Top ideas to retire in public sector IT management

Editors Note: To mark the conclusion of the series, Ideas to Retire looks back at its most popular essays.

Zombie technologies in the workplace

Marc Ott, Stephen Elkins, and Paul Cook

Marc Ott, Stephen Elkins, and Paul Cook write about technologies that survive in the workplace in spite of newer alternatives. According to the authors, desktop computers, email, and local data centers are all technology “zombies” that need to die off.

Government is responsible for taking care of everything

James Keene and Jonathan Reichental

James Keene and Jonathan Reichental write about how information technology must abandon its insular focus and “expert” mindset and become a true two-way channel for communication, engagement, and action between government and citizens.

Technology alone can improve student learning

Ellen Lettvin, Joseph South, and Katrina Stevens

Ellen Lettvin, Joseph South, and Katrina Stevens emphasize the importance of pedagogy when using technology in the classroom to improve learning outcomes. Without proper instruction, technology can be an obstacle to learning even for students that grew up with it.

IT-led service innovation

Alfred Ho and David Edinger

Alfred Ho and David Edinger caution that IT Department-led innovation in public organizations can put technological concerns ahead of strategic goals.

Decentralized IT governance

James Denford

James Denford argues that centralizing IT governance will reap benefits including standardization, efficiencies of scale and scope, and lower coordination costs.

Cybersecurity kills innovation

Dan Lohrmann

Dan Lohrmann discusses how addressing security concerns early on in the development of information technology systems can save costs over time and lead to greater innovation overall.

A closed-platform Internet of Things

Phil Howard

Phil Howard discusses the need for public policymakers to keep the Internet of Things open and interoperable, and to make it a public information infrastructure.

Old methods of policy education

Ramayya Krishnan and Jon Nehlsen

Ramayya Krishnan and Jon Nehlsen ask how policy programs should best prepare students to address societal challenges in a world that is being transformed by technology.

The “rock star” chief information officer

Gregory Dawson

Gregory Dawson challenges the idea that “rock star” chief information officers (CIO) brought in from the private sector are more effective than public sector CIOs at managing government IT projects.