Recently, NCDD has been part of an ongoing conversation about whether online comment sections can be spaces for dialogue and if there are methods or tools we can use to make those spaces more civil. One of our NCDD organizational members, the National Institute for Civil Discourse, recently released on a study on the topicRead… Read more »
In the early 20th century, you could only listen to music by attending live performances. Then you could listen to it on recordings. Then radio, vinyl, 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, Napster iTunes and now through various streaming services like Pandora, Rdio, and Spotify. If the technology to record and listen to music evolves so rapidly, whyRead… Read more »
Did you ever play the game telephone as a kid? It was one of my favorite games, because no matter how hard you tried, the message always got muddled somewhere along the way. Messages from government leaders can also run the risk of a telephone-esque misunderstanding. In the Best Places to Work in the FederalRead… Read more »
This week it was announced that the U.S. federal government is creating a U.S. Digital Service team led by Mikey Dickerson with a goal to “improve and simplify the digital experience that people and businesses have with their government.” Personally, it’s exciting to hear about the announcement of this division (with some decent staffing fromRead… Read more »
The Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) mandates very detailed security practices. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has an entire division focused on creating security guidance documents. As security becomes more of a focus the nomenclature of these documents seeps into your daily lingo. FIPS 199 and 200 describe the levelsRead… Read more »
Even though social media is fully integrated into the global culture and economy, many leaders are still reluctant to put themselves and/or their organizations in a position where they may have to listen to and/or engage with various stakeholders via these public channels. They tend to fear potential reputational harm and/or the stickiness of havingRead… Read more »
By Chuck Brooks, Vice President and Client Executive, Department of Homeland Security Since launching in 2003, the social networking service LinkedIn has become an increasingly popular avenue for professional networking and interaction. LinkedIn provides a valuable platform for business engagement in all industries, including government services, but its potential is wasted if you’re not properlyRead… Read more »
With mobile technology, 24/7 news coverage, Twitter, Facebook, Buzzfeed, iPhones, and other constant updates, sometimes we just need to stop and reflect. Take a breath. Really, take a breath. Sometimes you gain the most by slowing down and reading a good book. Holding something tangible in your hands to read shouldn’t be obsolete, but aRead… Read more »
Now that social media has permeated our everyday lives, government agencies are increasingly using channels such as Facebook and Twitter to connect with the public. But is your organization’s content interesting or engaging enough to keep followers coming back? Consider some of the following the next time you post. 1. Inject fun into your messageRead… Read more »
Security clearances were granted or approved for roughly 83,000 Department of Defense (DOD) and employee contractors who together owe more than $730 million in federal tax debt, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. This bewildered many to learn that the tax cheats were working underneath the government’s own roof. One agency isRead… Read more »