The IBM Center for The Business of Government

What The IBM Center for The Business of Government does

The IBM Center for The Business of Government is a corporate-sponsored research initiative established by IBM in 1998 and operated from Washington, DC with a small core staff of 1-10. Its core function is connecting academic scholarship to government practice by awarding $20,000 research stipends to public management researchers in academia and the non-profit community, which has produced nearly 425 reports since inception on topics spanning technology adoption, AI integration, financial oversight, emergency preparedness, cybersecurity, supply chain, sustainability, workforce, and government modernization. The Center serves government executives and public managers at the federal, state, local, and international levels, with content delivered through research reports, The Business of Government Hour podcast (hosted by Michael J. Keegan, with over 600 government executives interviewed), a blog, the annual Business of Government Magazine reaching approximately 14,000 professionals, and the multi-domain Future Shocks initiative.

Its business model is non-commercial and wholly funded by IBM corporate sponsorship: no products are sold, no services are billed, and all publications are freely accessible. Revenue mechanics are intra-company transfer rather than market transactions. The Center's distribution relies on digital self-serve channels (website, podcast platforms) and a professional network including the National Academy of Public Administration, the IBM Institute for Business Value, and the Good Government Groups coalition. Leadership is concentrated in a small executive team led by Executive Director Dan Chenok, supported by senior and visiting fellows drawn from former senior federal officials (former Deputy Federal CIO at OMB, former Federal CIO at DHS, former CRS Deputy Director, former OMB Deputy Director for Management) and academic report authors.

Name

The IBM Center for The Business of Government

Legal name

IBM Center for The Business of Government

Website

https://businessofgovernment.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The IBM Center for The Business of Government is an IBM-funded, Washington-based research initiative founded in 1998 that publishes nearly 425 reports and produces a weekly podcast to help federal, state, local, and international government executives improve public management effectiveness through practical, practitioner-oriented research and convening.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Administration Research

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Other General Government Support (92119)

akta.pro primary industry

Central Government Policy, Strategy & Performance (incl. OMB-style functions) (BPAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Communications, Transparency & Open Government (BPAIAAAH), Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

Keywords

• Public administration research
• Government management research
• Public sector thought leadership
• Government policy research
• Federal management research

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. IBM Corporate Sponsorship: The Center is funded by IBM as a corporate-sponsored research initiative. It awards research stipends to public management researchers in academia and nonprofit communities. Since 1998, the Center has awarded research stipends resulting in nearly 425 reports.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The IBM Center for The Business of Government is a research and thought leadership initiative that produces practical, actionable research on public sector management for government executives. It awards research stipends to academics and nonprofit researchers, publishes reports and a podcast on government effectiveness, and convenes roundtables with global leaders on topics including AI adoption, cybersecurity, emergency preparedness, supply chain resilience, climate resilience, and workforce development. All publications are freely accessible to government leaders and the public.

Product overview

The IBM Center for The Business of Government is a research organization, not a technology product company. It operates as a single integrated offering—a research and knowledge-sharing platform that connects academic research to government practice. The portfolio consists of Research Reports (covering AI, digital modernization, emergency preparedness, and workforce issues), The Business of Government Hour Podcast (interviewing government executives), the Blog (analysis on public management topics), the Research Stipends Program ($20,000 grants producing government guidance reports), the Future Shocks Initiative (resilience research across cybersecurity, supply chain, climate, and workforce domains), and the annual Business of Government Magazine. These products collectively help government leaders improve effectiveness through evidence-based recommendations and knowledge sharing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Business of Government Hour: A weekly podcast hosted by Michael J. Keegan featuring conversations with government executives and thought leaders about leadership, public management, innovation, and the future of government.

Products and services

• Research Reports

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 425 reports published since 1998, all freely available on the Center's website
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IBM Center works in partnership with the National Academy of Public Administration on the Future Shocks initiative, convening international roundtable discussions with global leaders from across public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors. NAPA has over 750 Fellows including former cabinet officers, Members of Congress, governors, and prominent scholars who contribute to Academy studies.
• IBM Institute for Business ValuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBM Center for The Business of Government collaborates with IBM Institute for Business Value on joint research initiatives including the Future Shocks series covering emergency preparedness, cybersecurity, supply chain, sustainability, and workforce skills.
• American Chamber of Commerce in FinlandregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with American Chamber of Commerce in Finland to convene a roundtable event in Helsinki in November 2023 to discuss climate resilience and sustainability with senior leaders from Finland's public and private sectors.
• American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in the NetherlandsregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly sponsored roundtable discussions on 'Preparing for Future Shocks: Modernizing Supply Chains' held in Washington, DC and Rotterdam with leaders from government, business, academia, and non-profit sectors.
• Center for American StudiesregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Center for American Studies on cybersecurity resilience roundtables held in Washington, DC and Rome, Italy on 'Preparing for Future Shocks: Actions to Build Cybersecurity Resilience'.
• Good Government Groups NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IBM Center is part of a growing 'Good Government' community comprising organizations that make it their mission to improve the effectiveness of government. Includes organizations such as ACT-IAC, ASPA, AGA, NAPA, Brookings Institution, Partnership for Public Service, and others.
• University of Michigan School of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with University of Michigan School of Social Work on the report 'Using AI to Improve Child Welfare: Navigating Rules in Real Time' by David R. Schwartz, which explored how AI can be responsibly deployed in child welfare agencies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Partnership for Public Service: Nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the federal government through leadership, talent management, and accountability research. Closest like-for-like peer to the IBM Center — both publish government effectiveness research and convene senior federal leaders.
• National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA): Independent, congressionally-chartered academy that studies and advises on public management (the Center's primary partner). It produces applied research and forums on federal management that materially overlaps with the IBM Center's mission.
• Deloitte Center for Government Insights: Corporate-sponsored research arm producing publications and surveys on federal/state government transformation, technology, and workforce. Direct structural analog to the IBM Center, hosted within a Big Four consulting firm.
• McKinsey Center for Government: McKinsey's public sector research and convening practice, focused on government performance, citizen services, and digital transformation. Same model — corporate-sponsored center producing free government research and convening leaders.

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution: Large, established policy think tank with substantive governance and public administration research programs. A much broader institution but materially comparable in producing practitioner-relevant public sector research.
• RAND Corporation: Large, established research institution with extensive public policy and government effectiveness research programs. Produces independent research and convening on public administration topics of comparable scope.
• Accenture Federal Services (Federal Insights): Federal government research and thought leadership arm of Accenture, publishing extensively on federal technology modernization, AI, and workforce. Functionally comparable to the IBM Center in producing practitioner-grade content.
• Government Accountability Office (GAO): Congressional agency producing reports and testimony on federal programs, performance, and accountability. The Center's visiting fellows include former GAO leaders, and GAO serves as a comparable source of practitioner-oriented government research.

Others

• IBM Institute for Business Value: IBM's own industry thought-leadership research arm, which actually collaborates with the Center on joint research. Sister organization with overlapping output on technology and public sector transformation.

Emerging players

• GovLoop: Online community for government employees that publishes guides, research, and training on public sector innovation. Smaller scale than the IBM Center but pursues a similar research-plus-community model targeting government practitioners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/1XZFUmeCF5R71SOZP3dQs4
• Xx.com/BusOfGovernment
• Facebookfacebook.com/48089474833

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The IBM Center for The Business of Government