I learned a bit about UgandaWatch 2011, a project that is working to enable a fair election in Uganda, and reached out to Heather Kashner, the Resident Director for the National Democratic Institute in Uganda, to learn more. What follows is our exchange, I hope you enjoy and consider checking out the Ugandawatch 2011 websiteRead… Read more »
There is a distinct difference between what a lender looksfor in a deal versus what an investor is interested in seeing. For the mostpart, the investor is interested in the idea. Does the concept have enoughjuice to propel it into the stratosphere? Because an investor knows they canchange the model, change the personnel, change locationRead… Read more »
Today marks the first day of Advanced Distributed Learning’s (ADL’s) Future Learning Experience Project, a major new effort from ADL that returns our organization to its roots in Applied Research & Development in the learning technology space.For those unfamiliar with what ADL is, it is an initiative out of the Office of the Secretary ofRead… Read more »
In a conversation with a colleague recently, we discussed the difference between needing and wanting. Needs are those things that are essential and important and, in truth, our needs are quite simple—food, shelter, water. With those basics met, we have everything we “need” to survive. Wants, on the other hand, are desires or wishes forRead… Read more »
My son announced last week that he was moving out on his own. This wasn’t a huge surprise to me; he’s 21 years old, he just finished up his Culinary certificate program and has a job and he’s itching to be on his own and “all grown-up” (weren’t we all at 21?). He’s moving intoRead… Read more »
It is the start of a new year and time for another tall tale. As I’ve said just a few times, I am a retired Senior Executive (GSA) and the author of a recently published book, Confessions of a Government Man: How to Succeed in Any Bureaucracy. This blog can truly be called a “confession”Read… Read more »
Technical project management is a topic I am asked about often. People ask if they need technical skills to be an IT project manager, etc. My response is to say you need a basis of technical knowledge, a foundation, in whatever technology or industry you are trying to manage projects in. I saw an interestingRead… Read more »
USAID (United States Agency for International Development) Most of us on GovLoop are a) employed and b) educated, but we all have children or know children who can benefit from the USAID’s Intern Program. Applications for “paid” programs preclude a security clearance – check with the USAID to determine if the window of opportunity isRead… Read more »
You may or may not have seen game designer Jane McGonigal’s TED talk, which lofts the idea that video games may actually be one of our paths to saving the world. Her argument is based in part on the feeling gamers typically experience–that is, confidence that they can succeed, patience when they don’t, and determinationRead… Read more »
As 2010 is now officially in the books, one issue that we can expect to continue its trend in 2011 is contract protests. An interesting piece in the November-December 2011 Defense AT&L magazine discussed this issue, and illustrates the realities of the federal contracting environment. Mainly, budgets are tightening, competition for those shrinking dollars isRead… Read more »