Government Bits

Although I believe the media is creating unnecessary fear among the public over Swine Flu (and apparently I am not alone), the idea of a pandemic presents a good example of why telework should be part of any agency's continuity of operations (COOP) planning. In the case of an emergency that affects public servants' ability to get to the office, or safely work in the office, telework allows government workers to continue to serve the needs of the public from a remote location. But waiting for that emergency to materialize is not the best approach. Cindy Auten of the Telework Exchange says it best - "One of the key strategies in having a business continuity plan and incorporating telework into it, is ensuring that you're testing it often and you build telework as a part of your standard operating procedure -- so it's not a frantic, mad rush to the door to actually start your telework program at the last minute." Does your agency have a telework strategy? If so, is it part of day-to-day operations or is it a just-in-case strategy? We'd like to hear from you.

Posted by Beth Lovett at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The day after his inauguration, President Obama issued a memo calling for an "unprecedented level of openness in Government."  Many agencies are going through the process of identifying what open government and transparency mean to their operations.  Others are already in execution mode - including the US Department of State. 

Continue reading "Open Government in Action" »

Posted by Beth Lovett at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Many federal agencies see the potential benefits of telework. Saving gas, making federal workers more productive, and providing for continuity of operations in case of emergency or bad weather. But often times, there is a gap between the idea of telework and putting telework into the workplace.

To help bridge that gap, Telework Exchange and Adobe have teamed up to sponsor a series of events aimed at helping federal managers understand how to make teleworking an option in their organizations. Federal News Radio covered the first Telework in a Box event held in Washington, DC on February 29, 2009. Representatives from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Treasury Department discussed how teleworking is in place within their agencies and provided direction on training and infrastructure that make teleworking successful.

Read more about both agencies' experiences or listen to the event coverage via podcast. A second podcast provides insight into how Andrew Krzmarzick from the USDA Graduate School has used technology to make telework...work.

For more details on the Telework in a Box events series, including the next stop in Atlanta, GA in May, visit the Telework Exchange.

Posted by Beth Lovett at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)