Posts Tagged: public

Good Read: 5 Common Characteristics of Ideas That Spread

Originally posted on #GovLife. One of the things we hear about a lot when we talk about innovation is the rate of adoption. Whether or not an idea (no matter how amazing) succeeds is a huge risk, and it’s not just applicable to government. The characteristics listed in 5 Common Characteristics of Ideas That Spread,Read… Read more »

Good Read: How to Start a Billion-Dollar Empire With a Laptop

Originally posted on #GovLife We’re always told “don’t judge a book by its cover”, so trust me when I say “don’t judge this article by its title”. We all know (or at least should know) Alexis from his days at reddit. In 2008, after watching hisTED talk, I became an instant fangirl and haven’t lookedRead… Read more »

Good Read: The Truth About Creativity at Work

Originally posted on #GovLife. Last week I went to the William Eggers’ Open Forum at the Institute on Governance, where we discussed some of the concepts in his new book, Solution Revolution. I was involved in a discussion on the scalability of good ideas, which raised some topics that have come up in other conversationsRead… Read more »

The Solution Revolution, Messy Outcomes, and Trust in the Age of Information

Originally published at cpsrenewal.ca. While I didn’t intend it, this speaks to the current shutdown. Citizens don’t yet understand how much civil service accomplishes for our countries. Last week Bill Eggers from Deloitte was in Ottawa, explaining his view of The Solution Revolution: the idea that for-profit businesses and social enterprises will solve societal needsRead… Read more »

IPSI – Public Works Management Training that Works!

I just returned from spending a week at the Illinois Public Service Institute – “a three-year training program which provides instruction expressly designed for public service professionals.” Since this is my second year of the three-year program, I thought it would be a good time to share my experiences with others who might be consideringRead… Read more »

Jennifer Smith: Some Public Building Service Contracts on Pause

The General Services Administration could reduce the scope of or terminate some existing contracts with the Public Building Service as a result of the government shutdown. Jennifer Smith, PBS acting deputy assistant commissioner for acquisition management, told industry partners in an Oct. 2 letter the lack of a fiscal year 2014 budget has caused aRead… Read more »

Brookings Starts New Public Sector Research Center

The Brookings Institution has launched a new research center under its governance studies program that will work to help identify and solve challenges in the public sector. The Center for Effective Public Management will seek to identify the country’s top governance and political issues of the day and involve leaders and domestic policy experts fromRead… Read more »

Four Approaches to Crowdsourcing

Is this a Golden Age for citizen involvement in government? As dismayed as some may be with the political process, there are growing opportunities for meaningful engagement in many areas, thanks to growing social media tools and a willingness to participate by many ordinary people. Gavin Newscom is California’s lieutenant governor, and was formerly theRead… Read more »

Why “Do More with Less” is Wrong

For government managers faced with restrained budgets, hiring freezes, and new mandates, the pressure to do more with existing resources has gained widespread traction. “Wrong” is a bit of an overstatement, but for one government leader, the notion of “doing more with less” misses a central point. Last week, Rafael Borras, Under Secretary for ManagementRead… Read more »