Rebecca Haessig, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government

Government performance management

Working in the SomerStat office taught me about the power of data, and how it can be used to increase transparency and build public confidence in government by revealing what is really happening in government – both right and wrong – and how government can improve its overall service delivery.

The knowledge I acquired and lessons I learned over the course of the summer will make me more effective in my future career in public service.  I learned how challenging public service can be and how difficult it is to be effective and enact meaningful change.  Offsetting that challenge, however, are the benefits and opportunities that accrue when such change materializes, justifying the hard work and making public service, in my opinion, one of the most important, and rewarding, careers there is.