Engage!

We like campaigns at Code for America. Campaigns provide us motivation, inspiration, and support for reaching shared objectives and goals. Each of our Brigade campaigns is designed to direct energy in support one of our five activities. Each of those activities advances our strategic outcomes. Our summer campaign, Open Impact, was about advocating for changesRead… Read more »

Transitions and New Beginnings

It’s an interesting time to be at Code for America right now. November marks the formal beginning of the “transition” phase for the 2012 Fellowship Program. Fellows are hard at work transitioning their applications, transitioning the relationships they’ve established in City Hall and in their communities – and transitioning themselves into exciting new chapters inRead… Read more »

Sit In the BIG Chair. . . Be a Blue Pencil/Gold Screen Judge!

by Marisa Ellison, Competitions Director for the National Association of Government Communicators and Customer Relations Manager for the Missouri Department of Transportation (Northeast District) If you’re like me, when you sign up for something, you’re in it for the long haul. You don’t give 50% or 75%…you give 110%. As communicators and public relations professionals,Read… Read more »

Increasing Value

For Actions There are three conditions an action has to satisfy to be considered valuable. You have to get it right the first time, The thing you are working on has to change physically (work added), and The customer has to care. One out of three or two out of three do not qualify asRead… Read more »

Top Career Advice for Government Contracting Professionals – Get Certified!

My colleague Kevin Drummond, a Senior Acquisition Analyst, was asked to come up with his top career advice for yesterday’s Career Fair panel at the NCMA Government Contracts Management Conference. Here’s what he wrote in our Integrity Matters blog. Do you agree? I have many friends and colleagues in the Federal Government and the industryRead… Read more »

The Consequences of An Inconsistent Acquisition Strategy

Dear Contracting Officer, When you release an RFP solicitation notice that includes a timeline, competition type (e.g., 8(a), Full and Open, Woman-Owned Small Business, etc.), contract vehicle (e.g., GSA Schedule, MOBIS, etc.), requirements and other critical information, industry initiates a process called capture management. This process involves understanding your requirements; identifying capability gaps; developing aRead… Read more »

An Update On DoD’s Ambitious Joint Information Environment

By BobGourley The Department of Defense and its key Information Technology players (including DISA and leadership at OSD/DoD CIO) have done a tremendous job in keeping the community informed on a new, ambitious approach to enterprise IT in DoD called the Joint Information Environment. They have presented at industry days, spoken at major conferences, andRead… Read more »

Top 5 Ways to Justify IT Investments

I’ve had moments when I was so excited about the potential of a new IT project that I couldn’t wait to get it started. And, after dedicating time to the procurement, RFP, review, negotiation and contract process, who wouldn’t look forward to doing the actual work? But, before you roll up your sleeves, there’s oneRead… Read more »

CTOlabs White Paper on Model-Enabled Analysis: Factors for Evaluation

By BobGourley CTOlabs.com, a subsidiary of the technology research, consulting and services firm Crucial Point LLC and a peer site of CTOvision.com, has just announced a white paper on the advanced analytical construct known as “ Model-Enabled Analysis.” This paper, titled “Model Enabled Analysis: Factors for Evaluation” provides background on model-driven analysis, an overview ofRead… Read more »