I’ve recently hit an epiphany: Blogging is not my forte. It’s not that I don’t like writing; it just doesn’t come as naturally as one would hope. But just like the average 20-something in the 21st century, I’ve fantasized about getting paid to write about my life, because let’s face it: like the average 20-somethingRead… Read more »
Tracking federal spending is not for the faint of heart. For starters, the system doesn’t cater to curious citizens or concerned feds, who want to track spending from appropriations in Congress to contract and grant awards. Part of the problem is different agencies use different systems to compile data, and there isn’t a consistent wayRead… Read more »
Do cybercriminals listen to online trainings about defending against their threats? Let’s hope not! Yesterday’s online training, “Defend Your Agency Against Cybercriminals’ Top Tricks,” was dedicated to beating cybercriminals at their own game. Right now, the number of cyber attacks that occur is at its highest rate ever and is doing everything but decreasing. AccordingRead… Read more »
This interview is an excerpt from GovLoop’s recent guide, The DoD of Tomorrow, which explores how the department is transforming its operations, technology, workforce, and acquisitions process to confront 21st century challenges. The mission of DoD “to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country” remains steadfast.Read… Read more »
If you’re like most office worker-bees, you’re probably spending more time sitting at your desk than you spend in any other place, besides your bed. Do you like it? Clutter, poor ergonomics, and stifling work environments can all contribute to a workspace that can actually damage your health and well-being. While grand, sweeping changes mayRead… Read more »
I had a really great conversation with one of my coworkers the other day about the concept of “plain language” which really got me thinking about writing across all parts of government–local, state, federal… Here in the federal government, we talk about plain language–which is the idea that language should be easy to understand forRead… Read more »
On Monday, June 8, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a final memorandum mandating that all Federal websites implement HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure). By December of 2016, all Federal websites will need to implement HTTPS for all communications. Why the Mandate? Privacy, web communications, and encryption are certainly in theRead… Read more »
Meet Nicole Stillwell, one of our esteemed NextGen Public Service Awards finalists. As the Deputy Director of Digital Engagement for the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, Nicole has done outstanding work improving the way the government communicates to citizens in emergencies. Putting people first, Nicole is leading by serving those with the most need.
Keeping people’s attention is important for government communicators. When we tell a story, people need to remember more than one weird trick.
People move around a lot in the field of city and county management; I have an Outlook database that can prove it. And when the city manager or another leader leaves, it’s tempting for a government to try to have other staffers cover that work until someone new is hired. I think it’s almost alwaysRead… Read more »