I just got done with reviewing a number of applications to the SBA Apps for Entrepreneurial contests. Lots of cool applications and the results will be forthcoming in a few weeks. It’s my first time judging so I thought I’d give some feedback from the perspective of a judge for those applying to other appsRead… Read more »
This week, Code for America launched the “Change by Us” initiative in Philadelphia. Change By Us allows citizens to share ideas, projects and resources to dive change in their cities and neighborhoods. The falls under a free and open license, so it is available for any city to pick up and implement. The Code forRead… Read more »
Notes from 5 minute talk at PS Engage Before the tool….stop chill out and think -Who you are communicating with (target audience – be specific) -Why are you communicating with them? (what outocme do you want or why bother) -One or 2-way communication? (Tell them stuff or hear what they want) -How do you getRead… Read more »
Notes from PS Engage 5 minute talk on Agile Lean Startup, Strum – all types of agile work Teams that are self-organizing, incrementing, and delivering on short feedback loops Get results quicker – take big deliverables and break them down. Fail fast, fail often – if delivering in 2-3 weeks, if fail much smaller dealRead… Read more »
A new app has been released that identities health inspection records at restaurants in California. Government Technology reports that the new app in Sacramento allows consumers to check out health inspection scores at local restaurants. Called “Sacramento County Food Inspections,” the app shows a person’s current location in Sacramento County, Calif., and the nearby retailRead… Read more »
Lessons from Alan Silberberg’s presentation on “Storytelling” Tell your story-simple -quickly -know your audience How to get to Yes -Don’t take no for an answer -Tell the story so you get buy in -Use examples from outside your group -Tie to real world examples/case studies So much information – choose the data points that supportRead… Read more »
Last Thursday (11/17), GovLoop and RightNow hosted a training webinar on “Government Customer Service Mandate – Are we better off?”. During the training we discussed the lessons learned from building agency customer service plans and took a look at the future of government customer service. Below please find key resources related to the training session:Read… Read more »
This year’s hurricane season brought some pretty intense storms our way. 2011 churned up many severe tropical storms such as Arlene, Bret, Emily, Harvey, Maria, and Rina. Those of us on the East Coast remember the pandamonium and alert of Irene as she worked her way up Eastern shores. Meteorologists always track tropical storms, butRead… Read more »
The White House Blog reports the winner of the 2011 SAVE Award is Matthew Ritsko of Crofton, Maryland. Matthew’s idea is to create a centralized tool repository, or a “lending library,” at NASA. The idea is to avoid wasteful repeat purchases of tools. The White House Blog states Matthew is a Financial Manager at NASA’sRead… Read more »
Today I attended the second day of the National Academy of Public Administration’s annual fall meeting. One of the sessions I attended, Answer the Questions: How to Lead in Difficult Environments. Leadership for Long Term Planning and/or Short-Term Fixes” had a remarkable conversation on what skills are needed for leadership in the public sector. TheRead… Read more »