Modernizing public sector management: Fulfilling past promises

At the beginning of the Reagan Administration, the President announced project ‘Reform ’88,’ a set of initiatives to be implemented over two terms aimed at bringing about lasting reforms in the management and administrative processes that drive the ‘bureaucratic behemoth.’ The initiatives were directed at all functions, with budgeting and financial management as key targets. The appointment of a retired computer firm executive to head the National Science Foundation (NSF) meant that Reform ’88 would have a strong supporter, and the small size of the agency rendered the goals more achievable than in the larger departments.