Yearly Archives: 2012

The Government Man – Some (Hopefully) Final Words About the GSA Ex-Scandal

The Government Man has been pretty quiet lately, save for an occasional blog or You Tube posting. The GSA scandal has been long out of the news. My insiders tell me that GSA has taken disciplinary action against those implicated in the alleged wrongdoing. As I said before, I am not attempting to defend thoseRead… Read more »

Aphorism 69

Things only become possible after you are bored to death of talking about them. Ben Goldacre, quoted by Hakim Yadi Original post

Should Local Governments Pay Bonuses To Employees For Their Ideas?

Many local governments on paper have a Employee Suggestion Review Committee, but few actually utilize such committees successfully. The Town of Amherst, NY as I mentioned in a previous post has such a Committee along with wooden suggestion boxes, which had not been opened in years. According to an Arizona Republic news article at theRead… Read more »

Why do we struggle with Workforce Planning?

To answer this question, I checked in with my former colleague and friend, Dr. Barbara Male. Dr. Male retired from the federal government in April 2008 after 25 years of federal service, most recently serving as a Deputy Assistant Secretary with the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM). She was a career memberRead… Read more »

PVA Kids Day 2012: Veterans Continue to Give Back

Today I had the pleasure of attending the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) “Kids Day” event. The event was a wonderful and inspiring event to attend. Kids Day is an annual special event that is part of the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Each year a day is set aside to introduce children with disabilities toRead… Read more »

Local Governments Increase Transparency Through GIS Technology

In this increasingly interconnected world people are used to accessing information quickly and easily. In turn, governments across the world are working to deliver information in a way that is more accessible, transparent and interactive to engage citizens. One way many governments are sharing information and communicating with citizens is through interactive maps. In aRead… Read more »

A National Biometric Database, DARPA’s Zombie Satellites, and More

Here is today’s federal cybersecurity and information technology news: The Federal Bureau of Investigation plans to have its Next-Generation Identification system, which will include nationwide iris scan and facial imaging databases, ready for testing by 2014. More here. A military judge has ordered prosecutors to show they are not withholding evidence from Bradley Manning afterRead… Read more »

If You Can’t Measure Your Skills, Neither Can a Potential Employer

When it comes to a job search, being able to quantify your skills is one of the biggest elements. Having viewed a lot of resumes at ClearanceJobs.com one of the biggest issues is seeing a resume and having no idea the kind of position an applicant is applying for. Being specific, direct, and making yourRead… Read more »