Aaron Foley is Detroit’s first chief storyteller, appointed by Mayor Mike Duggan in April 2017, to help the city go beyond formalized bureaucratic communications and public relations and share the stories that don’t always get heard.
Podcast: Civics 101
The episodes focus on a single topic or institution — such as gerrymandering, lobbying, nuclear codes, National Secretary Council, Department of State — and interviews an expert with each lasting about 15 minutes.
Government comics
For public communications and engagement enthusiasts, Government Issue is a great coffee table book and perhaps point of inspiration for government leaders to re-think how to better communicate with constituents.
San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon on dresses, roses and personal empowerment
San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon has an inspiring interview with the The California Report on her personal style, what it re-enforces and the sense of empowerment it gives her.
Government Blockchain Association wants to facilitate public sector blockchain awareness, adoption
The newly-formed Government Blockchain Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporation that wants to create relationships “between and among technologists, public policy makers, application specialists and those who simply need to understand the new and emerging digital currencies that will change the world.”
Register for DKAN Open Data Summit
For those passionate about cultivating a more sustainable, open source oriented open data community, the first DKAN Open Data Summit is scheduled for August 1, 2017, in Washington, D.C.
Values for government technology
Earlier this year, CityGrows co-founder Catherine Geanuracos proposed values for government technology, and its a great foundation for those serving government or the public to adopt.
Federal agency blockchain group to convene July 18
The General Services Administration will host an in-person U.S. Federal Blockchain Forum meeting on July 18 in Washington, D.C., as part of an effort to facilitate virtual currency adoption within the federal government.
‘War Dogs’ and government procurement
Regardless of whether you’re interested in the business of war, there’s enough references to government purchasing to make it fully entertaining for those of you who are proud procurement enthusiasts.
‘You’re More Powerful Than You Think’
Whether you’re an agitated activist frustrated with the current state of politics, a civic hacker, government technology entrepreneur or public servant trying change the foundations of democracy from inside or out, “You’re More Powerful Than You Think” is an accessible guide for helping us all rethink what it means to have power and how to obtain it.
District Match lets mission-driven organizations match addresses to elected officials in bulk
Azavea Product Specialist Patrick Han and Product Manager Stephanie Thome share how Cicero’s District Match app makes it easy for nonprofits to mobilize their constituents to contact their elected officials.
AgileGovCon 2017
Public service leaders wanting to learn more about agile project management and its specific applications to government can register (free) for AgileGovCon 2017.
What government needs to know when purchasing software-as-a-service
e.Republic published a best practices guide to procuring software-as-a-service, and the conclusion is a must-read for anyone in government responsible for technology purchases.
6 charts to help entrepreneurs and investors understand the business opportunity in government
e.Republic has published a series of graphs that provide an overview of the state and local government market, and it’s a great reference for investors and entrepreneurs trying to better understand the business potential.
Certifying city innovation
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Work Cities initiative announced a new certification program that rewards achievements and provides “a clear path to excellence.”
Advice to Jared Kushner and the new White House Office of American Innovation
With the help of GSA and the brand power of USA, the opportunity to truly scale impact is endless.
San Francisco seeks CIO
San Francisco is looking for a chief information officer.
Voterheads wants to make it easier for you to follow government council meetings
Voterheads lets anyone keep track of any council meeting, down to the specific topic. CEO Karl McCollester shares how they’re making this possible.
Transforming U.S. government services in a digital world
18F has developed a framework for how it helps agencies with digital transformation efforts and has created a deck that offers a blueprint for others looking to do this on their own.
DOD advisory board approves innovation recommendations
The U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Advisory Board approved 11 recommendations “aimed at keeping the Defense Department on the cutting edge in technology, culture, operations and processes.”
‘Smarter Faster Better’ government
I finished reading Charles Duhigg’s latest book, “Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business,” and in it are two great government-related anecdotes around motivation and agile thinking.
e.Republic announces top 100 government technology companies for 2017
Government Technology and e.Republic Labs announced the 2017 GovTech100, “a listing of the leading 100 companies focused on government as a customer, having developed an innovative or disruptive offering to improve or transform government, or having created new models for delivering services.”
Event: Reimagining the Digital Reform of Government in the Trump Era
Reinvent will host Code for America Founder Jen Pahlka and O’Reilly Media Founder Tim O’Reilly on January 19 in San Francisco in a discussion on how civic-minded technologists should approach the ongoing reinvention of government in the Trump era.
GSA issues software-as-a-service request for information
The General Services Administration has issued a request for information related to the federal government’s use of software-as-a-service.
Neighborly inspiration from CEO Jase Wilson
Neighborly CEO Jase Wilson is an inspiring entrepreneur working to change how public projects are funded.
Book: ‘How to Talk to Civic Hackers’
Civic hacker icon Mark Headd has written a book to help government officials best engage with community technologists.
The long tail of political mail
Danielle Winterhalter, SpeakEasy co-founder and director of strategic partnerships, shares how they’re addressing a fundamental aspect of lowering the barrier to entry, especially when it comes to political (snail) mail, which is still more relevant than you might think.
Federal government progress in IT reform
The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a status report on federal government technology reform progress, and it’s an insightful read more than anything on the the lack of synchronization between agencies and GAO.
Transforming digital government
Earlier this year, 18F released a preliminary report on “what makes modern digital practices ‘stick’ within a government entity.”
Nudging residents to better engagement
“Behavioral Insights for Cities” offers anecdotes into how governments can improve constituent engagement by implementing smarter messaging and design into print collateral, email, texts and online interactions.