The McKinsey Quarterly

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OCTOBER 2009

Building private-sector diplomacy

Public-relations expert Richard Edelman explores the new landscape of corporate reputation and trust.

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AUGUST 2009

Improving public-sector purchasing

To get the most out of the purchasing function, public institutions should gain a consolidated view of purchasing spend, set high aspirations for change, streamline buying processes, and strengthen the purchasing organization.
AUGUST 2009

A leaner public sector

Through lean and Six Sigma initiatives, public-sector agencies can improve performance and productivity—but the impact won’t stick if they ignore the “soft” side of making operational change happen.
JULY 2008

Boosting performance in public-sector IT: An interview with a US Defense Department agency director

David Fisher talks about his experiences after he went from the private sector to the biggest organization in the US government.
OCTOBER 2007

Government as a business

Ian Davis, managing director of McKinsey, talks about the public-sector productivity imperative.

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JUNE 2006

Applying lean production to the public sector

Governments at all levels must deliver more for less. The principles of lean manufacturing offer surprisingly apt solutions.

JULY 2008

Reassessing China's state-owned enterprises

China’s state-owned companies, like China itself, are diverse. Many of them would make better partners for multinationals than some of their private-sector counterparts. Openness, not ownership, is the key.
JULY 2008

China’s urbanization challenge

A McKinsey Global Institute documentary probes the opportunities and policy choices posed by the biggest urbanization wave in history.

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JULY 2008

Meeting the challenges of China’s growing cities

China’s cities are booming. Intelligent policies could make the good effects prevail over the bad ones.

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APRIL 2008

What countries can do about cutting carbon emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions can be cut significantly—and, surprisingly, without huge disruption.

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FEBRUARY 2008

How investors can get more out of infrastructure

Opportunities to invest in public infrastructure will increase during the next few years, but so will competition for deals.
MARCH 2007

Improving education in the Gulf

Educational reform should focus on outcomes, not inputs.
FEBRUARY 2007

Universal principles for health care reform

A health care system's fundamental problems can be addressed if the decision makers recognize the interlocking nature of its elements.
FEBRUARY 2007

Making the most of the world's energy resources

Demand for energy is set to grow rapidly during the next 15 years—unless governments, businesses, and consumers take advantage of the many substantial, economically viable, and technologically proven opportunities to boost energy productivity.

JUNE 2009

The case for government reform now

The expanded role of governments means that taxpayers will pay more for public services—and will demand more in return. To meet these expectations, the public sector must transform itself.
JUNE 2009

New challenges for Asia’s governments

As the roles of the region’s governments expand and change, they must transform their capacity and performance.
JUNE 2009

Reforming the public sector in a crisis: An interview with Sweden’s former prime minister

Göran Persson has lived a story that should encourage leaders around the world: how to stay in power while pursuing a harsh crisis program that requires sacrifices throughout society.

SEPTEMBER 2009

Focused on foresight: An interview with the US’s national intelligence officer for warning

Kenneth Knight shares lessons from a career spent analyzing and preparing for the unknown.
AUGUST 2009

A consumer paradigm for China

A more consumer-centric economy would allocate capital and resources more efficiently, generate more jobs, and spread the benefits of growth more equitably. It would also even grow more rapidly.
AUGUST 2009

When citizens are your customers

Optimization techniques using noncontroversial metrics such as customer satisfaction can help government agencies improve their service levels.
JULY 2009

E-government 2.0

Despite spending enormous amounts on Web-based initiatives, government agencies often fail to meet users’ needs online. By employing new governance models, investing in Web capabilities, and embracing user participation, agencies can raise the effectiveness of their online presence.
JUNE 2009

Government ownership: Why this time it should work

There are good reasons to believe that government intervention today will be far less damaging than past experience would indicate.
JUNE 2009

The economic cost of the US education gap

Gaps in academic achievement cost the US economy trillions of dollars a year. Yet there is reason to think they could be closed.
JUNE 2009

Learning from financial regulation’s mistakes

Current bank oversight failed to prevent the financial crisis. Let’s not prescribe more of the same.
MAY 2009

Improving performance at state-owned enterprises

Public-sector companies can match the performance of their private-sector counterparts and even become world-class players.

JUNE 2009

Why understanding medical risk is key to US health reform

The United States has a great opportunity to restrain the cost of its health care system, to improve medical outcomes, and to ease the financial and psychological burden on US consumers.
DECEMBER 2008

Why Americans pay more for health care

The United States spends more on health care than comparable countries do and more than its wealth would suggest. Here’s how—and why.
DECEMBER 2008

Three imperatives for improving US health care

Making health care more affordable is the key to making the US system sustainable. We can bring three of the largest sources of underlying costs and their growth under control.

MARCH 2009

Battling childhood obesity in the US: An interview with Robert Wood Johnson’s CEO

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey talks about the foundation's campaign against childhood obesity and its efforts to cope with the downturn.
NOVEMBER 2008

Perspectives on change: A former chief of staff reflects

Leon Panetta discusses how to make change happen, public–private partnerships and their effect on policy, and the major management challenges confronting the new administration.
OCTOBER 2007

Clearing the way for robust growth: An interview with India’s chief economic planner

Having helped to put India’s economy on the right track, Montek Singh Ahluwalia has now changed focus, to addressing problems with the country’s infrastructure and financial and educational systems.
OCTOBER 2007

Creating a modern Indian city: An interview with Delhi’s chief minister

Sheila Dikshit discusses the challenge of urban development in India.
APRIL 2007

The future of public-pension systems: An interview with the president of the Chilean Pension Reform Commission

The chairman of a commission set up to investigate Chile’s private-pension system explains that the goal now is to supplement rather than replace it.

JULY 2009

Using prizes to spur innovation

Prizes used to spark innovation are on the rise. Philanthropists—as well as players in the public and private sectors—must understand how to use them in the most effective way.

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FEBRUARY 2007

The true value of mobile phones to developing markets

An estimate of the economic benefits of wireless activity must include not only wireless operators but also auxiliary players and end users.

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