Project Management

The Courage to Trust

Courage: the ability to do something that frightens one. Trust: firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, and strength of someone or something. One need only turn on the news for a few moments to be overwhelmed with the human drama playing out in the world right now. Revolutionary movements attempting to topple dictatorships, naturalRead… Read more »

Blunders Happen

Like anything, we often have the best intentions in our creative initiatives and miss the mark. Hence, the fail fast concept. Sometimes we get so excited to unveil a new idea or experiment, we have laser focus and don’t see the big picture. I’ve noticed a few of these blunders and faux pas lately, andRead… Read more »

Sunshine Week sheds light on value of software in improving records management

Early one morning, during my state tenure, I watched the departmental file and e-mail server disappear in the company of some state security officers. Its contents were at the center of an investigation into how and why a lucrative tax credit was passed in my state. This was a first for me. Previously, I hadRead… Read more »

FHWA Social Media Policy Launched

Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration FHWA Social Media Web 2.0 Mgmt Par. What is the purpose of this directive? Is this a new FHWA directive? What is the background of this directive? What is the scope of this directive? What authorities were used in writing this directive? What is the definition of Social Media/WebRead… Read more »

Public Affairs Cuts in the DoD Budget Efficiencies Memo (UPDATED)

The long awaited budget cutting efficiencies promised by Secretary of Defense Gates were outlined in a decision memo signed on Monday, 14 March, 2011 and now making its way around the Pentagon much to the chagrin of many in the building. I did a quick pull of the specific hits in the public affairs andRead… Read more »

How Google is Mapping 25 Years of Climate Change

This blog entry was originally posted on [acronym] Online, a blog and magazine dedicated to those in the public sector working within the 2D and 3D digital design, GIS, architecture and engineering disciplines. In December of last year, Google released its new Google Earth Engine, an application created specifically with scientific research in mind. ThisRead… Read more »

It Begins at the Beginning – Projects that Get in Trouble, Stay in Trouble

As gas prices rocket upward I am reminded of a small personal project I undertook a few years ago that holds lessons for many larger troubled projects in both the public and private spheres. It all started innocently enough when my wife asked me if I could mow the lawn one Saturday afternoon. Since theRead… Read more »