Posts By Samantha Holquist

10 Basic Steps for Cost-Benefit Analysis

When making a decision, especially in the public sector, it is imperative that officials understand the costs and benefits of their choice, whether it be establishing a new program or making changes to an existing program. Below, I provide a broad, standard process officials can follow when conducting a cost-benefit analysis. I did not goRead… Read more »

Veterans Seize the Day: The 33rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games

From July 13-18, the 33rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games were held in Tampa, Florida. The games are presented each year by Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with additional support from numerous corporate and community sponsors. HP is a proud sponsor of the games and connected me with MarthaRead… Read more »

Analysis and Evaluation of Reforms to DCPS IMPACT

The implementation of teacher performance-assessment systems is an important topic for those working and interested in education policy. At all levels of government, especially state and local, government administrators and school leaders are struggling to reform current evaluation systems to ensure that they are collecting the right information and assessing teachers fairly. Below, I discussRead… Read more »

How to Love Your Government Career

At the Next Generation Training Conference, Bernetta Reese, Web and Digital Communications Manager at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), spoke about how to love your government career. People always say find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life. However, who chooses the perfect job when it comesRead… Read more »

Agents of Change: Harnessing External & Internal Pressures as Opportunities for Change

Today, I was lucky enough to sit in on a panel about harnessing external and internal pressures as opportunities for change at the Next Generation of Government Training Summit. The panel consisted of: Steve Ressler, Founder and President of GovLoop, Joseph Lovett, Producer and Director of the film Going Blind, Linda Jacobs Washington, President andRead… Read more »

New Report: How Does the Government Manage Diversity And Inclusion?

In the fifth installment of their Best Places to Work in the Federal Government analysis of 2012 federal employee survey data, Deloitte and the Partnership for Public Service explored how men and women, different racial and ethnic groups, and veterans and employees with disabilities observed the workplace. This report, entitled Diversity and Inclusion, provides extremelyRead… Read more »

Recap – Smarter Government: Intelligent Law Enforcement & Analytics to Help Keep Communities Safe

Today, GovLoop hosted an illuminating webinar about local governments and law enforcement officials utilizing analytics to help keep communities safe. As the landscape of our nation is changing and technology is becoming more advanced, it is imperative that law enforcement agencies stay up to date and employ all resources available to keep us safe. DuringRead… Read more »

How To Conduct an Effective Policy Analysis

To ensure that a policy is fully analyzed, understood, and implemented effectively, it is necessary to conduct a policy analysis. In his book, A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving, Eugene Bardach, a professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, discussesRead… Read more »

Top 5 Government Lessons from Pitch Perfect

**WARNING: This blog post contains spoilers for Pitch Perfect. Please watch the movie before continuing!** As many of you may not know, Pitch Perfect is one of my favorite movies. Originally, my love grew from the catchy singing, adorable love story, and inevitable happy ending. However, after binge-watching the movie this weekend, thank you HBOGORead… Read more »

Public Service in Action at NextGen!

During this year’s Next Generation of Government Training Summit, public service both within and outside of the workplace will be highlighted, as GovLoop and the Young Government Leaders will have a collection drive at the summit for the National Capital Area Food Bank! This is in conjunction with the annual Feds Feed Families initiative, andRead… Read more »