Despite big budgets, political endorsement, and formal frameworks for information policy, technology, and management, government information technology (IT) projects continue to falter or fail. This paper argues that public management education must include information strategy and management topics as core concerns. MPA programs should be teaching the next generation of public managers to appreciate how deeply embedded IT is in every aspect of government—and to appreciate their own roles and responsibilities in it. The paper reviews practical experience and academic research on information systems in government and identifies five kinds of competencies that are most needed to build successful information strategies and systems in the public sector.These include strategic thinking and evaluation, system-oriented analytical skills, information stewardship, technical concepts, and complex project management skills.The article concludes with a variety of approaches for bringing these competencies into the master of public administration curriculum.
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