business?  The answers matter now more than ever, and they will set the course for years to come.

GOVERNING is convening a two-day best practices discussion among policy makers, influential thinkers and practitioners to formulate strategies about how to best meet the reality of government today.  A peer-to-peer leadership and learning network can find solutions together more effectively than any single individual, agency or jurisdiction can do by itself.  That leadership network begins at GOVERNING’S 2010 Summit.

The goal for the Summit is to plant the seeds to begin a new learning network comprised of career government executives to work together to re-invent and re-position state government budgets, operations and priorities to move beyond recovery and toward economic stability.

The format will be highly participatory in a quasi-think tank session. Kicking off each section of the program will be a national leader to “set the stage” for group discussion.

Summit Program Discussion Topics

1. Priorities, Budgets, and Strategic Planning. How will government balance critical services and mandates with what citizens want? How will government prioritize projects, objectives and economic development planning within existing fiscal constraints?
    
2. Healthcare Strategies, Opportunities and Affordability. Where have successful state health reform programs been launched prior to the federal legislation? How will states successfully approach new federal healthcare legislation? How can states achieve performance and accountability from the healthcare industry thereby achieving improved quality of life, access to care and affordability for citizens?
    
3. Operations, Services and Performance.  What are break-through, innovative approaches to service delivery designed to move government forward through the recovery and beyond? Where are partnership models, new approaches, analytics and outcome measurements making a difference?
    
4. Leadership, Vision and Recovery. How has the game changed?  What does leading look like in the new post recession environment?