Career

Partnerships, Collaboration, Resource-Sharing in the Public Sector

I’m looking for examples of how local government collaborates. Maybe the better question is not “are we collaborating and sharing resources?” but “should we collaborate and share resources?” I’m an educator and for the past ten years I’ve worked as a government trainer. I’ve noticed over the years a disturbing pattern. There seems to beRead… Read more »

Are Government Workers Overpaid?

(originally published at GovCentral.com ) The Cato Institute, a libertarian leaning think tank, suggests that the average federal worker is paid more than the average private-sector employee, especially when fringe benefits like health insurance and pensions are factored in. Nancy Folbre, Economics Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in a recent New York TimesRead… Read more »

Federal Eye: Eye Opener: Federal Retirees to Get $250?

Happy Thursday! Federal employees ineligible to receive Social Security benefits would still get a one-time $250 payment next year if President Obama gets his way. The president wants Congress to make the one-time payments to roughly 57 million people, including roughly 1 million public sector employees ineligible for Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, or veteransRead… Read more »

Continuing Resolutions Don’t Have to Be a Pain

Agencies are again operating under a CR. Here are some suggestions to help budget officers avoid disrupting agency operations during the CR period. There have been three recent papers on CRs: * Continuing Resolutions: Uncertainty Limited Management Options and Increased Workload in Selected Agencies, GAO, #09-879, Sep 2009 * Interim Continuing Resolutions: Potential Impacts onRead… Read more »

Winning with the Media

Winning with the Media How to work with the media so they help you accurately and effectively deliver your message to the public By Sandy Evans Levine, President, Advice Unlimited In today’s environment, government activities are of great interest to the general public, and a hot topic among TV, radio, web and print media. InRead… Read more »

The latest edition of AABPA’s newsletter, The Bottom Line, is now available!

The Bottom Line, October 2009 It includes great articles on human capital and professional development, the integration of budget and financial data, and new collaboration tools for budget and program analysts. Full list of Articles: Sallyanne Harper from the GAO Shares Best Practices for Professional Development The New Budget Office: How Collaboration Tools Can ImproveRead… Read more »

Managing the “Graying” of Municipal IT Staff

by Tim Verras, Sophicity The looming retirement of the Baby Boomer Generation is a concern on the horizon for municipal IT managers. Staff with decades of experience in the technologies and processes crucial to the municipality’s operations will be handing over positions to middle or entry level employees. The question for IT managers becomes: HowRead… Read more »

NSPS Article Q: Is it really dead?

Washington Post October 8, 2009 Pg. 27 Federal Diary Pay-For-Performance Program Gets The Boot By Ed O’Keefe Christmas came early for some federal employees and their unions Wednesday as lawmakers delivered one of the biggest items on their wish list, repealing a controversial pay-for-performance program. The repeal of the National Security Personnel System came asRead… Read more »