It has started in earnest. Two weeks notice of really short deadlines that depend on a multitude of people to have a small chance of meeting. Why is it that we basically close down government every September (now creeping into August) to deal with book balancing and bureaucracy? Why can’t we do this stuff yearRead… Read more »
Over the weekend my father-in-law decided to take advantage of the Cash for Clunkers program and went car shopping. Unfortunately the Dodge dealer he went to in his home town of Paris, Illinois informed him that they had put the program on hold. Apparently they had sold five cars and had yet to be paidRead… Read more »
The names and Social Security numbers of at least 27,000 Commerce Department employees were exposed to a risk of identity theft following an inappropriate transfer of the personal information in mid-July, according to a letter sent to department employees last week. An employee with the National Finance Center mistakenly sent an Excel spreadsheet containing theRead… Read more »
Ken Miller (author of “We Don’t Make Widgets” and monthly columnist for Governing Magazine) recently wrote an article discussing the impact of Lean in government. With budget constraints and travel restrictions across the board, times are tough for many federal, state and local government agencies. In these times, we need to focus more than everRead… Read more »
Are you interested in U.S. Government workforce issues (getting a federal job, performance management, leadership development, and so on)? OPM has just posted its DRAFT Strategic Plan and is looking for comments from people who care.
With the recent confirmation of the first federal Chief Performance Officer (CPO), Jeffrey Zients, a sprig of hope has emerged among the performance management and improvement crowd. The appointment marks the first time that a seasoned performance improvement leader has been selected to provide structure, vision and real, accountable results. Every administration has had aRead… Read more »
Hi everyone, I’m familiar with the process that some agencies have in place to implement social media guidelines and begin using the various tools. In many cases, the guidelines and processes are developed and implemented by the Communication/Public Affairs office — is this pretty much standard practice across the government? If so, I’d be interestedRead… Read more »
Remember back in April when President Obama ordered the Cabinet to come up with $100 million in costs savings? And remember when critics blasted the plan as too little too late? Government penny-pinchers have found a way to save $102 million this fiscal year and another $140 million during fiscal year 2010. The solution? InstallRead… Read more »
This is my twice yearly public service blog about Restaurant Week in DC (August 24 – 30). Do you take advantage of this? Restaurant Week takes place twice a year, once in the frigid cold of the post-holidays and then again in the dog days of August. Times when diners are likely to be few.Read… Read more »
The U.S. Postal Service today joins a list of troubled government agencies and programs, as auditors acknowledge that the nation’s rapidly declining mail volume has placed a large financial strain on the nation’s mail agency. The Government Accountability Office will add the Postal Service to its “high risk” list, according to Congressional sources, ahead ofRead… Read more »