Managing Government Employment Expectations
As a graduate student and self-professed “researcher,” I feel obligated to say first that I do not have personal empirical evidence regarding municipal human resources practices. However, I recently read the article “Determinants of Local Government Workforce...
Federal Job Application Strategies
How do you apply for a federal job? Many people go straight to USAJOBS.gov and start searching for jobs they might like. They look at the Duties section of the Vacancy Announcement and say to themselves, “I can do that.” Then they apply. These same folks upload their...
The Likability Factor
In almost every aspect of life, the term likeability is at the center of decision making. This idea holds true in political campaigns, speed dating, beauty contests, American Idol, selection of church pastors, straw polls, hand in marriages, choosing favorite foods, a...
Make Your Media Interview a Success!
For many professionals in government, interacting with the media is an unwritten part of their job description. Media interviews can happen when your department’s public information officer asks for coverage of news, or when a reporter comes to your organization for a...
Public Infrastructure Projects & The Future of Private Sector Investment
During President Obama’s latest State of the Union address, he encouraged more private sector investment in public infrastructure projects. His proposal outlines the application of Qualified Public Infrastructure Bonds, or QPIBs, which would expand a previously...
Place Branding: A Strategic Road Map
A simple online news search for the term “city branding” yields results from cities as varied as Fargo, North Dakota, Wichita, Kansas, and Hermiston, Oregon. While the core of my research focuses on how U.S. cities undertake brand identity strategies, this practice is...
Women Leading Local Government
The International Association of City/County Management (ICMA) recently published an article detailing how only 13 percent of local government managers are female. When I read the article, my initial reaction was how is this possible? In this post I will answer this...
Every Day is a Holiday
Practically every day is a holiday – especially if you are retired. The month of February, however, offers some particularly interesting opportunities to admire the creativity of the greeting card industry or to explore some of the folklore or religious origins of...
Internships: You Need Skills As Well As Diplomas
I walked across the stage during my undergraduate ceremony thinking I had received my ticket to the world. Unfortunately, the small private school I attended didn’t have a Career Services department, so I was on my own – with limited confidence and even less...
Procurement Strategies for the Public Sector
In the Year in Review published by Government Technology (GovTech), Steve Towns, Noelle Knell and Elaine Pittman (Editor, Managing Editor and Associate Editor respectively) summarized the evolution of technology in 2014. From autonomous vehicles and the sharing...
Bribery and Debarment
“Your criminal actions raise serious questions as to whether you have the requisite personal integrity and business ethics to be a responsible Government contractor.” That’s me. I was debarred from being a government contractor, and based on my conduct and offense...
Your Career: Be Ready to Advance it
Change is inevitable in the business environment, with globalization and the constant evolution of technology. To stay competitive, businesses must keep up with the rapid pace of change, and employees often shoulder the responsibility for making the change happen. But...
Taking Stock of Your Federal Job Search
It’s January 2015! Time to set some goals!! Let’s see…eat right, exercise, lose weight, and spend time perfecting our federal job application package. If we were honest, we might admit that we establish the same goals year after year without doing anything – or maybe...
The Advantage Of Learning Just One Thing
Most of the time the New Year's Resolution list is a mile long. But how much of last year's list did you get accomplished? I am cringing here a bit realizing the things I didn’t accomplish. If you did all of it -- or if you can even find your 2014 resolution list --...
Dispute Resolution: Public Private Partnerships
Dispute resolution is one of the most critical features within P3s because it facilitates a method of resolving any conflict within the partnership or the project. It also ensures that the project will move forward in a practical and efficient manner. P3s include many...
Electoral System: UK & U.S.
It’s an exciting time for government. There’s a Presidential election next year in the US, and the UK will choose its Prime Minister in May, just a few months from now. But how we choose our leaders differs by country – and ultimately influences the result, our...
Run for Your Life
I have been a runner now for over 30 years at a level that many people can probably identify with. I will never be in danger of troubling the elite participants in any race but, at times of consistent training, I can put in a performance that many runners would be...
Organizational Policy in Local Government
Administrators and managers typically author and publish organizational policies, rules, and standards. But when it comes to actually defining those standards, and the meaning and purpose of those rules, the leaders of the organization will develop common...