Peace Corps....

Tuesday April 24

Today I attended a briefing on the Peace Corps on main campus. I had quite a few friends consider this and even go. One friend is currently living in Morocco. She is fifty two and has two full grown children. She is a nurse but spoke no French or Arabic when she left let alone any of the local dialects. This is an incredible leap and I frankly don’t know if I have what it takes to commit two years to the great unknown. Away from friends and family and all that I know.

Here is a brief from the website:  

Peace Corps service is a life-defining leadership experience. Since 1961, the Peace Corps has shared with the world America's most precious resource – its people. Volunteers serve in 75 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, South America, Europe, the Pacific Islands and the Middle East. Peace Corps Volunteers live, learn, and work with a community overseas for 27 months, providing technical assistance in six program areas: education, youth and community development, health, business and information and communications technology, agriculture, and environment.

Federal Government anyone?

Wednesday March 14

We had someone come speak to our class from the Presidential Management Fellowship Program. It seems like a really cool program and it has me seriously considering heading back east and back to the federal government. Really made me seriously consider it for a moment. Then I remember that ive done that stuff and I want to be in local government, Here is a brief on the program. Maybe one of you might want to chck it out…

In addition to salary and benefits, the PMF Program gives you a lot in return for your hard work. Your two-year appointment will provide a fast-paced opportunity to gain experience and develop your talents. You will be challenged with opportunities to flourish into a problem solver, strategic thinker and future leader. In addition to working at a single Federal agency, you may have the option to participate in a rotational opportunity at another agency. These rotational opportunities will challenge you even further and give you insight into how other areas of government operate.

While serving as a PMF, you will receive:

160 hours of formal classroom training (on leadership, management, policy and other topics)

Challenging work assignments

Feedback on your work

At least one 4 to 6 month developmental assignment

Potential for accelerated promotions

A certificate of completion, which permits immediate appointment to a position in the competitive or excepted service and carries prestige anywhere you go thereafter

Adios from the Edge of AZ

Sunday April 22

I went to the Mogollon Rim today. It was incredible that it could be so hot in the valley and yet so cool and pleasant up north. No real shock there but it was very refreshing to experience it. Id say this is a good place to end this journal or blog. Heading north through fountain hills and Payson up through the mountains until the cacti become pine trees and the air smelled like cold.  It apparently even snows here (!!). We parked and went for a run. At seven thousand feet it was tough and slow But at the end there was this…Arizona feels more and more like home. 

Private to Public Innovation

Friday April 20

The Center for American Progress has an interesting take on innovation. Its pretty common to suggest that government work like the private sector but less common to suggest this in terms of innovation. Check out what they have to say. Interesting stuff.

www.americanprogress.org

Set up dedicated teams responsible for promoting innovation

Private-sector firms often have a unit or team dedicated to research and development , strategy, or product development. The names of the teams and their precise functions will vary across firms, but they each have one thing in common. They are given the space to think creatively about ways to enhance the firm’s long-term prospects. Public-sector organizations should take similar approach by setting up dedicated teams with responsibility for ensuring that the organization is able to generate and evaluate potentially innovative ideas. 

Interviews

Thursday April 19

Yesterday we got to interview three city managers for our project. The mission of the project is to create a toolkit to encourage local governments to promote civic engagement through trust building and serving citizens. We interviewed a Colorado City Manager and a California Mayor in the first round and a city manager from Wisconsin in the second.

The interview questions are as follows:

1) In today's climate, why is it important to have an engaged community?

2) what role do you think local government should play to promote trust, value, and engagement?

3) in your experience, what do you believe are key elements to creating a culture that actively promotes trust, value, and engagement in your organization?

4) how do positive changes in community engagement come about? Specifically, what is the role of a manager in helping employees to embrace change?

5) how has your community changed as a result of your organizations work to promote trust, value, and engagement?

KCMO!

Tuesday April 17

The Alliance for Innovation is hosting their annual Transforming Local Government conference in Kansas City this week. “TLG attracts participation from local governments that are deliberately seeking new and innovative ways to connect people, information and ideas that support their efforts to be the best communities in which to live, work, and prosper. The TLG conference is recognized for its dynamic content that encourages freethinking and fosters unprecedented ideas.  The conference experience is designed to promote team building and a sense of camaraderie.” A tall order. I’m curious to see how this goes. 

CDC Study

Monday April 16

Ive been interested in this CDC study on autism that just came out. Specifically its on autism spectrum disorders. Find it here http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2012/p0329_autism_disorder.html. They are estimating that one in eighty-eight kids in the US is “on the spectrum”. The numbers have skyrocketed in minority communities and among boys. This makes me wonder if it’s a matter of more occurrences or just better detection.  It will be interesting to see what sorts of research and new information they come up with as a result of this.  This understanding research and studies ties in with the course work and the alliance stuff as it changes how we see our communities and how communities address the needs of their citizens.