In 2001, we created the Partnership for Public Service to reform our federal government by revitalizing government service. One of the trends we’ve seen over the past six years is that change often follows a dramatic event which opens people’s eyes and helps them understand why government matters. The attacks of 9/11 prompted the most dramatic civil service reforms in a generation. After Hurricane Katrina, Congress enacted changes at FEMA, such as a law requiring that top agency officials have emergency management experience. When dangerous levels of lead were found in millions of toys, a movement to revamp the Consumer Product Safety Commission got underway.

While these reforms are all significant, the enormity of our challenge requires a sustained effort, not a periodic flurry of activity after disaster has struck. This annual report illustrates why government matters in times of calm, not just crisis, and how government’s impact on our everyday lives demands that we act to improve its effectiveness.

This report also outlines how the Partnership, more than any organization outside government, is driving that sustained push to improve government and how our work is delivering results through a broad range of new activities.