I have just been tasked with putting together a physical fitness initiative for my agency. It is a little challenging since our headquarters office does not have a gym or any changing areas other than bathroom facilities. I was thinking of starting a walking/running group after work so employees could head straight home afterward andRead… Read more »
Note: I am on vacation this week, so I have the time to write blog entires (like this one) that are not reflective of the opinions of my employer. These thoughts and their form are entirely my own. Last October, I wrote “if agencies’ social media sites were like phone numbers, Josh [Shpayher] looked aroundRead… Read more »
As 2010 is now officially in the books, one issue that we can expect to continue its trend in 2011 is contract protests. An interesting piece in the November-December 2011 Defense AT&L magazine discussed this issue, and illustrates the realities of the federal contracting environment. Mainly, budgets are tightening, competition for those shrinking dollars isRead… Read more »
There is no question that 2010 will go down as the year that social media became a normal part of the communications arsenal for the Department of Defense. The year began with a withering battle raging over embracing the medium at all and finished with its near wholesale adoption across the department. While still aRead… Read more »
A guide to avoiding these five traps, and successfully implementing public initiatives. by Russ Linden Implementation… is, ultimately, what government is all about,” wrote Gordon Chase, a civil servant, in How to Manage in the Public Sector. But implementing programs is filled with speed bumps and landmines. How does one negotiate them successfully? Authors BillRead… Read more »
Ah, a new calendar year! A fresh start! Time to look at the year ahead and figure out how we can make the best of it. So, what goals would I set as a government communicator? Three things jump to the top of my list. Develop and implement a governmentwide customer service strategy Most ofRead… Read more »
Felícita Solá-Carter is the president of Conexiones, a nonprofit that advocates for the educational needs of Hispanic students, and a Center for Government Leadership development coach. Previously, Solá-Carter served as assistant deputy commissioner for human resources and deputy chief human capital officer at the Social Security Administration (SSA). Solá-Carter was the first Puerto Rican womanRead… Read more »
Enough of the looking back! It’s time to set our sights on what awaits in 2011. And it’s shaping up to be a earth-shaking year in government. Here are the issues where Ed O’Keefe has fixed his keen Federal Eye in 2011: 10 things to watch across government in 2011 Here are a couple ofRead… Read more »
Since many of us take this time to reflect on the year past and the year ahead of us, let’s do so in the context of your job search. We’re not going to guilt you into making promises you can’t keep, so let’s keep our list of resolutions to five manageable items that will helpRead… Read more »
As the first decade of the 21st Century ends, I hope that the economic events of the last thirty-five years finally loosen the hold that neoclassical economics has on public policy. It is widely recognized that the accepted economic models that governments use to shape policy are just not empirically valid. Today’s economies are vastlyRead… Read more »