By Lance Winslow When planning a downtown revitalization project the goal is to get people to come back to downtown and shop and spend money. Due to issues such as urban flight many people have moved into the suburbs and new businesses have sprung up there. Many lower income people have been stuck in theRead… Read more »
Every project should have something beautiful about it. Whether it be a creek alignment project or a new asphalt road, beauty is a critical component of any local project. Without it, you stand a very good chance of losing public support for that project or even future endeavors. In real estate we call it curbRead… Read more »
Like other governments, local governments are often too comfortable with the “press release” mode of interaction with its publics. Gerry McGovern, a customer-service-in-government consultant sums it up: “Too many government websites tell us about the legislation they are enacting. We are victims of a tsunami of policies, procedures and publications in a language that isRead… Read more »
Your legacy will depend in part on your ability to develop and nurture future leaders to sustain your goals and objectives. This important role, developing a cadre of future leaders, is frequently overlooked in government. It is worth your devoting time and effort to this endeavor. In his report to the IBM Center, Ray BluntRead… Read more »
Like the Titanic, this is my maiden voyage in the realm of blogging, and I hope not to hit any icebergs. I am very fond of my husband, Ed, and my first born, Eddie, who are already onboard here. I am also very fond of my younger son, Ian, who has not worked with theRead… Read more »
How can Social Media transform government? What role does Social Media play in achieving government transparency? A panel of experts recently met in Mountain View, California to discuss ways Social Media can change federal and local government. The discussion centered around various strategies and the participants shared their experiences of current Social Media usage inRead… Read more »
Cross-posted on Communicators Anonymous There has been quite a bit of talk lately about the “goverati” – a term coined by Dr. Mark Drapeau. “What is the goverati? It is made up of people with first-hand knowledge of how the government operates, who understand how to use social software to accomplish a variety of governmentRead… Read more »
When I was first asked to blog in the early days of GovLoop, I thought it sounded like fun but wondered what I’d write about every week. After all, being a government employee isn’t really part of my self-identity. It’s just my job. Sure, I enjoy my job well enough and have a strong workRead… Read more »
I live on a small island off the coast of British Columbia, across from Vancouver. The Road status tool was built by volunteers, during the bad weather. It’s not a big deal in itself, but is a proof of concept at the very least. Our next step, after completing the geo-tagging of roads, is toRead… Read more »
Hi All, I haven’t blogged for awhile now due to my workload that I have had, so now that I have a few minutes to spare I thought I better get back into it (as I enjoy sharing my thoughts and ideas). So, without further ado my blog this week is about employees who proposeRead… Read more »