Strategic Public Management

CHAPTER 3 ________________________________Planning and Resource Decision-Making at the Federal Level

Tim E. Winchell, Sr.

Over the last 35 years, the American private sector has increasingly moved away from the classic command-and-control, hierarchical, top-down decision-making structures and cultures characteristic of the postwar era. Organizations have become more flexible, team-based, and capable of strategically responding to rapidly emerging market opportunities and the vicissitudes of global economics. The federal government, particularly in the last 20 years, has also put increased emphasis on strategic planning, team-based problem-solving, and customer-focused program assessment.

Nonetheless, classic command-and-control structures remain ...