methodology

In April 2014, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) released the Gold Mouse Awards (and accompanying best practices report) for the 113th Congress. For the first time, 17 Members were recognized for their efforts in using social media to further transparency, accountability, and constituent service. This video discusses what CMF focused on in our analysis of social media practices, the characteristics exhibited by the winners of the Gold Mouse Awards for Social Media, and the strategic questions congressional offices should ask before engaging in social media efforts.

In April 2014, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) released the Gold Mouse Awards (and accompanying best practices report) for the 113th Congress. Seventy congressional websites were recognized with awards. This video discusses the methodology for the Gold Mouse Awards, the characteristics of effective Member websites, and includes examples from some of the award winners.

In past posts, we've discussed the characteristics of effective Member (personal office) websites. While some overlap exists between award-winning Member and committee websites in terms of usability and timeliness, there is little commonality otherwise.

In the 9^th part of our continuing series about Gold Mouse criteria, we are covering the importance of including all of your various types of media on your site, such as press releases, floor speeches, videos, and op-eds.

In the 8^th part of our continuing series about Gold Mouse criteria, we are covering what you should include on your site about the ongoing activities on the floor of the House or Senate. Most citizens are not familiar with what is going on in Congress or the schedule it keeps, and your website should be a place where people can learn about the legislative process and congressional action.

In the 7th part of our continuing series about Gold Mouse criteria, we are covering what district/state information to post on your website. Having a robust section on the geographical area your Member represents demonstrates the connection your Member has with back home. This part of your website can go a long way to building relationships with your constituents, particularly if you use this section to highlight specific accomplishments of people from your home district or state.

Beyond relationship building, this part of your site may often be the first place people check when they're looking for basic information about your district/state, such as census information or a map.