It’s difficult for governments to remain effective when the support of citizens evaporates. History is littered with failed states, civil wars and insurrections resulting from society’s loss of trust in their rulers and governance systems. In authoritarian states this support is often built on fear, coercion and control, which can prove to be very fragileRead… Read more »
Often times, the written word is the only form of communication for daily office instruction. If you are unable to explain yourself in a clear and sufficient manner, it may slow down the process of getting things done. On a personal note, if you are unable to write correctly you may end up losing respectRead… Read more »
Looking to add visuals to improve your materials? These icon resources will help you out. Finding Icons The Noun Project Iconmonstr Map Icons Smashing Magazine Freebie Icons Search Fontello (font icons) Font Awesome (font icons) FindIcons Creative Commons Search Engine Building a Global Visual Language from The Noun Project on Vimeo. 9) Iconathon iconathon.org “IconathonsRead… Read more »
As children run through sprinklers and enjoy fireworks (safely, we hope) over the holiday weekend, we thought it would be appropriate to share a post from the Davenport Institute’s Gov 2.0 Watch blog on games and engagement. As we know, civic participation can be fun, too! You can find it below or read the originalRead… Read more »
Let’s face it: most department meetings are lame. A lot of employees would rather have an hour to themselves than go to another boring department meeting. I have observed an unusually high number of urgent customer issues that seem to coincide with my department meetings. Getting your department together in one place all at theRead… Read more »
We’re excited to celebrate Independence Day tomorrow! This week government organizations across the U.S. are sending updates to commemorate the holiday. Check out some of the messages public sector organizations have been sending (both this year and in the past) to engage their stakeholders in new ways. And don’t forget to sign up to receiveRead… Read more »
This week the FAR & Beyond blog is dedicated to the Fourth of July. The blog highlights a speech given by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. We hope everyone has a wonderful July 4th weekend! On July 4th, 1863, Confederate forces at Vicksburg, Mississippi surrendered to the Union Army of the Potomac, aRead… Read more »
“The execution of the ACA was seriously flawed. Three factors contributed to the rocky rollout: the nature of lawmaking, poor personnel decisions, and poisonous politics,” notes Dr. Zeke Emanuel. The American healthcare system is complex. It was not created complex and expensive from its origins, but evolved to become this way over a period ofRead… Read more »
You’ve got ideas! You want to change your office/unit/department for the better and know how to do it! You’ve worked it all out! But no one is listening. Or if they listened, things remain at the status-quo. Or if they want do implement change, it’s happening with the efficiency of the Pony Express. Has thisRead… Read more »
After the US Men’s National Soccer Team lost in the World Cup, all the commentators lamented the state of US soccer. How are we going to develop great American soccer players when the best athletes are still choosing football and basketball? Listening to this discussion, I found a parallel between attracting great young athletes toRead… Read more »