Steven Kelman

Albert J. Weatherhead III and Richard W. Weatherhead Professor of Public Management
Harvard Kennedy School
Office Address
Littauer-314
Mailing Address
John F. Kennedy School of Government
Mailbox 22
79 JFK Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Contact
Phone: 617-496-6302
Fax: 617-496-5747
Email: steve_kelman@Harvard.Edu
Assistant
Greg Dorchak (617-496-8304)
Steven Kelman

Profile

Steve Kelman is the Weatherhead Professor of Public Management at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. A summa cum laude graduate of Harvard College, with a Ph.D. in government from Harvard University, he is the author of many books and articles on the policymaking process and on improving the management of government organizations. His new book, Unleashing Change: A Study of Organizational Change in Government, was published in June 2005 by the Brookings Instutition Press. His other books include a study on how to improve the government computer procurement process, entitled Procurement and Public Management: The Fear of Discretion and the Quality of Government Performance (AEI Press, 1990), and Making Public Policy: A Hopeful View of American Government (Basic Books, 1987). In l996 he was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. In 2001, he received the Herbert Roback Memorial Award, the highest achievement award of the National Contract Management Association. In 2003 he was elected as a Director of The Procurement Roundtable. He currently serves as editor of the International Public Management Journal.

From 1993 through 1997, Dr. Kelman served as Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy in the Office of Management and Budget. During his tenure as Administrator, he played a lead role in the Administrations reinventing government effort. He led Administration efforts in support of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 and the Federal Acquisition Reform Act of 1995.

Courses

Fall

  • MLD-101-B Strategy, Structure, and Leadership in Public Service Organizations

Media Expertise

Steven Kelman welcomes media inquiries on the following subjects:

Additional experts may be found by clicking on each subject listed. You may contact faculty directly or if you need assistance contact the Communications Office at 617-495-1115.

Research

For a complete list of faculty citations from 2001 - present, please visit the Harvard Kennedy School Research Report Online.

Selected Publication Citations:

  • Academic Journals
    • Kelman, Steven, and John N. Friedman. "Performance Improvement and Performance Dysfunction: An Empirical Examination of Distortionary Impacts of the Emergency Room Wait-Time Target in the English National Health Service." Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 19.4 (October 2009): 917-947.
  • Book Chapters
    • Kelman, Steven. "Achieving Contracting Goals and Recognizing Public Law Concerns: A Contracting Management Perspective." Government by Contract : Outsourcing and American Democracy. Ed. Jody Freeman and Martha Minow. Harvard University Press, 2009, 153-191.
  • HKS Faculty Research Working Paper Series
    • Kelman, Steven, and Jeff Myers. "Successfully Executing Ambitious Strategies in Government: An Empirical Analysis." HKS Faculty Research Working Papers RWP09-009, April 2009.
  • Magazine and Newspaper Articles
    • Kelman, Steven. "Satisfied Employees Prove Value." Federal Computer Week. January 12, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Partner or Patsy?" Federal Computer Week. February 6, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Asking the Defense Industry to Give Back." Federal Computer Week. February 23, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Agencies Have an Opportunity to Attract Young, Energetic Employees." Federal Computer Week. March 26, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Learning from Facebook." Federal Computer Week. April 2, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Rethinking Fixed-Price Contracting." Federal Computer Week. April 29, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Challenges to Conventional Thinking Can Prompt Novel Ideas." Federal Computer Week. June 3, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Hybrid Workforces Complicate Outsourcing Reforms." Federal Computer Week. June 18, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Hybrid Workforces Complicate Outsourcing Reforms." Federal Computer Week. June 18, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "China's Cybersecurity Fears Sound Very Familiar." Federal Computer Week. July 1, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Past Performance Returns." Federal Computer Week. July 22, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Performance Management Sticks Around." Federal Computer Week. July 31, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "5 Ways to Improve Procurement." Federal Computer Week. September 2, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "How Contractors Can Help Agencies Save Money." Federal Computer Week. September 10, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "The Case for Pay for Performance." Federal Computer Week. September 23, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Bring Back Share in Savings." Federal Computer Week. October 14, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Empirical Evidence can Help Inform Debate about Whether a Management Approach Will Improve Government." Federal Computer Week. November 2, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Customer Service Tips from Developing Countries." Federal Computer Week. November 16, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Performance Data: 'Use It or Useless'." Federal Computer Week. December 3, 2009.
  • Op-Eds
    • Kelman, Steven, and Stan Soloway. "Performance and Accountability." Washington Times, March 6, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven, and Steve Schooner. "Achieving Effective Reform." Federal Times.com, April 13, 2009.
    • Kelman, Steven. "Empirical evidence can help inform debate about whether a management approach will improve government." Federal Computer Week, November 2, 2009.