GEAR Center Seeks to Bring Bright Minds Together to Solve Government's Biggest Challenges

The Federal Government has fallen behind the curve in adapting how we operate to the realities of the 21st century. Most Federal entities and programs were designed decades ago, and many of our organizations are still aligned to the 19th century. Back then we could not have anticipated how technology and society would evolve or how the mission demands on government would look today.

The current state of our government still relies heavily on outdated technology which has led to a decrease in public trust and customer satisfaction. Moreover, our workforce does not have the skills needed to transition to be more modern in a digital age.

That’s why the Federal Government is pursuing a Government Effectiveness Advanced Research (GEAR) Center. This center will establish a public-private partnership to bring together experts in economics, computer science, and design thinking in order to take a fresh approach to new possibilities in how government interacts with Americans. The GEAR Center would be a public-private partnership that is housed and operated by non-federal partners.

Through applied research and live pilot testing, the GEAR Center would connect today’s challenges with cutting-edge solutions. With a key focus on data, IT investments, and reskilling our workforce, this center would help government catch up and lay the groundwork for where our operations and services need to be for years to come.

To get there, we need your help. Right now, we are engaging the public, academics, experts, and industry to share ideas on how best to accomplish this goal, to learn from examples that already exist, and to identify institutions interested in partnering.

If you have ideas or comments for us, or if you simply want to learn more about the center, please visit: www.performance.gov/GEARcenter.