Leadership

Daily Dose: Secretary Salazar Seeks to Add Sites and Properties to National Register

Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has requested that the National Park Service add more sites and proprities related to women and minorities to the National Register of Historic Places or to be named as historic landmarks. The Washington Post Reports: “Less than 3 percent of all the national landmarks that we have — theRead… Read more »

Why Innovators Should be Paying Attention to Prizes

Innovators—including government innovators—should be paying attention to prizes because they work, because they add another tool to their innovation tool belt, and because they are already being used by a typical late adopter—the government. I’ve been a student of prizes and competitions in government for several years now—there is always something to learn: a newRead… Read more »

Federal Coach: How to Overcome Bureaucracy so You Can Innovate

I am in a federal office that places a high value on innovation, yet there are so many bureaucratic obstacles to being innovative. Are there any good models you can recommend where federal programs have been both innovative and produced valuable results? -Federal Supervisor (GS-14), Department of Homeland Security I can share plenty of examplesRead… Read more »

Federal Coach: Looking to Grow as a Leader? Then Look to the Past

No time has been more turbulent for leaders than the present. At least that’s what we like to think. Even a superficial review of our nation’s history, however, will show that we’ve encountered plenty of tough times. For developing leaders – often eager to move forward quickly – it’s important to slow down and studyRead… Read more »

GovExpert: James Donelson, former Chief Operations Officer for the Internal Revenue Service

GovExpert is a biweekly interview of high-level authorities on government and government practices. This week’s GovExpert is James Donelson. Mr. Donelson is a former Chief Operations Officer for the US Internal Revenue Service. As an operations officer what made your job the most difficult? The major challenge for me as IRS Chief Operations Officer wasRead… Read more »

Metro looks to technology to ease parking woes

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (DC) is exploring high-tech options to better manage its parking supply. After testing sensors at the Fort Totten Metrorail station that capture real-time data on space availability and usage, the agency plans to expand the system to Rockville. Metro also plans to install signs at a Vienna station parkingRead… Read more »

The “Big Five” IT trends of the next half decade: Mobile, social, cloud, consumerization, and big data

Editor’s Note: The highly regarded enterprise IT thought leader Dion Hinchcliffe has produced yet another “must read” piece for enterprise technologists titled “The “Big Five” IT trends of the next half decade: Mobile, social, cloud, consumerization, and big data.” This is classic Dion, with compelling logic, great context, and a tremendous graphic that helps putRead… Read more »

Reflecting on the Social Media Forum #DCCSMF

Last Friday was the Social Media Forum#DCCSMF. It was very well attended with over 70 people from across the council and partner organisations. It went very well, a few technical and timing issues but nothing major. Everyone wants more but better next time…so an interesting challenge. Even the Head of our Press Office attended andRead… Read more »

Owning Transparency

I’m excited to announce the Open Forum Foundation’s very first official publication: A Guide to Owning Transparency How Federal Agencies can Implement and Benefit from Transparency [Get it here] This work is based on the in-person discussions hosted during the Focus Forum Owning Transparency: People, Processes, and Technology at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)Read… Read more »