The Alert Federal Communicators Network National Partnership for Reinventing Government December 10, 1998

Request for Federal Communicators Network Information Please let me know if there is anything that you would like publicized on the Alert or Calendar. The Federal Communicators Network site at http://www.fcn.gov provides resources, tools, and information to help our members write stories about government reinvention. If you have resources, stories, or time please contact me at lee.wexel@npr.gov or call (202) 694-0036. Free Press Passes for Calendar Events We usually get one free press pass for each calendar event listed on the FCN web site http://www.npr.gov/calendar. If you’re interested in attending a conference with a free press pass, contact me. Press passes are given out on a first come first serve basis. Your only obligation is to write a report on the conference to share with other FCN members. See the latest reports at http://www.fcn.gov/reinvent/pool/index.htm Review of Innovations in American Government Workshop, November 30, 1998 In an internal email on December 1st Pat Wood, the National Partnership for Reinventing Government webmaster, said to the staff: "Let me give you a brief report on the Federal Communicators Network Workshop yesterday. "Trudy Schafer from Innovations in American Government Award and Barbara Rosenfeld from 1998 winner Consumer Product Safety Commission told how to write a competitive application. We had 45 people from a wide variety of agencies, including people from Virginia Beach, Rhode Island, and Ohio. "The workshop was a winner--one of the best FCN has ever sponsored. People were excited and want more, earlier next year. They said the handouts alone were worth coming for--copies of winning applications and one real life "how not to write" example. "Trudy committed to a series of workshops over the country next year around September, perhaps working with Federal Executive Boards. (Trudy is doing one for Boston FEB on Dec. 9.) "Barbara's tips were so good I asked her if she would write a summary to send out on our listservs and post on the FCN website so hundreds of other people will get the benefit of CPSC's experience. " I second Pat’s acknowledgements and recommend that you visit the Innovations Program http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/innovations, which is administered by the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in partnership with the Council for Excellence in Government and the Ford Foundation. The deadline for award applications is Friday, January 8, 1999. They receive at least 1500 applications each year. Hammer Time! A little history...the Hammer Award is the Vice President's answer to yesterday's government and its $400 hammer. Fittingly, the award consists of a $6.00 hammer, a ribbon, and a note from Vice President Gore, all in an aluminum frame. NPR has presented more than 1250 Hammer Awards to teams comprised of federal employees, state and local employees, and citizens who are working to build a better government based on four reinvention principles. Check out the Hammer Award information at: http://www.npr.gov/library/awards/hammer/. A searchable database is at: http://www.npr.gov/library/papers/dbase/hsearch.html. We hope you’ll use the following information to develop stories for your newsletters, news releases, and your web site. To facilitate better coverage of hammer awards we are providing advance information on: Projected date of award, Name of the agency and team, Results, Where the award will be presented, and a Point of Contact (POC) name and number. Please note this information is subject to change. Please call Denise Clyburn of NPR at (202) 632-0150 or email her at denise.clyburn@npr.gov, if you have questions. December 14 Who: Department of Defense - VC-137 Replacement Program Results: This program team developed and executed an acquisition strategy that is more efficient, saved over $100 million, and streamlined the way they work. POC: Brigadier General Richard V. Reynolds (703) 693-7289 Lois Douglas (703) 697-9708 Where: Andrews Air Force Base, MD Presenter: To be announced December 14 Who: Department of Defense - Computer/Electronics Accommodations Program (CAP) Results: Cap reengineered its acquisition process so that it can accommodate people 76% faster and tailor purchases to their customer’s needs. POC: Dinah F. B. Cohen, C.R.C. (703) 681-3976 Lois Douglas (703) 697-9708 Where: Ronald Reagan Building, Washington, D.C. Presenter: Vice President Al Gore December 14 Who: Social Security Administration (SSA)- South Carolina Combined Application Project (SCCAP) Results: Approximately 10,000 more Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applicants who are authorized food stamps are automatically receiving them after applying through SSA. That’s 10,000 new single elderly or disabled people who desperately needed the support and for one reason or another did not get it in the past. That’s truly heartwarming and reflects a government that cares about people, especially when they can’t help themselves. POC: Raymond Jensen (803) 253-3560 Carol Musil (410) 965-4641 Where: Columbia, SC Presenter: To be announced December 15 Who: Department of Defense - Energy Operations and Maintenance Remediation Team Results: This team re-engineered the contracting of maintenance and repair work which reduced costs by $13 million and improved response time by an average of 200 days. POC: Bobby Startling (205) 895-1527/31 Lois Douglas (703) 697-9708 Where: The Pentagon Presenter: To be announced December 16 Who: Department of Energy - Supplier Quality Information Group Results: The group established a website, http://www.lanl.gov/sqig/sqighome/ that increases analysis capability, shares information through a data base, supports coordination with contractors, and consensus evaluation. It’s easier and costs less. POC: Steven Stein (516) 344-5694 Marge Gildenhorn (202) 586-4699 Where: Washington D.C. Presenter: To be announced December 16 Who: Department of Veterans Affairs - Two Teams VA Regional Office/VA Puget Sound Health Care Systems Cooperative Venture The Fort Lewis Claims Processing Team Results: Through a partnership they developed shared information, space, and a one stop service concept that improves service and reduces costs. This team developed a method of processing projected claims and reduced processing time of actual submitted claims by four to six months. POC: Phillip White & Bonnie Hovel (206) 220-6127/6108 Carstine Thompson (202) 273-5071 Where: Seattle, Washington Presenter: Morley Winograd December 17 Who: Tri-Service Computer-Aided Design and Drafting and Geographic Information Systems (CADD/GIS) Technology Center Initiative Team Results: This team standardized the exchange of technical information between the three services and thereby gained some of the advantages of a virtual office. In the future, their Services collaborative projects will cost less and be more responsive. POC: Gary Erickson (210) 536-2162 Lois Douglas (703) 697-9708 Where: Washington, D.C. Presenter: To be announced FCN Steering Committee - Recruiting Members Contact me if you would like to serve on the FCN Steering Committee. We meet a couple of times per month to discuss upcoming strategies, plans, upcoming events, and coordinating support. There’s even room for part-time steering committee members who take on specific tasks such as: New Membership Drives, Management of the Press Pass System, and Conference and Symposium Support. Membership - Short Term Project Pat Gould, our steering committee member from Drug Enforcement Administration, is developing a phone tree to update our membership information and obtain membership feedback. Please contact her at home (301) 948-4741 (after 5 p.m.), Fax (202) 307-7381 and email peg2037@access.digex.net if you’re interested in talking with other communicators. This is a golden opportunity to help and at the same time do some networking. New Access America Online Magazine FCN is co-sponsoring a new website with your information technology success stories. Visit often and tell your colleagues and customers about http://www.accessamerica.gov. Submit your story(s) today to Pat Wood at pat.wood@npr.gov or Pat Smith at pat.smith@gsa.gov. If you want to talk about a story before you write it, call Pat at (202) 694-0063. Don’t Forget the FCN Forum If you have a story, question or topic that you would like to present to over 600 communicators just click here http://www.govexec.com/fcn and then fill in the details. As you can see this is a service provided by the Government Executive magazine. Additionally, please feel free to answer questions that might be posted by clicking on the message. To subscribe to the ALERT, send an e-mail to "listproc@lucky.fed.gov"; in the body of the message, type "SUBSCRIBE COMNET-L" followed by your FIRSTNAME LASTNAME. For further information on items mentioned in the ALERT, contact: FCN, National Partnership for Reinventing Government, 750-17th Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006. FCN Coordinator: Lee A. Wexel e-mail: lee.wexel@npr.gov Tel: (202) 694-0036 FAX: (202) 632-0390