Communications

How to make performance management work

Back in 2010, Congress passed the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). The goal was simple, strengthen performance management in agencies. That sounds simple, but in the government culture it is hard to focus on outcomes over results. Grant Thorton and the Partnership for Public Service teamed up to the look at the effects ofRead… Read more »

Google’s Innovation for the Nation Virtual Summit

Known as the country’s record keeper (and my favorite place to bring D.C. visitors) the U.S. National Archives Records Administration (NARA) protects and provides public access to more than 10 billion pages of textual records, maps, photographs, videos and more than 133 terabytes of electronic records. Needless to say, that is a lot of informationRead… Read more »

Veterans Day: Fighting for America Means Not Having to Fight for Jobs

This Veterans Day there’s good news on the job front for vets. As our nation comes together to honor the many sacrifices of our courageous veterans, OPM reports the following: “In Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, the Executive Branch of Government hired the highest percentage of military veterans in over 20 years, surpassing the previous highRead… Read more »

What Federal Employees Can Learn From the Failures of Abraham Lincoln

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln’s life story at a glance: Failed in Business – Bankruptcy, 1831 Defeated for Legislature, 1832 Sweetheart/Fiancee Dies, 1835 Nervous Breakdown, 1836 Defeated in Election, 1836 Defeated for U.S. Congress, 1843 Defeated againRead… Read more »

FEVS 2013: job satisfaction declines again; how did your agency fare?

In case you missed it, the 2013 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) was issued by OPM on Friday. Federal Times reports: “Federal employee job satisfaction ratings dipped again this year across a broad array of yardsticks.” “Of 77 areas measured by the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, 53 showed declines in satisfaction and most of theRead… Read more »

Closing the Tech Gap by Closing the Education Gap: Insights from The State Department

“To close the technology gap, we need everyone. We need girls whose cultures don’t value their education. We need talented people who live in poverty. We need everyone.” -Lila Ibrahim, President, Coursera I recently attended the Tech@State:EdTech event, a forum dedicated to leveraging education technology to aid U.S. diplomacy and development. There were many innovativeRead… Read more »

DoD Updates Congress on Progress in Afghan Conflict

The Defense Department has released a report detailing the progress of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and where that conflict currently stands, according to a DoD release. Afghan security forces are now successfully providing security for their own people, fighting their own battles and holding their own against the insurgency,” said George Little, Pentagon Press Secretary.Read… Read more »