Budget Season Begins for Bureaucrats, Congress and Journalists

Two days from now (Monday, Feb. 2), Federal budget season kicks off when the Office of Management and Budget releases the Obama Administration's proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1.

When a was a reporter covering Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation, I would join a line of journalists outside the Government Printing Office near Union Station waiting for the massive doors to open. We would race up the stairs and receive a stack of bound documents. I'd head back to my office in the National Press Building, grab the first of many cups of coffee and try to figure out what the Administration had in store for transportation funding and programs.

Meanwhile, lawmakers were receiving their own bound copies  of the budget, along with detailed justifications of agency budgets.  In recent years, congressional justifications have been posted on agency websites, making it easier for reporters and even taxpayers to see how the Administration wants to spend money.

After lunch, Federal agencies begin a series of briefings for industry and other stakeholders, followed by press conferences.   Beat reporters focus their questions on major programs and policies, while the trade press scribes get down in the weeds, usually speaking in acronyms and jargonese.

Within a matter of days, Congress begins a series of hearings on the budget during which agency heads defend spending levels and program priorities before lawmakers who have their own priorities.

Let the games begin!

Where's My Clips? Media Monitoring In the Sequestration Era

Sequestration is forcing Federal agencies and even Congressional offices to cancel subscriptions to newspapers, magazines and online media outlets.  While saving thousands of dollars, these cuts will result in decreased situational awareness for both bureaucrats and lawmakers.

 While some of the cancellations are symbolic, other cuts are genuine cost-savers.  A subscription to the Washington Post costs $160 a year, similar to the New York Times, which costs $176 annually.  Trade publications such as the dozens published by the Bureau of National Affairs can run into the thousands of dollars.  Politico's premium editions for transportation, finance, health and defense nearly $4,000 a year.  

Scissors and Cleavers

There is a foot-long pair of scissors on my office desk.  They were a gift from a former boss when she retired.  I don`t use them very much these days, but I keep them as a reminder of the pre-Internet days when media monitoring meant skimming and clipping print editions of daily and weekly newspapers.

News clips are the scorecard by which flacks measure the success of their efforts and are a vital source of information for government officials.

News clips generate strong emotions in those who read them; pleasure, excitement and even anger.  The fancy word for doing the clips is “media monitoring” and there are companies such as Cision and Vocus that will scan thousands of media outlets and provide customized reports for clients willing to pay $1,000 a month or more for the services.

Organization heads, whether they are a member of Congress or an association president eagerly anticipate each day’s clips.  News coverage creates agendas, drives government action and measures the effectiveness of media relations programs.

Perhaps the most famous government clips are the Pentagon's “Current News Early Bird” clips.m “Available by 0530, it aims to represent how the public, Congress and the press see military and defense programs and issues. The Early Bird is an internal management tool intended to serve the informational needs of senior DOD officials in the continuing assessment of defense policies, programs and actions.”

As noted above, clips are at Zero dark thirty so they can be read when senior management strolls in the door or checks his or her Blackberry.  My predecessor as vice president of public Affairs at the American Trucking Associations rose at 4 a.m. each morning to read and clip the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other major newspapers so he could brief his boss, Tom Donohue (now president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce) en route to breakfast meetings.  In addition to the daily clips, ATA subscribed to a news clipping service to receive coverage of the association in regional publications and magazine.

The Internet has made preparing the clips easier in some ways as media outlets began posting content online and news clipping services began offering almost real-time monitoring.  While these services have come down in price, they can still run thousands of dollars a year.

Can Federal agencies do without subscriptions to daily newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal?   News coverage drives public opinion, which often drives public policy.  When a story hits the front page of the Post or the Times, Congress often calls upon Federal agencies for action. 

Cancelling publications may result in agencies losing situational awareness.  As more and more newspapers put up pay walls, the ability of budget-strapped Federal Flacks to maintain situational awareness will diminish.

Men in Black and Trade Publications

One of my favorite scenes in the movie “Men In Black, “ is when Tommy Lee Jones pulls up to a newsstand and buys a pile of supermarket tabloids.   “We’re gonna check out of the hot sheets,” explains Agent K (Jones) to his rookie partner, J, played by Will Smith. “These: THESE are the hot sheets?  Kay: Best investigative reporting on the planet. But go ahead, read the New York Times if you want. They get lucky sometimes.”

For Federal agencies, trade publications are the “hot sheets” that allow regulators a window into the industries they regulate, providing context and insights on the impact of the economy and regulations on industries. 

“Aviation Daily” is a must-read at the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Transportation and the House and Senate Aviation Subcommittees. The McGraw-Hill publication covers the Federal Aviation Administration and Congressional activity on aviation issues like a blanket.  “The Daily” is not cheap.  An online subscription to Aviation Daily costs $1,785 a year.

Many trade publications offer complimentary subscriptions to regulators and Congress in order to build awareness and to get their calls returned.  When I worked at the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General a decade ago, a Bloomberg reporter regularly e-mailed me copies of his stories so they could appear in our daily clips. Today, Bloomberg reporters tweet their stories or post them on Facebook to ensure wider distribution.

Pay Walls: When the Internet Isn't Free

I've never been a fan of pay walls on news sites, but I understand the need for newspapers to earn revenue.  The Washington Post's recent announcement of it's planned pay wall is an attempt to split the baby.  Print subscribers will get full online access, as will government officials logging in from their offices.  That's useful, but what about the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, which are not available on media monitoring sites because of their pay walls? 

Beating the Furlough Blues

Furlough notices are going out at many Federal agencies hit hard by the sequestration.  According to Federal Times, more than half the Federal workforce is facing some form of furlough over the next six months.  If you are one of those unlucky Federal employees facing a potential furlough or just ready to leave government service, here are some tips from the Federal Flack.

1. Know the Rules

If you are considering a part-time job to cover the lost income from an upcoming furlough, check your agency’s policy on outside employment.  General information can also be found on the Office of Government Ethics website.

OGE’s website also offers guidance on how to avoid running afoul of ethics regulations when networking or negotiating for a job.

2. Update and Clean Up Your Social Media Presence

If you are not on Linked In, join the free social-networking website.  If you are already a member, update your profile.  Don’t forget to check your agency’s social media policy, if it has one.  You may want to add a disclaimer, such as “the views expressed are those of the author and not those of the (insert agency name).”

Review your Facebook page, and take down any questionable posts or comments.  Private sector recruiters routinely look at social media profiles when scrutinizing candidates, and questionable posts could impact your security clearance.

3. Update Your Resume

Make sure your resume includes your current job title, duties and accomplishments.  Include any relevant certifications, awards. and accomplishments.  Visit my business website or send me an e-mail for more information on updating your resume. 

4. Continuing Professional Education

If your agency offers access to free online training, consider polishing your existing skills or learn something new.   

5. Prepare to Advance

Even before furloughs were announced, tight budgets and the two-year-old pay freeze were sparking a surge in retirements, according to Federal Times. That can mean future promotion opportunities.  

The number of Federal employees retiring in February 2013 tripled from the number retiring during the same period last year, Colleen Kelly, head of the National Treasury Employees Union, told Congress on March 13.  "A large increase in retirements is especially alarming since approximately 53% of the federal workforce will be eligible to retire by next year and a significant loss of these experienced employees could leave agencies, already stretched thin, in dire circumstances.” 

6. Keep Your Cool

No matter how you slice it, furloughs are rough on everyone in a Federal agency.  Losing up to 22 days pay over the next six months is enough to make even the most easygoing person a bit grumpy and having to accomplish the same amount of work with fewer hours and a smaller budget will strain managers and executives to the breaking point.  Click here for some stress relief.

Federal Flacks: Beyond The Beltway

When most people think of Federal Flacks, the image of bureaucrats in big office buildings in Washington, DC immediately comes to mind.  In reality, there are a good number of government communications jobs located outside the Washington, DC Beltway.

Let’s shine the spotlight on a few recent vacancies:

• GS 12 public affairs specialist with the Veterans Health Administration in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• GS 13 Regional Communications Director for the Small Business Administration in King of Prussia, PA.
• GS 12-13 public affairs specialist with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alexandria, VA (technically inside the Beltway).

Veterans Health Administration GS-12 Public Affairs Specialist

This position is located at the Veterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System – San Juan, PR.  The system serves 150,000 veterans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  According to the vacancy announcement, “the goal of the position is to increase internal and external awareness of VA programs, services, special events and projects, technologies, personnel, and research accomplishments.”

The public affairs specialist will:

• Establish and maintain proactive contacts with media outlets, legislative offices, veteran service organizations, and health care affiliates. 
• Advise senior level management on development of media campaigns and communication plans and strategies.
• Plan, develop, and produce a variety of materials and publications including news releases, radio and television scripts, briefing packages and slide presentations for Congressional staff and public organizations.
• Represent the facility at public, civic and social events.
• Plan and execute special events.

Not surprisingly, applicants must possess the ability to speak and write fluently and proficiently in both Spanish and English in order to receive consideration for this position.  The position closed on March 6, but you can still review the vacancy announcement.

GS 13 Regional Communications Director: Small Business Administration

This position is located at the Small Business Administration’s regional office in King of Prussia, PA. 

SBA regional offices work to advocate and accelerate economic development, growth and competitiveness withing their geographic area.  This support includes business training, counseling and other services for small business owners. 

The regional communications director:

• Trains regional public information officers.
• Works with Chambers of Commerce, civic organizations, professional and trade associations, major colleges and universities, and state and local government agencies.
• Gives oral presentations to industry and banking organizations.

This position closes March 13.  View the vacancy announcement.  

GS 12-13 Public Affairs Specialist: U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alexandria, VA

Located within sight of the Washington Beltway, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of the highest-profile USAOs.

The Public Affairs Officer is responsible for planning, coordinating, and disseminating public information inside the district and beyond; maintaining internal communications; and undertaking studies of issues of concern to the U.S. Attorney's Office.  Once criminal cases investigated by Federal law enforcement agencies are accepted for prosecution by a U.S. Attorney, the USAO public affairs officer becomes the source of information about the cases.  The information is generally provided through press releases, which are based on publicly-released court records.

In addition to media relations duties, the public affairs officer is responsible for:

• Maintaining the office’s web site.
• Maintaining relations with counterparts in other Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
• Planning news conferences and preparing officials to participate in them.

The position closes March 15. View the vacancy announcement.

Behind The Scenes With The Federal Flack - "Big Announcements"

This post is for all those journalists who wonder why events or reports promoted as "major news" often turn out to be less newsworthy than promised.  We won't be dishing about White House interference or political infighting, just pulling back the curtain to show how the "big announcement" sausage is actually created.

The Federal government issues lots of reports and holds press events to unveil many of them.  Many of the reports are technical in nature and are not written for a general audience. The technocrats who write the reports often bristle at efforts by flacks to distill the key themes and findings into press releases, talking points and likely questions and suggested answers (Q&A).

"I don't care about dumbing things down for the media," one executive roared at me years ago.

The screamer actually had a point.   Major announcements, whether the awarding of contracts for a new line of ships, the unveiling of problems in an information technology program, or an announcement of a new program, often are written using the subject-specific jargon.  Acquisition, IT, safety programs, all have languages of their own, and the terms are have very specific meanings.

Flacks must be careful, therefore, when simplifying concepts for public conception.  Take, for example, the challenge faced by the U.S. Coast Guard in 2007 when it was trying to reassure a skeptical Congress that it was getting control of its massive shipbuilding and aircraft construction program.  The Deepwater Program  was under fire for cost overruns, schedule slippages and whistleblower allegations of construction flaws.

The Coast Guard took a series of steps to improve oversight of the program, including implementing a strong risk management process to ensure that problems that cropped up during construction of the first National Security Cutter were identified and mitigated.  According to Wikipedia, " In all types of engineering of complex systems sophisticated risk assessments are often made within Safety engineering and Reliability engineering when it concerns threats to life, environment or machine functioning.  The nuclear, aerospace, oil, rail and military industries have a long history of dealing with risk assessment."

The public takes a different, more personal view of risk.  Call it the "what does it mean to me" risk assessment.  Journalists, especially those who are not subject matter experts, routinely look for news that interests their readers or viewers.  For the "if it bleeds it leads" media outlets (local television and many community newspapers, the word risk leaps out from government reports.

The leadership of the Coast Guard's new Acquisition Directorate decided to proactively communicate to Department of Homeland Security leaders and key lawmakers the steps it was taking to identify potential risks, and determine how to eliminate the risk or reduce it to acceptable levels. Media attending a December 2007 Coast Guard briefing were somewhat skeptical, as evidenced by the lead of a Congress Daily story on the media event.  "Coast Guard officials today claimed progress in turning around its troubled $24 billion, 25-year Deepwater program to upgrade or replace 93 cutters and over 200 aircraft," reporter Terry Kivlan wrote.


The flack's job is to serve as a translator, providing information that is both accurate and in plain English.  This can be a thankless task, especially when the report or announcement is targeted to multiple audiences.  The technocrat executive who screamed at me years ago about "dumbing things down" for the media also believed that Congressional staff who received the agency's reports would actually read a 20-30 page report.  Some Hill staff do read Government Accountability Office or Office of Inspector General reports cover to cover.  Most don't. In an era of 140 character attention spans,  summaries and soundbites are crucial to breaking through the clutter 

With the back story out of the way, let's get back to planning for that big announcement. Let's use the annual release of traffic safety statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as an example.  In November, NHTSA issued its annual traffic safety analysis.  The press release led with the following statement: "U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced updated 2010 fatality and injury data showing that highway deaths fell to 32,885 for the year, the lowest level since 1949."

The second sentence proclaimed that "the record-breaking decline in traffic fatalities occurred even as American drivers traveled nearly 46 billion more miles during the year, an increase of 1.6 percent over the 2009 level." The fatality rate is based on the number of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles. Try explaining that in a tweet.

While I don't have first-hand knowledge of how NHTSA prepared for its December press conference, here's what likely happened.  The public affairs staff were given a draft of the report and provided a briefing on the key findings.  Taking into account the Administration's priorities, the flacks made a recommendation to the Administrator on the the key messages that should be emphasized in all public statements.  A press release was drafted and circulated to the report authors. Remarks or talking points were developed for the Secretary of Transportation and the NHTSA Administrator. News coverage of previous reports was analyzed to determine what questions might be asked.

A day or two prior to the announcement, an advisory was issued information the media of the pending releases. This was followed up by "pitch" calls and emails to media encouraging them to attend. Press kits (both print and web-based) were developed containing the press release, prepared remarks and the complete report, along with charts and other graphics.

Puppet Master or Social Media Savvy?

The White House press corps is in a tizzy over the White House's preference for using social media rather that mainstream news media to reach the American public.

Politico bloviated on the topic Monday with its usual sense of outrage, fueled by quotes from angry White House correspondents.  The article, headlined "Obama, the Puppetmaster," stated that the White House "has taken old tricks for shaping media coverage (staged leaks, friendly interviews) and put them on steroids using new ones (social media, content creation, precision targeting)."

Bypassing the national media in favor of going directly to the public is simply good public relations, as PR Newser describes in an analysis of the Politico story.  A basic tenet of communications theory is the direct to public approach.

Yes, the President is bypassing the media, which, as a recovering journalist I abhor.  Is using Twitter, YouTube and other social media tools an effective way to reach the public unfiltered by the media?  Here's a way to figure that out.

The General Services Administration this week released a set of recommended social media metrics for use by Federal agencies.  According to GSA, the metrics "provide a framework for agencies to measure the value and impact of social media in addressing agency message and goals.  The aim is to move beyond obscure results of social media activities towards more sophisticated and more accurate assessments, leading to better informed decision-making."

The release of the recommended social media metrics is a clear indicator of the maturing of the Administration's Digital Government Strategy.  When my agency first began exploring the use of Facebook and YouTube nearly three years ago, I and other new media advocates were hard-pressed to illustrate a clearly-defined return on investment.

These metrics help quantify ROI. They are worth a read.

PowerPoint, Mail, And Technical Journals; What Federal Writer-Editors Editors Do, Part 2.

The Federal government would grind to a halt without the services of writers and editors.

Think about it.  Who would draft regulations for publication in the Federal Register?  How would state and local governments, businesses, industry and the general public learn about the results of Federal research and activities of the bureaucracy?  And what about the thousands and thousands of letters and emails Federal agencies receive each day?

As noted in a previous post, the Federal government has separate career series for writer-editors and technical writer-editors.  This post examines recent vacancy announcements, describes the duties performed and the skills required.

We reviewed three jobs posted on www.usajobs.com:

• A PowerPoint jockey for the Department of Health and Human Service’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in Rockville, MD;
• A correspondence manager for the Bureau of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Washington, DC; and,
•  A technical writer for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, also in Washington, DC.

 Let's get started.

Communicating Substance Abuse Research Through PowerPoint

PowerPoint has a bad reputation.  Used properly, PowerPoint slides illustrate key concepts and enhances a speaker's comments  HHS’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is looking for a writer-editor with extensive experience in PowerPoint.

CSAT works with states and community-based groups to improve and expand existing substance abuse treatment services under the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program.  Its initiatives and programs are based on research findings and the general consensus of experts in the addiction field.

To communicate CSAT’s research findings and program activities, the Center relies heavily on PowerPoint presentations.  CSAT is hiring a writer-editor to analyze research and program activities and develop PowerPoint presentations, speeches and briefings for use in communicating within HHS and the public health care community.  The writer-editor will also edit and approve program reports, project summaries, monographs, and other print products.

Skills needed for the position include:

·         Experience reviewing, analyzing, and abstracting health data from reports, surveys, and other sources;

·         The ability to work with senior management, subject matter experts, representatives of external organizations, and others regarding the nature and content of public presentations; and

·         Experience in using advanced PowerPoint techniques to prepare discussion points, graphs, charts, trend lines, and other presentation materials.

The salary for the GS-13 position ranges from $89,033 to $115,742.

Responding To Congress and the Public

Someone’s got to answer the mail at government agencies.  And when the subject is immigration, you can be sure that there will be a lot of mail.  Correspondence management at Federal agencies is handled by executive secretariats, or “Exec Sec.”  Every letter or communication addressed to the agency or its top leadership – from citizen complaints to Congressional inquires – is logged in and farmed out for response.  Draft responses must be approved by the responding office, and usually the attorneys, before it is sent back to the front office for final review and signature.

ICE is hiring a writer-editor in its Executive Secretariat, who “will be responsible for providing professional, timely, and accurate responses to public, governmental, and congressional correspondence.”  

The writer-editor will conduct research and interviews within ICE to develop responses and coordinate approvals with all relevant offices.  This position is being advertised at three grades, GS-9, GS-11 and GS-12, depending on the level of responsibility given and supervision provided.  See my previous posting for details on how pay scales for writer-editors are developed.

A GS-9 writer-editor will be responsible for drafting responses for review by managers before the documents are circulated for clearance.  The salary range for a GS-9 is $51,630 to $67,114.

If hired as a GS-11, the writer-editor would independently research and prepare official responses to congressional and other official inquiries for signature by ICE leadership.  He/she would also coordinate and developing information between various resources in order to respond to congressional questions for the record, or detailed information regarding organizational responsibilities, practices, and procedures.  Salary range for a GS-11 is $62,467 to $81,204.

A GS-12 writer-editor in ICE’s Exec Sec is the office’s editorial guru.  In addition his/her other duties, a GS-12 would proofread outgoing correspondence, reviewing for spelling, grammar and style; and advise other offices on developing written products such as guidelines, regulations and policies.  Salary range for a GS 12 is $74,872 to $97,333.

Writing And Editing Technical Journals

Federal agencies issue reams of reports and journals.  The Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, for example, collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, state and local governments, business and labor.

 The BLS publishes numerous products, including the Monthly Labor Review, a monthly journal providing the latest analysis, and research on employment, inflation, wages, compensation, productivity, staffing patterns in various occupational and industrial settings. 

The BLS is hiring a technical editor to work in the BLS’s publications office, editing articles, reports, booklets, periodicals, chart books, and brochures for print or electronic publication. He/she will also evaluate submissions to the Monthly Labor Review.  Other duties will include reviewing manuscripts, creating and editing charts and tables, and making the written product more reader-friendly.

Interpersonal skills are among the desired attributes of the writer editor.  The BLS is looking for an editor used to collaborating with others, being able to persuade and negotiate, and communicate orally through briefings, presentations and speeches.

The position is being advertised as a GS-9.

 A future post will discuss the value placed by Federal agencies on oral communications and other interpersonal skills.