FRUSTRATIONS OF GOVERNMENT RESEARCH

We’re happy in our work life (and our home life as well).  In fact, two of our favorite things we do professionally are writing the column you’re reading now and building this website.

Yet barely a day goes by when something doesn’t frustrate or annoy us – often during our research – and we thought we’d share a few of these impediments to workplace bliss with you. We wonder how many of you are confronting the same challenges – and we invite you to send us any frustrations of your own.

1)    Ancient data. It’s surprising how frequently when we’re reading a report, we discover that the information in it is based on data that can be five, ten, fifteen or even twenty years old. Maybe this is legitimate in certain kinds of academic literature (which is where we often find the old information), but we find it hard to believe that translating these documents into real-world action is a wise approach. Old data can lead to conclusions that aren’t applicable to the world of today.

2)    Out of date legislative sites. We often visit legislative websites to keep up with what’s happening in states. Frequently they haven’t been updated, and we often find they promise more than they deliver with sections that suggest the coverage of topics, but contents that stem from way before the pandemic. Very old reports have a place in archives but are disappointing when you’re seeking information that’s useful today.

3)    University centers that promise more than they deliver. Periodically, when we use a search engine to find a good source of information, we come up with university-based think tanks or subject centers. For example, when we recently looked for a website with a good reputation about the future of humanity (for an article we were writing), we found that the “best for institutional research” on this topic was the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford.  And apparently it was once one of the world’s most famous research centers for topics like the potential threats of AI. But when we took the next step, it turned out that its website looked something like an obituary. Apparently after scandals, Oxford stopped funding the institute several years ago. 

4)    The road to nowhere. We fully understand that many potential sources need to have a protective layer around them to make sure they use their time effectively. But increasingly, the only way to reach out to them is through online auto-email connections. We fill in all the blanks, asking for a conversation, and then all too often we never hear back. This isn’t purposeful we think – it’s our guess that these general e-mail forms are continually overly full, and nobody on the other end is carefully going through the messages.

5)    Missing contact information. Following up on the previous item, finding a direct e-mail address or phone number is a challenge. Increasingly, the names of individuals who head program areas or divisions are absent, as well. This is a clear obstacle to the transparent practices that cities, counties and states aspire to for their governments

6)    Missing dates on reports and studies. We try to stay on top of the news, especially for the Management Updates that run on this site every Tuesday. But it’s frequently the case that we find a fascinating document, think it’s worth writing about, but are unable to figure out when it was released.  (Truth in advertising; we’re not meticulous about dating some of the items on our own website. But we’re planning on being better about this in the future).

7)    The misuse of the word "bureaucrat." We've written about this before in a B&G Report titled "Bureaucracy is not a Dirty Word," but we're going to hit on it again. The word “bureaucrat,” is often used as a pejorative. But in fact, it’s the people to whom that word is applied who actually get the business of government done. In our minds, the word should not be an epithet.

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