Global Public Sector
Executives and managers at all levels of government face the challenge of tight budgets and increased demands to raise performance, produce results and respond effectively to a fast-changing environment. Grant Thornton’s Global Public Sector group gives them creative, cost-effective solutions for business, financial, human capital and information technology solutions to help meet public sector challenges. Grant Thornton serves nearly all major departments and agencies in the U.S. federal and many in state and local governments. We work with Grant Thornton International Ltd member firms around the world on international development and public sector financial management.
Based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with offices in Alexandria, Virginia, Austin and San Antonio, Texas, and Sacramento, California, Global Public Sector practice provides distinctive client service to international and U.S. federal, state and local governments and development organizations. We offer the following services:
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The Twenty-Second Annual Survey of Federal Chief Information Officers
Grant Thornton and TechAmerica collaborated on this annual survey of federal CIOs and other information executives and stakeholders at 35 departments, agencies, major programs and oversight groups. Their top concerns are cybersecurity, controlling costs, human capital, central agency policy and mobility. Austerity, cyber threats and mobile technology are causing federal organizations to collaborate on solutions to pressing problems, reversing decades of independent, uncoordinated IT development
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Performance Improvement Officer Survey 2011
The recently enacted Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 codified the position of performance improvement officer (PIO), first established by a 2007 Executive Order. In April 2011, Grant Thornton and the Partnership for Public Service released the first-ever survey of Federal PIOs based on responses from 23 of the 24 performance improvement officers (PIOs) or their designees at the largest federal agencies. The survey report, A critical role at a critical time, explores how PIOs see their roles and responsibilities and gauges their progress in establishing performance cultures within their agencies.
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Public Financial Management Responses to an Economically Challenging World
As public sector financial management executives around the world cope with economic upheaval, Grant Thornton LLP and the International Consortium of Government Financial Managers examined the impact of the global financial crisis on governments. The 2010 survey is third in a series and focuses on responses to the crisis, including infrastructure investments and public-private partnerships, as well as transparency concerns. The report seeks to provide insight into the choices government financial leaders make and the tools they use to respond to financial management challenges.
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Embracing Government 2.0 Leading Transformative Change in the Public Sector
Government 2.0 is driving a transformation in transparency, participation and collaboration. As a result, government leaders need greater clarity and direction and the most effective uses of Government 2.0 technologies. In this white paper, Grant Thornton LLP, along with Freebalance--a For Profit Social Enterprise (FOPSE) software company--provide an overview of key social collaboration concepts relevant to today’s leaders. Further, the report outlines the skills needed for government social collaboration, as well as proven approaches for moving organizations in a direction that will help them realize the benefits of social media – improved productivity, reduced costs and measured results.
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Government Acquisition Professionals Performing a “Balancing Act: Acquisition in an Unabated Crisis.”
The Professional Services Council and Grant Thornton LLP released the sixth biennial Acquisition Policy Survey of government acquisition professionals based on interviews with individuals from multiple agencies across government. More than ever, these acquisition professionals are maintaining a difficult balancing act in which they keep up with the old while continuing to bring in the new. The 2012 edition of the survey identified top challenges facing today’s acquisition workforce. The survey also explored a decade of survey results, finding common themes that point to a number of issues. These top common challenges through the years include budget stability, workforce resources and capabilities, training and development, and oversight and transparency.
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The Road Forward: The Federal Budget and Budgeting Profession
The federal budget dominates American news because it impacts every aspect of our society. Grant Thornton and the American Association for Budget and Program Analysis (AABPA) recently surveyed federal budget professionals (the army of analysts who prepare budget requests and manage the funds that Congress provides) on their opinions and concerns. They found the budgeteers primed for the coming budget battles.
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Charting a course through stormy seas: State financial executives in 2012
The financial turmoil continues to affect state governments, but state financial leaders are aligning their offices with the state mission and are eliminating inefficiencies and waste, according to the 2012 annual survey of state CFOs. Produced by the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers, the Association of Government Accountants, and Grant Thornton, the survey is based on responses from 357 state and local government financial leaders and their workforces.
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2012 ASMC Survey: Time to Step Up
Grant Thornton LLP and the American Society of Military Comptrollers collaborated on this 10th annual survey of over 700 uniformed and civilian executives and managers in the Department of Defense (DoD) on how they are dealing with Defense budget cuts. Their top concerns include the potential for new conflicts anywhere around the globe, a possible budget sequester and getting DoD into a mindset of less.
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Federal chief human capital officers are bracing for change
Declining budgets, increasing workloads and turnover, an aging workforce, as well as outdated HR systems and policies have made the job of federal chief human capital officers (CHCOs) more challenging. The Partnership for Public Service and Grant Thornton conducted in-depth interviews with 55 CHCOs and other HR leaders on the state of the federal workforce and the challenges facing the federal government. This report – the fourth in a series – is a summary of their views and recommendations for change, based on candid conversations held in the spring of 2012.
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State CIOs are Advancing the C4 Agency: Balancing Legacy and Innovation
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), TechAmerica and Grant Thornton LLP released the third annual survey of state CIOs based on responses from every state with an enterprise CIO organization, the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories. More than ever, these state CIOs are managing a difficult balancing act where they keep up with the old while continuing to bring in the new.
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CFO Charting a Course through Stormy Seas (2012 CFO Survey)
How are federal CFOs weathering today’s financial storms and protecting their workforces in the face of staff cutbacks, increased workloads, continued pay freezes and uncertainty about the upcoming election? The 17th annual survey of more than 300 federal CFOs, conducted by the Association of Government Accountants and Grant Thornton LLP, suggests that office culture plays a significant role, among other findings.
Government commission releases recommendations on use of cloud computing
On July 26th, TechAmerica Foundation released recommendations from the Commission on the Leadership Opportunity in U.S. Deployment of the Cloud, providing a plan for government use of cloud computing.
