Application Guide
How to Apply for Government Performance Lab Fellow
at Government Performance Lab
🏢 About Government Performance Lab
The Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab (GPL) is unique in its hands-on approach: it embeds fellows directly inside state and local governments to redesign public systems from within. You'd work alongside government innovators to tackle entrenched social problems—like homelessness, criminal justice reform, and child welfare—using data and human-centered design. It's a rare chance to drive systemic change while being supported by a world-class academic institution.
About This Role
As a GPL Fellow, you'll be embedded in a government partner agency to lead projects that improve service delivery—for example, helping a city reduce jail stays or a state streamline foster care. You'll juggle project management, stakeholder interviews, data analysis, and capacity-building with permanent staff. The role is high-impact because your work directly shapes policies and services affecting thousands of people.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a check-in call with your government partner to review progress on a data-sharing agreement, followed by a virtual meeting with frontline staff to understand bottlenecks in service delivery. Afternoon could involve analyzing administrative data to identify disparities in program outcomes, then preparing a slide deck for a training session you'll facilitate next week for permanent staff on using evidence to inform budget decisions.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Government Performance Lab Is Looking For
- A mid-career professional with 3+ years of experience in government, consulting, or social impact who thrives in ambiguous, fast-paced environments.
- Someone who combines strong project management skills (workplans, deadlines) with the emotional intelligence to build trust with skeptical government officials and community members.
- A data-curious generalist who can dissect administrative datasets to find actionable insights, but also communicate those insights clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
- A humble, adaptable problem-solver who is comfortable coaching senior staff and facilitating workshops, not just doing the work themselves.
📝 Tips for Applying to Government Performance Lab
Tailor your resume to highlight 'embedded' or 'client-facing' roles where you navigated complex bureaucracies—use examples from government, consulting, or nonprofit partnerships.
In your cover letter, name a specific social problem (e.g., racial disparities in child welfare) and explain how your skills in project management and stakeholder engagement could help a local government tackle it.
Show, don't just tell, your data skills: include a brief bullet point about a time you used data to change a policy or program, and mention the software (Excel, R, Stata, etc.).
Prepare a concise 'elevator pitch' for why you want to work in government—GPL looks for genuine commitment to public service, not just a career stepping stone.
Research one current GPL project (e.g., Results for America partnership or a specific city's justice reform) and reference it in your cover letter or interview.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders—describe a specific example with timelines and outcomes.', 'Your experience working with or within government—even if limited, show you understand the constraints and incentives of public agencies.', 'Your comfort with data analysis and using evidence to drive decisions—give a concrete example of how you turned data into action.', "Your commitment to equity and centering lived experience—mention any work you've done with communities directly affected by the policies you helped design."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read the GPL's latest annual report or blog posts to understand current projects and impact metrics.
- → Look up a few partner governments (e.g., City of Tulsa, State of Washington) and their reform efforts—be ready to discuss what they're working on.
- → Familiarize yourself with the Government Performance Lab's approach to 'embedded' consulting and how it differs from traditional consulting.
- → Check out the Harvard Kennedy School's research on performance management and results-driven government (e.g., work by Jeffrey Liebman).
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Being too theoretical or academic—GPL wants doers who can get things done in messy real-world settings, not just talk about ideas.
- Overemphasizing your desire to 'save' government or implying that public servants are incompetent—humility and respect are critical.
- Ignoring the data component—even if you're not a statistician, you must show comfort with quantitative analysis and a willingness to learn.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Government Performance Lab!