Statement from CMF on Congress Returning to U.S. Capitol Complex
The Congressional Management Foundation has no position on whether Senators and Representatives should return to Washington, D.C. for floor votes. However, we must express concern about requiring staff to be physically present in congressional offices at this time.
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Engaging Constituents on COVID-19 from Home: The Benefits of Online Town Halls
by CMF Research Assistant
on April 22, 2020
As the federal officials closest to and most in touch with people, Members of Congress are particularly well-equipped to do this informing and convincing. They and their staff can act as liaisons between experts, federal and state resources and the experiences of their constituents. To help in these efforts, CMF is pursuing a strategy which will help Senators and Representatives communicate more effectively with constituents about the crisis while increasing constituents' trust: the deliberative online town hall meeting.
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This Friday: Virtual Staff Happy Hour on Remote Town Halls for COVID-19
In this week's Virtual Staff Happy Hour, our academic partners will join us to discuss innovative techniques for conducting online and telephone town halls and how these improved methods could make a difference during the COVID-19 crisis.
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Watch: Managing Stress in Staff and Constituents During a Crisis
This webinar on April 17, hosted by CMF and SHRM as part of the "Life in Congress project," featured former Rep. Brian Baird, a clinical psychologist, who offered strategies and communication skills for dealing with emotional constituents, as well as ways for staff to manage their own emotions during this stressful time.
Watch the recording and download the slides >>
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Virtual Happy Hour: Managing Remotely During a Crisis
Working remotely does not have to mean working alone. Wherever you are at 3 pm (Eastern) on Friday afternoon, relax in front of the laptop and join your colleagues, the Congressional Management Foundation, and some other friends of Hill staffers for a casual, lightly-programmed virtual staff happy hour. This week's topic of conversation: Managing a Congressional Office Remotely During a Crisis.
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Watch: Online Town Halls for the COVID-19 Crisis: Proven Methods to Connect, Learn, and Lead
Is it possible to change public opinion and behavior with online town hall meetings? Now more than ever, it is critical that Members of Congress use the most effective methods for communicating with their constituents. In this April 3 webinar, CMF and our academic partners at The Ohio State University Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability discuss our recommendations and the launch of a new pilot program for improved online town halls.
Watch the recording >>
Download the slides: idea_cmf_onlinetownhalls_covid-19crisis.pdf(1.6 MB)
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CMF and Ohio State University Team Will Host Innovative Online Town Hall Meetings to Help Slow the Spread of the Coronavirus
The Congressional Management Foundation and Ohio State University's Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability (IDEA) are seeking congressional offices to participate in a project which could help slow the spread of the coronavirus by disseminating reliable public health information in a bipartisan way.
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Upcoming Events: Virtual Happy Hours for Congressional Staff
Working remotely does not have to mean working alone. Join your colleagues, CMF, and some of our partners for a weekly Friday afternoon "virtual happy hour," a casual, lightly-programmed session to connect online during this time. Learn more about our kickoff event scheduled for Friday, March 27 on managing stress and anxiety and building personal resilience:
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Webinar: How to Manage a Congressional Office Remotely During a Crisis
Congress just made a massive change to how it functions: moving to remote operations. This change was rapid and unexpected. It is likely that many congressional managers have questions about how to manage their team in this new environment. To help congressional offices at this time, CMF conducted a webinar, "How to Manage a Congressional Office Remotely during a Crisis," on March 26.
Watch the recording >>
Download the slides: cmf_managingofficeremotely-march2020.pdf(642 KB)
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Advice to Congressional Offices: Managing During the Coronavirus Pandemic
The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) recognizes that Congress, as an institution and as individual offices, has never faced the operational challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. CMF does not remotely suggest we have all the answers. Yet we have provided guidance to Congress in the past during other crises which have impacted both the operations of Congress and congressional staff – such as 9/11 and the Gabby Giffords shooting. This information will focus on the managerial aspects of navigating this crisis.
This guidance should not supplant the official guidance from congressional leadership, and we urge congressional offices to follow the guidance of leadership and institutional offices to address the public health and security components related to the crisis.
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