Is Your Work-Life Way More Work Than Life? Don’t Miss These Resources
by CMF
on October 04, 2018
Last week, CMF and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) held a webinar for congressional staff on the topic of workplace flexibility ("workflex") and discussed how it IS possible to have these types of arrangements in Congress. Not to worry if you missed the webinar — we recorded it and also offer you a downloadable guide ("The Workflex Toolkit for Congress") that walks you through the various types of workflex (hint: it's more than telecommuting), addresses common concerns, and provides assessments and templates for you to implement workflex in your office.
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Upcoming Event: Webinar on Workplace Flexibility in Congress
by CMF
on September 11, 2018
This webinar, hosted by CMF and SHRM as part of the "Life in Congress project," will feature the "Workflex Toolkit for Congress," a practical guide with worksheets, assessments, and tips for how to make flexible working options a reality in your office. Join us September 27 for this online briefing that also will feature congressional managers who have implemented family-friendly or more flexible policies in their office.
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Common Characteristics of Advanced Advocacy Programs
by Bradford Fitch
on September 09, 2018
Every year, the Congressional Management Foundation trains thousands of citizen-advocates to effectively engage with their Members of Congress both in Washington and back home. Through these efforts, CMF has had opportunities to work with groups who have advanced advocacy programs – the kind designed to cultivate sophisticated advocates, targeted strategies, yielding significant results in the public policy arena.
These programs run the gamut from anti-hunger nonprofits to industry associations. Because CMF works with many of these advanced-advocate programs, we've been able to identify common characteristics nearly all of them possess. For grassroots professionals working for nonprofits, associations, and companies looking to build their programs, these are some traits you should aim to develop.
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Citizen Engagement: What Works and What Doesn't
By Seth Turner and Chip Felkel
Last week, The Congressional Management Foundation and the RAP Index joined forces on a webinar, Citizen Engagement: What Works and What Doesn't, which raised questions as to whether the most common grassroots advocacy tactic – identical mass email campaigns to Congress – actually are a good return on investment.
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Upcoming Webinars: How to Strategically Schedule Your Boss’ Time
by CMF
on August 07, 2018
The boss’ time is THE most precious resource in every congressional office and it is the Schedulers who make the critical decisions about how to best use that valuable (and limited!) resource. This webinar session will provide an overview of the updated, Scheduler-focused content on CMF’s Office Toolkit, with a focus on applying routine criteria to the onslaught of scheduling requests.
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Upcoming Event: Insiders' Views on Working with Federal Agencies
How can your office navigate the tricky waters that are the many tributaries of the federal agency bureaucracy? CMF is delighted to welcome TWO former House Chiefs of Staff who have both also worked within the Executive Branch. On July 30 they will discuss what they've learned in their various roles and share their insights with senior House managers.
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Advanced Advocacy - How to Build Momentum When Congress is Slow to Act
by Seth Turner
on July 05, 2018
In 2002, I started a new job as the Manager of Policy and Advocacy for the National Youth Employment Coalition. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which had revamped the nation's job training system, was nearing its five-year expiration. So it was an exciting time to be a workforce development advocate.
The tea leaves indicated that the process would be bipartisan and fairly short. Fast forward to 2014, 11 years and six Congresses since the law had expired – workforce system advocates finally celebrated the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act's long-overdue enactment.
When Congress is slow to advance legislation or when issues are technical, it creates challenges for professional advocates.
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Celebrating 40 Years of Service to Congress & The Nation
A lot has changed since CMF's founding in 1977, yet our commitment to serving the Congress and the nation remains unchanged. Learn more about our history and the work we're doing to build trust and effectiveness in Congress.
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Are Identical Mass Email Campaigns Effective?
by Seth Turner
on May 31, 2018
This spring, more than 100 advocacy professionals joined the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) on a webinar, "The Rise and Decline of Mass Email Campaigns' Influence on Congressional Decisions," during which CMF declared that mass email campaigns are not as influential as many advocacy professionals think. (Below is a 4-minute highlight video of the webinar.)
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Upcoming ALN: Advanced Advocacy Strategies
Have you been running an advocacy program for 3+ years and looking to breathe new life into your messaging strategy and enhance outreach using real data? This June 15 Advocacy Leaders Network workshop is for serious, seasoned practitioners and as far away from a basic program as we could develop. Not a discussion for the faint of heart!
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