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The Flow-Chart Fallacy

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Case in point: The Securities and Exchange Commission is at the center of the recent reorganization talks, largely because of its poor track record in stopping malfeasance on Wall Street in the run-up to the economic meltdown. But multiple reports have revealed that the SEC's poor performance stemmed from a failure of leadership, not its position on government organizational charts.

Before investing tremendous amounts of energy in major reorganization plans, the Obama administration would be better served by focusing on preparing its political appointees to effectively lead federal agencies. Energized, well-trained leaders have much more potential to turn around a failing agency than a major reshuffling does.

The administration should also invest in developing useful measurement tools to gauge agency performance. The president's budget calls for improved performance measurement in government. His administration should make it a priority to keep this promise.

In the end, the best way for our government to avoid the pitfalls that lie ahead is to resist the temptation to launch major structural overhauls and instead invest in our federal workforce and the quality of its management.

The writer is president and chief executive of the Partnership for Public Service.

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