Leadership Development Within Agencies
How can we develop public service leaders, and what are some constraints that limit an agency’s ability to offer leadership programs?
Posts Tagged: ASPA
Government’s Communication Challenge or Opportunity?
By Megan Bensatte Communicating with the Public: A challenge for government If you work in government communications, you know that we often have a hard time getting our message across to the masses. While our concepts start off simple enough, the end product is weighed down with technical jargon, lawyer-like speak and far too manyRead… Read more »
ASPA’s Section on Emergency Management Board Openings
If you are an active member of ASPA’s SECM and are interested in serving on the board, there are 3 positions open for election. If so, please let either John Kiefer or Tonya Elise Neaves ([email protected]) know as soon as possible. The new officers will assume their roles at ASPA’s national meeting in New OrleansRead… Read more »
Federal IT Contracting: An Interesting Read
By Daniel Eisen In my last post I promised that I would highlight some articles I have collected on federal Information Technology (IT) contracting. The pile was taller than I thought. My process of culling through articles kept reminding me of my how dad always used to say “how’s that going for you?” and “lotsRead… Read more »
Can You Hear the Whistle?
Michael Pilato, creator of the Penn State mural “Inspiration,” made a change to his painting Saturday, removing the halo over former football coach Joe Paterno. This visual fall from glory was preceded by the July 12 release of a damning, 267-page investigative report on the on-going child abuse scandal, compiled by former FBI director LouisRead… Read more »
The Federal Pay Debate
There has been a lot of chatter around the salaries and benefits of public servants. Like every debate, there are two sides. We recently attended a panel discussion, organized by the Coalition for Effective Change (CEC), which brought this issue to the forefront by bringing together three of the biggest players in the debate: CongressionalRead… Read more »
Keeping the Jargon Out of Public Communication
Every field has its specialized vocabulary, and public administration is no exception. There is value to this shorthand, commonly referred to as jargon. We can communicate more efficiently and readily identify kindred spirits. The disadvantages seep in when we use professional jargon for public consumption. When specialized language is used in articles or speeches writtenRead… Read more »
Lessons of E-Filing – Government & IT
By Daniel Eisen The impact of technology on the federal government operations and the delivery of citizen-centric services are undeniable. Developing and implementing any technology is a complex undertaking. Developing and implementing technology for the federal government, can and usually does, increase this level of complexity. These efforts usually involve multiple stakeholders and interests suchRead… Read more »
Teachings from a Bag of Potato Chips
While on a brief respite from our everyday world, my partner and I spent a couple of afternoons sitting outside a café drinking coffee, talking, writing, and enjoying the scenery. On the second day, I sipped strong coffee while watching an interesting scene unfold. After throwing away her trash and gathering her belongings, a youngRead… Read more »
Is Performance Budgeting Hopeless?
A recent academic symposium on performance-based budgeting suggests that trying to apply this noble idea across government may be hopeless. Decades of research and efforts to implement performance budgeting across federal, state, and local governments in the U.S. seem to consistently come down to the conclusion that no matter how rational it sounds, politicians don’tRead… Read more »