Federal Eye: Hundreds of stimulus recipients haven’t reported on money’s whereabouts

An anti-hunger nonprofit based in the District, Queen Anne’s County in Maryland and a Virginia dredging company are among 389 recipients of federal stimulus dollars that have failed to report on the whereabouts of more than $55 million in economic stimulus funding, federal watchdogs said Thursday. The total amounts to less than 2 percent ofRead… Read more »

Federal Eye: Eye Opener: Fortune cookies promoting the Census

Happy Friday! Some Chinese food lovers in the Pacific Northwest enjoying a fortune cookie may soon get a fortune message that says, “You are an incredibly smart, beautiful person who will enjoy great success,” on one side and “Put down your chopsticks and get involved in Census 2010” on the other. The U.S. Census BureauRead… Read more »

To the Federal Donors in the National Capital Area: THANK YOU!

Total pledges were up more than 5 percent in 2009, exceeding 2008 contributions by $3.3 million. Federal employees also exceeded the 2009 campaign goal of $64 million by $2 million. The Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to all the generous Federal employees who madeRead… Read more »

Customer Service Mantra: Listen, Respect, Follow

From my very first presentation about being a government web manager – way back in the mid-90s – I’ve said this: “if you listen to your audience, they will tell you what to put on your website.” Listening to your audience is absolutely the cornerstone of great customer service. But it doesn’t stop there. YouRead… Read more »

Mecklenburg’s Commission Planning Conference Online Live

This may be of interest to some – we’re broadcasting our Board’s Strategic Planning Conference live on ustream, plus tweeting with hashtag #MeckBOCC. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/strategic-planning-conference-2010 All files and docs digitally available at http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/County+Managers+Office/Strategic+Planning+Conference.htm

Don’t Miss Excellence in Government 2010 – Best Practice for Federal Managers

Excellence in Government: Innovation 2010 The Premier Conference Series for Federal Management Best Practices Excellence in Government (EIG) is the premier conference series dedicated to creating high-performance government. Federal managers benefit from practical, innovative educational sessions as well as insights from high-profile speakers. Join us on April 19th for EIG I: The People Factor, andRead… Read more »

Big City iPhone App Comes to Small-Town America

CivicPlus has released the highly anticipated Citizen Request Tracker™ (CRT) application for the iPhone and iPod Touch to their more than 580 city and county clients across North America. The app is now available for free at the iTunes App Store. The Citizen Request Tracker app gives constituents in cities and counties currently using CivicPlus’Read… Read more »

Federal Eye: Eye Opener: Nearly all stimulus reports received

Happy Thursday! More than 98 percent of the companies, educational institutions and other groups that have received economic stimulus money submitted spending reports last quarter, the White House announced on Tuesday. The news essentially means that most stimulus recipients turned in their homework on schedule last month, providing federal agencies with information on how theyRead… Read more »

Collaboration tools saved 5 state parks, can it help your business or agency?

I was impressed when I read Nancy’s post on GovLoop detailing how social media saved five state parks in Virginia, a cost of $500,000 per year (https://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/how-social-media-helped-save?xg_source=activity). I was so impressed with what I read that I wanted to follow-up with Nancy to better understand the original thinking behind these social efforts, the cost, andRead… Read more »

Telecom Aid in Haiti

I had the pleasure recently of interviewing Paul Margie (here’s the interview) of Telecoms Without Borders, on his recent trip to Haiti, where they provided much-needed phone calls between survivors and their families both in Haiti and here in the United States. A very cool use of telecom technology and logistical expertise at work inRead… Read more »