Stuck in traffic? Read the Pre-Memorial Day Round-up (only for passengers!): 05.23.2014

Gadi Ben-Yehuda Dare to Share. Though the Fast CoExist article “How To Build A Circular Economy That’s Less Wasteful And More Prosperous” focuses on private-sector organizations, many of its recommendations are a good fit for government agencies–especially at the state and local level. A Low-Lying Cloud. And here comes “fog computing.” The idea is thatRead… Read more »

Is HR a Profession?

There is a perception within the federal government that HR offices in most agencies are the place where people are placed when there’s no place else to put them. I have heard over the years that HR is the location where the “problem” people land. It’s often viewed that all HR employees do is processRead… Read more »

Text Messaging vs. Mobile Instant Messaging

/> Over the course of the last year, I have noticed a rapidly rising organizational interest amongst my clients in using “text messaging” for communications purposes; specifically for opt-in notifications. The main reasons are quite obvious: 26.3% of Canadian households have no land-line (Convergence Consulting Group, 2014) The smartphone penetration rate is now at aRead… Read more »

Requirements Development is Key to Successful Software Development Acquisition

By Tom Colangelo Anyone who keeps up with national news is aware of a recent problematic major website deployment. Media pundits were quick to blame leadership problems. A noted information technology pundit pointed to acquisition and contracting failures and the governments’ inability to “hire” talented contractors. An Inspector General review will undoubtedly identify both functionalRead… Read more »

Social and Digital Engagement: You Can’t Outsource Leadership

Not content to focus on the benefits that social and digital engagement can bring, some advocates like to issue warnings about the inevitable demise of organizations that don’t jump on the social and digital bandwagons. Succumbing to that pressure, or perhaps feeling compelled by the bandwagon effect itself, leaders have gradually become interested in addingRead… Read more »

The Challenges State Leaders Face in Delivering True Fiscal Transparency

Most states have decided to list their expenses so their citizens can see where tax dollars are being spent. Listing the thousand, or millions, of individual transactions is good in theory, but these endless lists of expenditures fall dramatically short in providing the kind of transparency people yearn for as government continues to expand. GoodRead… Read more »

How To: Innovating Within the Government

In launching our innovation program, my colleagues and I surprisingly received the most push-back from our most innovative colleagues. “We’re already innovating!” was the common refrain. True dat. We have jaw-droppingly talented colleagues who are doing amazing things to help U.S. exporters. However, these best practices aren’t often widely shared across an organization with officesRead… Read more »