Outsourcing the Government's Most Important Functions: the Impact of Outsourcing Critical Duties on U.S. Federal Government Behavior

Outsourcing the Government's Most Important Functions: the Impact of Outsourcing Critical Duties on U.S. Federal Government Behavior
Author: Christopher D. Dishman
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2022
Genre: Civil service positions
ISBN:

The levels of outsourcing in the U.S. federal government have increased substantially over the last two decades. The U.S. government now relies on outsourcing to provide many of its products and services. Prior research shows that outsourcing has a negative effect on job satisfaction in the U.S. public sector. This paper expands on that research to understand the impact of outsourcing a certain category of products and services, known collectively as nearly inherently governmental (NG) activities. This paper uses time panel analysis from 2010 to 2019 to understand the influence of outsourcing NG duties on federal employees, and the results show a statistically significant negative association. This paper also analyzes the impact of outsourcing on work intensification because outsourcing could increase the workload of the remaining employees, who are now required to execute contract management duties. This result contradicts this paper’s hypothesis and shows a marginally significant negative relationship between outsourcing and work intensification.

Outsourcing Management Functions for the Acquisition of Federal Facilities

Outsourcing Management Functions for the Acquisition of Federal Facilities
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 149
Release: 2001-01-20
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0309072670

In this study outsourcing is defined as the organizational practice of contracting for services from an external entity while retaining control over assets and oversight of the services being outsourced. In the 1980s, a number of factors led to a renewed interest in outsourcing. For private sector organizations, outsourcing was identified as a strategic component of business process reengineering-an effort to streamline an organization and increase its profitability. In the public sector, growing concern about the federal budget deficit, the continuing long-term fiscal crisis of some large cities, and other factors accelerated the use of privatization measures (including outsourcing for services) as a means of increasing the efficiency of government.

Outsourcing Sovereignty

Outsourcing Sovereignty
Author: Paul R. Verkuil
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2007-12-19
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0511346360

Reliance on the private military industry and the privatization of public functions has left our government less able to govern effectively. When decisions that should have been taken by government officials are delegated (wholly or in part) to private contractors without appropriate oversight, the public interest is jeopardized. Books on private military have described the problem well, but they have not offered prescriptions or solutions this book does.

Balancing Act

Balancing Act
Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia
Publisher:
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2010
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

Outsourcing America

Outsourcing America
Author: Ron Hira
Publisher: Amacom Books
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2005
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780814408681

"Outsourcing has indeed become a crisis, but not because it is inherently bad - it is both good and bad. The key - and the imperative - is to maximize its benefits while mitigating its many negative consequences. Outsourcing America provides the necessary steps to confront this snowballing challenge and bring more high-paying jobs back to the U.S."--Jacket.

The best services at the lowest price

The best services at the lowest price
Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform. Subcommittee on Technology and Procurement Policy
Publisher:
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2001
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

Outsourcing State and Local Government Services

Outsourcing State and Local Government Services
Author: John O'Looney
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 256
Release: 1998-11-19
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0313035350

Should we be doing—or trying to do—everything ourselves, or might it be better to contract some tasks out to others? Could they do them better and cheaper than we can? More and more state and local governments are asking these questions, and while there are many answers on the Federal level, these answers often don't apply lower down the line. Nevertheless, it is evident that contracting out is often the better strategy—but how best to go about it? What are the benefits and what are the hidden risks? Dr. O'Looney's book provides precisely the guidance that state and local managers need: first, how to decide to outsource a government service, then step-by-step how to proceed. Based on extensive interviews and other research, O'Looney takes managers through the intricacies of contract outsourcing and administration, but in doing so he makes clear that he appreciates the importance of government. His book is not an argument for privatization, as so many other books are; rather, it is an affirmation of government and the benefits of its many services. Readers will find theory and advice on the services that are most suitable for contracting out; a listing and review of the components of a high-quality analysis, including the analysis of often overlooked political, organizational, and functional aspects of government; advice on how to go from deciding to outsource to actually designing, implementing, and monitoring a contract in situations that could prove hazardous to the livelihoods of government workers. He also discusses the changes that need to be made in the organizational culture, management, and employee training as a result of the change to a contract-based system of providing services; the considerations in designing work specifications and other critical aspects of the government-vendor relationship, and how ideal contracting processes and ideal contracts can differ according to the nature of the service being contracted. The result is a thorough and highly practical volume for executives and managers in the public sector, and for those who hope to do business with them.

Outsourcing Strategy Brings What Influences To US Economy

Outsourcing Strategy Brings What Influences To US Economy
Author: Johnny Ch Lok
Publisher:
Total Pages: 82
Release: 2019-09-07
Genre:
ISBN: 9781691576616

Can US outsourcing information technology strategy influence other countries 's information technology development to be raised? To answer this question, we need to know why organization needs to outsource their computer department duties to other IT organizations to work.In any organization information technology department, information system operations remain the predominant function outsourced, other functions are also being performed by external service providers and the relationship is between outsourcing and certain demographics: size, industry is formation intensity. The results suggest that system operations remain being performed by external service providers. Further, industry and information intensity has some influence on the extent of outsourcing of certain functions.The first reason is cost reduction, trying to remain competitive and up-to-date is becoming a financial burden to many organizations. This is true particularly in fields, such as banking and financial services, health care and manufacturing. Hiring outsiders to handle part or even all of its information system often helps an organization to provide better services and maintain a competitive advantage. The information technology industry choice of outsourcing factor is related to size, industry type and information technology. The second reason is technological and/or human resources in the management of the information technology infrastructure skill improvement. The information technology department outsourcing service to external service provider, includes the degree of internalization of technological resources and the degree of internalization of human resources. Some economists defined internalization of outsourcing service is as ownership is by the focal organization which takes on full control with profit and loss responsibility. Also who define outsourcing is as involving a significant use of resources, either technological and/or human resources, external to the organizational hierarchy in the management of the information technology infrastructure. So the information technology external service providers includes: applications development and maintenance, systems operations, networks/telecommunications management and user computing support, system planning and management purchase of application software, but excludes business consulting services, after-sale vendor services and the lease of telephone lines etc. outsourcing services.The third reason is economics of scale in areas of hardware, software. This pressure is seen as the most significant factor driving today's corporate interest. An outsourcing service provision might be in a position to exploit economics of scale in areas of hardware, software and staff since it pools different kind of technological projects from many service receivers. Outsourcing information technological service can reduce the corporate's cost with the high level of IT investment, there are increasing pressures to move away from fixed expenditure, corporate overhead towards a more direct variable cost approach to control the IT operations. The IT costs can become predictable for overruns is often placed on the service provider. Outsourcing service can allow the service to gain immediate access to competitiveness in delivering products or services as well as to avoid of obsolescence risk, due to the changes in the nature of the IT infrastructure, the risk of obsolescence is high. Outsourcing can allow the service provider has the ability to diversify these risks across a broad range of service receivers. However, long term contracts might in spread the risk, the weakness is back to the receiver.

Government by Contract

Government by Contract
Author: Jody Freeman
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 541
Release: 2009-02-28
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 067403208X

The dramatic growth of government over the course of the twentieth century since the New Deal prompts concern among libertarians and conservatives and also among those who worry about government’s costs, efficiency, and quality of service. These concerns, combined with rising confidence in private markets, motivate the widespread shift of federal and state government work to private organizations. This shift typically alters only who performs the work, not who pays or is ultimately responsible for it. “Government by contract” now includes military intelligence, environmental monitoring, prison management, and interrogation of terrorism suspects. Outsourcing government work raises questions of accountability. What role should costs, quality, and democratic oversight play in contracting out government work? What tools do citizens and consumers need to evaluate the effectiveness of government contracts? How can the work be structured for optimal performance as well as compliance with public values? Government by Contract explains the phenomenon and scope of government outsourcing and sets an agenda for future research attentive to workforce capacities as well as legal, economic, and political concerns.