Crowd of Black Lives Matters demonstrators marching in the street.
Feature: The Democratic Necessity of Reckoning

Erica Chenoweth reviews scholarship that overwhelmingly shows the Black Lives Matter movement generated high levels of public awareness about systemic racism and increased support for criminal justice reform.

Electronic stock ticker board with numbers and arabic letters.
Feature: Against Rule-of-Thumb Economics

Dani Rodrik argues against neoliberalism’s universal rule-of-thumb approach and for economic analyses grounded in contextual dependencies.

Several hands of team members covering one another in a huddle above a work table.
Feature: Leaders’ Psychological Bravery

Dana Born explores what skills leaders need to cultivate psychological safety on their teams and across their organizations.

Dollars and Euros piled on top of one another.
Feature: Dollar vs. Euro as International Reserve Currencies

Jeffrey Frankel explores the strengths and weaknesses of using the Dollar and the Euro as international reserve currencies.

Harvard Kennedy School faculty disseminate their research in working publications and papers that contribute to public knowledge and fuel policy innovation. This list features recent faculty publications, including journal articles, books, edited volumes, research papers, and public testimony.

Faculty Publications

How Scientific Is 'the Science of Delivery'?

Behn, Robert. "How Scientific Is 'the Science of Delivery'?" Canadian Public Administration 60.1 (March 2017).

The PerformanceStat Potential: A Leadership Strategy for Producing Results

Behn, Robert. The PerformanceStat Potential: A Leadership Strategy for Producing Results. Brookings Institution Press, 2014.

The PerformanceStat Potential: A Leadership Strategy for Producing Results

Behn, Robert. The PerformanceStat Potential: A Leadership Strategy for Producing Results. Brookings Institution Press, 2014.

PerformanceStat: Accounting for Targeted Performance

Behn, Robert. "PerformanceStat: Accounting for Targeted Performance." The Oxford Handbook of Public Accountability. Ed. Bovens, Mark, Robert E. Goodin, and Thomas Schillemans. Oxford University Press, 2014, 456-471.

PortStat: Or How the United States Coast Guard Could Use the PerformanceStat Leadership Strategy to Improve Port Security

Behn, Robert. "PortStat: Or How the United States Coast Guard Could Use the PerformanceStat Leadership Strategy to Improve Port Security." Ports in a Storm: Public Management in a Turbulent World. Ed. Donahue, John D., and Mark H. Moore. Brookings Institution Press, 2012, 55-83.

The Consistency Conundrum: From Requirements and Templates to Expectations and Adaptations

Behn, Robert. "The Consistency Conundrum: From Requirements and Templates to Expectations and Adaptations." Public Administration Review 70.6 (December 2010, Issue Supplement): s218-s219.

Creating PerformanceStat's Organizational Competence and Commitment

Behn, Robert. "Creating PerformanceStat's Organizational Competence and Commitment." Paper for the Thirty Second Annual Research Conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, Boston, November 3, 2010.

Collaborating for Performance: Or Can There Exist Such a Thing at CollaborationStat?

Behn, Robert. "Collaborating for Performance: Or Can There Exist Such a Thing at CollaborationStat?" International Public Management Journal 13.4 (October 2010): 429 - 470.

Closing the Knowledge-Practice Gap

Behn, Robert. "Closing the Knowledge-Practice Gap." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. December 2009.

Performance Leadership: Eleven Better Practices That Can Ratchet Up Performance

Behn, Robert. Performance Leadership: Eleven Better Practices That Can Ratchet Up Performance. The Jossey-Bass Reader on Nonprofit and Public Leadership. Ed. James L. Perry. Jossey-Bass, 2009, 13.

PerformanceStat as a Search for Strategic Evidence

Behn, Robert. "PerformanceStat as a Search for Strategic Evidence." Paper presented at the National Public Management Research Conference, Columbus, and the Annual Research Conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, Washington, D.C., October 1-3 and November 6, 2009.

PerformanceStat Leadership Strategy

Behn, Robert. "PerformanceStat Leadership Strategy." Bob Behn’s Performance Leadership Report. November 2009.

Simple Strategies Drive Out the Subtle

Behn, Robert. "Simple Strategies Drive Out the Subtle." Bob Behn's Performance Leadership Report. October 2009.

Ratcheting Up Performance

Behn, Robert. "Ratcheting Up Performance." Bob Behn's Performance Leadership Report. September 2009.

The Face-to-Face Buzz

Behn, Robert. "The Face-to-Face Buzz." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. August 2009.

Leadership is a Generative Activity

Behn, Robert. "Leadership is a "Generative" Activity." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. July 2009.

That's Funny

Behn, Robert. "That's Funny." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. June 2009.

Recognizing Novelty

Behn, Robert. "Recognizing Novelty." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. May 2009.

Sometimes Weird Works

Behn, Robert. "Sometimes Weird Works." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. April 2009.

The Data Don't Speak for Themselves

Behn, Robert. "The Data Don't Speak for Themselves." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. March 2009.

No Perfect Performance Measure

Behn, Robert. "No Perfect Performance Measure." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. February 2009.

The Split Personality CPO

Behn, Robert. "The Split Personality CPO." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. January 2009.

Designing PerformanceStat: Or What Are the Key Strategic Choices that a Jurisdiction or Agency Must Make When Adapting the CompStat/CitiStat Class of Performance Strategies?

Behn, Robert. "Designing PerformanceStat: Or What Are the Key Strategic Choices that a Jurisdiction or Agency Must Make When Adapting the CompStat/CitiStat Class of Performance Strategies?" Public Performance and Management Review 32.2 (December 2008): 203-232.

On Why Public Executives Should Start Drafting A Final Report Years Early

Behn, Robert. "On Why Public Executives Should Start Drafting A Final Report Years Early." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. December 2008.

Collaborating for Performance: Or Can There Exist Such A Thing As CollaborationStat?

Behn, Robert. "Collaborating for Performance: Or Can There Exist Such A Thing As CollaborationStat?" Paper for Thirtieth Annual Research Conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, Los Angeles, November 2008.

On Why Citizens Need to Establish the Performance-Target Ethic

Behn, Robert. "On Why Citizens Need to Establish the Performance-Target Ethic." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. November 2008.

On the Different Perspectives on The Gotcha-Game Debate

Behn, Robert. "On the Different Perspectives on The Gotcha-Game Debate." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. October 2008.

On Why Every Evaluation Begins with the Question: Compared with What?

Behn, Robert. "On Why Every Evaluation Begins with the Question: Compared with What?" Bob Behn's Public Management Report. September 2008.

On the Value and Seven Different Details of Shining a Bright Light

Behn, Robert. "On the Value and Seven Different Details of Shining a Bright Light." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. August 2008.

On Why Public Executives Need to Avoid Dashboards as Data Dumps

Behn, Robert. "On Why Public Executives Need to Avoid Dashboards as Data Dumps." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. July 2008.

On Why It Is Necessary to Set Expectations for Performance Audits

Behn, Robert. "On Why It Is Necessary to Set Expectations for Performance Audits." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. June 2008.

On Why, To Improve Performance, Measurement Is Rarely Enough

Behn, Robert. "On Why, To Improve Performance, Measurement Is Rarely Enough." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. May 2008.

On the Difficulty of Predicting Managerial Performance

Behn, Robert. "On the Difficulty of Predicting Managerial Performance." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. April 2008.

PerformanceStat as a Leadership Strategy: It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got that
Follow-Up

Behn, Robert. "PerformanceStat as a Leadership Strategy: It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got that Follow-Up." Paper for Twelfth Annual Conference of the International Research Society for Public Management, Brisbane, March 2008.

The Adoption of Innovation: The Challenge of Learning to Adapt Tacit Knowledge

Behn, Robert. "The Adoption of Innovation: The Challenge of Learning to Adapt Tacit Knowledge." Innovations in Government: Research, Recognition and Replication. Ed. Sandford Borins. Brookings Institution Press, 2008, 138-158.

On Why Public Executives Should Beware the Dysfunctional Org Chart

Behn, Robert. "On Why Public Executives Should Beware the Dysfunctional Org Chart." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. March 2008.

The Seven Big Errors of PerformanceStat

Behn, Robert. "The Seven Big Errors of PerformanceStat." Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston and the Taubman Center for State and Local Government, policy brief, February 2008.

On Why Public Executives Must Fulfill Citizen's Basic-Services Imperative

Behn, Robert. "On Why Public Executives Must Fulfill Citizen's Basic-Services Imperative." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. February 2008.

On Why All Public Officials Need to Remember that Efficiency is a Ratio

Behn, Robert. "On Why All Public Officials Need to Remember that Efficiency is a Ratio." Bob Behn's Public Management Report. January 2008.

The Five Big Errors of PerformanceStat.

Behn, Robert. "The Five Big Errors of PerformanceStat." Governing.com (Governing Magazine) (December 12, 2007).

On Why Public Executives Need to Remember That: Luck is Recognizing It.

Behn, Robert. "On Why Public Executives Need to Remember That: Luck is Recognizing It." Bob Behn's Public Management Report (December 2007).

Designing PerformanceStat: Or What Are the Key Strategic Choices that a Jurisdiction or Agency Must Make When Adapting the Compstat/CitiStat Class of Performance Strategies?

Behn, Robert. "Designing PerformanceStat: Or What Are the Key Strategic Choices that a Jurisdiction or Agency Must Make When Adapting the Compstat/CitiStat Class of Performance Strategies?" Paper presented at the 29th Annual Research Conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, Washington, D.C., November 2007.

On Why Public Executives Need: A Few Priority Measures - Plus More.

Behn, Robert. "On Why Public Executives Need: A Few Priority Measures - Plus More." Bob Behn's Public Management Report (November 2007).

On Why Public Executives Must Be Alert to the: Danger of Using Too Few Measures.

Behn, Robert. "On Why Public Executives Must Be Alert to the: Danger of Using Too Few Measures." Bob Behn's Public Management Report (October 2007).

On Why Driving Performance Requires a Focus on: Only a Very Few Priority Measures.

Behn, Robert. "On Why Driving Performance Requires a Focus on: Only a Very Few Priority Measures." Bob Behn's Public Management Report (September 2007).

Beyond the GASB-GFOA Brawl.

Behn, Robert. "Beyond the GASB-GFOA Brawl." Governing.com (Governing Magazine) (August 22, 2007).

On Why Every Executive Should Hand Out Cards for: Buzzword Bingo.

Behn, Robert. "On Why Every Executive Should Hand Out Cards for: Buzzword Bingo." Bob Behn's Public Management Report (August 2007).

On Why Both Government and Business Must Fix: The Underperformance Problem.

Behn, Robert. "On Why Both Government and Business Must Fix: The Underperformance Problem." Bob Behn's Public Management Report (July 2007).

“On Why Public Executives Need to Fix Their Agency's: Binding Constraints.

Behn, Robert. “On Why Public Executives Need to Fix Their Agency's: Binding Constraints." Bob Behn's Public Management Report (June 2007).

The Tyranny of the Template.

Behn, Robert. "The Tyranny of the Template." Governing.com (Governing Magazine) (May 16, 2007).