Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Virtual Organizations and Web 2.0 Tools for Emergency Relief Operations
With the growth of web 2.0 tools, different sectors are employing them to streamline and enhance programs and operations. Virtual organizations and web 2.0 tools can serve as an enabler in emergency relief (ER) operations. With the dynamic nature of ER operations, having a group of volunteers or citizens organization in a virtual organization will allow them to work together in handling a crisis. These virtual organizations can use web 2.0 tools and other technologies to effectively accomplish the task at hand. Organizational structures are exploited when resources like pictures of a flood or evacuation plans are shared among members of the virtual organization (WC3, 2009). It is not necessary for all the members of the virtual organization to be co-located or personally know each other in this boundary-less organization. A virtual organization in ER operations does not need to restrict them to one platform either. Users such as the regular citizen or organized volunteers do not limit themselves to one Web 2.0 platform as no single platform can provide all requested functionality. Instead a competition between various platforms can be observed. Therefore different plat- forms will exist that hold different resources (e.g. photos in Flickr and videos in YouTube) (WC3, 2009). This scalability and flexibility can enable the ER operations team to conduct its mission with all the information and tools available, increasing the probability of success.
Shaun Khalfan
Chief Information Officer
Young Government Leaders
W3C (2009). Leveraging Web 2.0 Communities in Professional Organisations. Retrieved May 17, 2009 from http://www.w3.org/2008/09/msnws/papers/ScherpEtAl-LeveragingWeb2Communities.pdf
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The 2nd Annual FedPitch: Change has come to...the Mall?
With all the change going on in the Washington these days there has never been a better time for individuals with good ideas to stand up and be heard. As it turns out, 13L (www.13l.org), Young Government Leaders and a handful of other great organizations are offering an opportunity to do just that - the 2nd Annual FedPitch. FedPitch is an innovative, grass-roots initiative providing citizens the opportunity, and forum, to present their ideas on ways to improve workforce management in the federal government.
Sound interesting? Want a chance to be heard? Good. This is what you need to do.
Step one, idea. Dig deep. Imagine you're in charge and you have all the time, talent and money in the world. What would you do to effect positive change in your department? Your agency? Your government?
Step two, go to www.fedpitch.org and submit your idea by April 4th. If you dream big enough you just might be selected as a finalist on April 13th.
This is where the fun begins. Last year, 13L brought the finalists together to meet with professional speech writers to hone their idea to a two minute pitch. Then, they pitched their ideas before a live audience and a panel of judges on the National Mall as part of Public Service Recognition Week. This year the presentations will be held on May 7th between 1:30 and 3:00pm.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Roosevelt Scholars Act: Round Two
In May of 2008 during the 110th Congress, Representative David Price (D-NC) introduced H.R.6160: The Roosevelt Scholars Act. Despite the support of 24 cosponsors, it was referred to subcommittee and, like many bills before it, was never heard from again. However, now that hope and a new Congressional head count have come to Washington, Representative Price is planning to dust it off and introduce the new and improved Roosevelt Scholars Act of 2009 next month.
For those not acquainted with the Act, the Partnership for Public Service offers the following description:
“The Roosevelt Scholars Act is a new initiative that will help the federal government recruit the best and brightest talent in key fields. The Act will create a scholarship program to fund graduate-level education in key mission-critical fields (e.g., engineering, medicine and public health, foreign languages, information technology, and law, among others) in exchange for a federal service commitment. The model is similar to the military's ROTC program, which has proven to be an outstanding source of new talent for our nation's armed forces.”
For those of you that are in information technology, this may sound familiar as it shares several similarities with the Scholarship for Service/CyberCrops Program (www.sfs.opm.gov) currently in place through the National Science Foundation. However, as stated above, the Roosevelt Scholars Act will have an expanded scope to create a farm team of future federal employees across numerous mission-critical fields.
Some highlights of the Roosevelt Scholars Act are as follows:
Benefits
• Academic Costs: Tuition, Books and Fees.
• Living Stipend: Up to $12,000 per year.
• Total annual award not to exceed $60,000 and not to exceed five academic years.
• Eligible for noncompetitive employment through partner agencies.
Service Commitment
• Complete an internship with an Executive agency prior to graduation.
• Serve a minimum of three years in an Executive agency following graduation.
The Partnership for Public Service is rallying support for the Act. They currently have more than 80 leaders of prominent colleges and universities, educational associations, and good government groups that have signed a letter of support, which is circulating on Capitol Hill. Additionally, they have launched a new petition for individual supporters to sign.
If you would like to support the Roosevelt Scholarship Act or learn more about it, please visit their website:
http://www.ourpublicservice.org/OPS/programs/governmentaffairs/rooseveltscholars.shtml
For those not acquainted with the Act, the Partnership for Public Service offers the following description:
“The Roosevelt Scholars Act is a new initiative that will help the federal government recruit the best and brightest talent in key fields. The Act will create a scholarship program to fund graduate-level education in key mission-critical fields (e.g., engineering, medicine and public health, foreign languages, information technology, and law, among others) in exchange for a federal service commitment. The model is similar to the military's ROTC program, which has proven to be an outstanding source of new talent for our nation's armed forces.”
For those of you that are in information technology, this may sound familiar as it shares several similarities with the Scholarship for Service/CyberCrops Program (www.sfs.opm.gov) currently in place through the National Science Foundation. However, as stated above, the Roosevelt Scholars Act will have an expanded scope to create a farm team of future federal employees across numerous mission-critical fields.
Some highlights of the Roosevelt Scholars Act are as follows:
Benefits
• Academic Costs: Tuition, Books and Fees.
• Living Stipend: Up to $12,000 per year.
• Total annual award not to exceed $60,000 and not to exceed five academic years.
• Eligible for noncompetitive employment through partner agencies.
Service Commitment
• Complete an internship with an Executive agency prior to graduation.
• Serve a minimum of three years in an Executive agency following graduation.
The Partnership for Public Service is rallying support for the Act. They currently have more than 80 leaders of prominent colleges and universities, educational associations, and good government groups that have signed a letter of support, which is circulating on Capitol Hill. Additionally, they have launched a new petition for individual supporters to sign.
If you would like to support the Roosevelt Scholarship Act or learn more about it, please visit their website:
http://www.ourpublicservice.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The Ideal Professional Network
How do you know what a good professional "network" looks like?
Is it the quality of information sharing?
Is it the professional connections you can make?
Is it the personal connections you can make?
Is it the access you have to new opportunities?
Is it the ability to add a line to your resume?
YGL has over 1800 members, yet our "network" means different things to each of them. Some enjoy coming to our professional development events, like the one we recently had in January on TSP or the one coming up on resume writing. Others like socializing at our Third Thursdays Happy Hours (like the one tonight at Eyebar!). Others prefer to use our LinkedIn network to contact colleagues and build their virtual network. And others are content to just scan our newsletters and not join us on the town, in the seminar room, or on the web.
I understand a "good network" means different things to different people, but there must be some common elements of a "good network" that make it valuable. What are they? And what does it take to get someone to step out from behind the computer and reinforce their virtual network with face-to-face connections?
Respond to this blog or come network with us tonight (Feb 19) at Eyebar. We'll be there at 6pm! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2422687464#/event.php?eid=65148513640
Is it the quality of information sharing?
Is it the professional connections you can make?
Is it the personal connections you can make?
Is it the access you have to new opportunities?
Is it the ability to add a line to your resume?
YGL has over 1800 members, yet our "network" means different things to each of them. Some enjoy coming to our professional development events, like the one we recently had in January on TSP or the one coming up on resume writing. Others like socializing at our Third Thursdays Happy Hours (like the one tonight at Eyebar!). Others prefer to use our LinkedIn network to contact colleagues and build their virtual network. And others are content to just scan our newsletters and not join us on the town, in the seminar room, or on the web.
I understand a "good network" means different things to different people, but there must be some common elements of a "good network" that make it valuable. What are they? And what does it take to get someone to step out from behind the computer and reinforce their virtual network with face-to-face connections?
Respond to this blog or come network with us tonight (Feb 19) at Eyebar. We'll be there at 6pm! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2422687464#/event.php?eid=65148513640
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year Young Government Leaders!
Looking at the challenges facing federal government in 2009, it looks like we will have some work to do. Luckily, taking on tough challenges is when young government leaders really shine.
Despite all the bad news we hear in the press, there is a lot to look forward to in 2009, especially for those of us in public service. We want to hear from you about what you are looking forward to most in public service in 2009. Please respond to this blog with your comments and we will feature some of them in our next newsletter!
Despite all the bad news we hear in the press, there is a lot to look forward to in 2009, especially for those of us in public service. We want to hear from you about what you are looking forward to most in public service in 2009. Please respond to this blog with your comments and we will feature some of them in our next newsletter!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Are You a Member of Generation C?
In my journeys across the Web, I have observed a fascinating phenomena: Millennials and Gen X'ers aren't the only ones embracing the power of social media and its potential to create "Government 2.0."
If I had to estimate the average age of guests at virtual venues like GovLoop, Twitter, the blogosphere and beyond, most participants are people in their late 30s through mid-40s.
In case you're wondering, here's a quick breakdown of the generations in the workforce:
Veterans: Born before 1940
Boomers: 1940-1960
Generation X: 1960-1980
Millennials: 1980-2000
Earlier this week, I was posting a PowerPoint on the generations to SlideShare and saw this deck:
But it's the following slide that really caught my attention:
I think this definition is too limiting and would contend that Generation C represents someone of ANY age who is actively using social media and engages others on the Internet with a "2.0" mindset - creative, collaborative and community-oriented. (For a list of "68 Words Beginning with C" that describe social media, see this tag cloud posted by Ari Herzog.)
In delivering workshops and blogging about the intersection of the generations in the workforce, social media and government, I describe the difference between "Web 1.0" and "Web 2.0" in the following way:
Members of Generation C operate under this 2.0 mindset, creating marketplaces all over the Web to share and shape information and ideas.
For Boomers (who don't want to admit that you're getting old!), here's your chance to consider yourself part of a "younger" generation. For the Millennials and Gen X'ers, it's our turn to exercise leadership and create the agencies and organizations that we envision by building upon our aptitude with new media. For people of all ages, becoming a member of Generation C presents an opportunity to construct a bridge across the intergenerational divide and create a cohesive community that coalesces around a collection of common goals.
So if you are a member of Generation C (or wannabe), let's get to work! How can we bring other people in our agencies and organizations into the fold, encouraging them to embrace the 2.0 mindset?
If I had to estimate the average age of guests at virtual venues like GovLoop, Twitter, the blogosphere and beyond, most participants are people in their late 30s through mid-40s.
In case you're wondering, here's a quick breakdown of the generations in the workforce:
Veterans: Born before 1940
Boomers: 1940-1960
Generation X: 1960-1980
Millennials: 1980-2000
Earlier this week, I was posting a PowerPoint on the generations to SlideShare and saw this deck:
But it's the following slide that really caught my attention:
I think this definition is too limiting and would contend that Generation C represents someone of ANY age who is actively using social media and engages others on the Internet with a "2.0" mindset - creative, collaborative and community-oriented. (For a list of "68 Words Beginning with C" that describe social media, see this tag cloud posted by Ari Herzog.)
In delivering workshops and blogging about the intersection of the generations in the workforce, social media and government, I describe the difference between "Web 1.0" and "Web 2.0" in the following way:
Web 1.0 is like a store front where browsers can behold the wares, but the door to the store is locked. With Web 2.0, there is no store front. It's an open market where people exchange and barter to gain better products and ideas.
Members of Generation C operate under this 2.0 mindset, creating marketplaces all over the Web to share and shape information and ideas.
For Boomers (who don't want to admit that you're getting old!), here's your chance to consider yourself part of a "younger" generation. For the Millennials and Gen X'ers, it's our turn to exercise leadership and create the agencies and organizations that we envision by building upon our aptitude with new media. For people of all ages, becoming a member of Generation C presents an opportunity to construct a bridge across the intergenerational divide and create a cohesive community that coalesces around a collection of common goals.
So if you are a member of Generation C (or wannabe), let's get to work! How can we bring other people in our agencies and organizations into the fold, encouraging them to embrace the 2.0 mindset?
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