GovBytes: App Shows Health Inspection Scores of Restaurants

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 »

Storytelling in Government….

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 »

GovLoop Training: Government Customer Service Mandate – Are we better off?

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 »

ArcGIS Keeps Insurers in the Know

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 »

GovLaunch: SAVE Award Winner Announced

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 »

What it Takes to Be a Leader

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 »

Is Government Enabling Online Addiction?

If not, they should be! Almost everyday I see a different GovLoop member stressing the importance of online engagement in government as a tool for better customer service. As governments seek to serve citizens with more information online, are they contributing to our information overdose…or providing a quick hit that helps us more immediately? TakeRead… Read more »

Phone Tips & Tricks: Would You Return a Lost Phone?

The Phone Tips & Tricks series is supported by the Sprint Federal Employee Discount Program. To find awesome discounts visit the Sprint Federal Employee Discount resource center today. I know someone who recently left their phone on the Metro, yes the busy Metro. What’s the worst part? She lost it during rush hour. While stillRead… Read more »