In charting a path forward, the savvy public manager will certainly be conceded some private anxiety. After all, the challenges on the horizon are almost Homeric in nature. Granted, there aren’t the warring legions and vicious monsters of Homer’s Iliad awaiting us, but make no mistake, there are storm clouds approaching. Two observations prevail. First, the global economic downturn of the past three years heralded, whether one agrees with it or not, an era of massive government spending to shore up sluggish economies. Second, anemic growth combined with massive debt in many countries (including the United States) have also taken a toll. It’s clear, whether one agrees or not, that the public support, and hence political will, for continued high-spending levels has decreased dramatically, putting extraordinary pressure on government executives worldwide to rein in spending across mission, and especially, mission-support areas.

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