Read The Business Fad States Should Steal in which the author highlights why most governments don't fit in well with business management theories. This is why I read Governing magazine — to make me think and evaluate my past and present actions.
I'd like to point out one emergency management agency that went "all in" on a current management fad, that being balanced scorecards.
This particular agency embraced the concept. It even dedicated one FTE (full-time equivalent) to the task of tracking performance. Sometimes our parent governments mandate this type of effort from their departments. When that happens, you (if you want to keep your job) have to follow suit. However, in all of these fads, don't forget that you have to deliver the goods. All this measuring and documenting will do you no good when disasters strike and you are not ready. With a change in leadership now in place, I think the "ship is being righted" and will become more effective in the end.
Perhaps the best thing we can do is to have functional plans, conduct training for as many people as possible, and then exercise the plan, procedures and people to make sure we have a functional system that will work when disaster strikes.
There will be another fad that is a temptation in the future. Like the tree in the Garden of Eden, look — but don't touch.
