The Moneyball Formula for Government
By Doug Criscitello, former Chief Financial Officer at the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).
Washington lawmakers appear to be in a league of their own – and not for the right reasons. Furloughs, pay freezes, shutdowns and sequesters have become the new normal of how Congress and the White House operate while American taxpayers continue to lose faith in our leaders’ ability reach a reasonable consensus on key issues.
However, these desperate times can also provide an opportunity for new solutions. As I watched the 2013 World Series (which my beloved Yankees missed) I was reminded of a recent proposal arguing that government should take a cue from America’s favorite pastime to improve the ways it works and spends.
According to John Bridgeland, a former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under President George W. Bush, and Peter Orszag, a former director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Obama, government should use the Moneyball formula famously created by Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane, who used data and statistical analysis to evaluate players and successfully beat competing teams who had more money and resources.