Internet + Custom Suits + Ottawa = A Good Time

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to take a minute to put an upcoming event in Ottawa on your radar. 
Indochino, a (Canadian!) custom menswear company is coming to Ottawa next week as part of its Travelling Tailor promotion and from what I've heard from friends in Vancouver and Calgary this is like the Apple Store of menswear.
Now if you don't think style is all that important in the public service, I'd encourage you to check out this piece I wrote on the confluence of style and the public service for Apartment613. It was crafted after a conversation with Ottawa based fashionista (and public servant) Jes Lacasse.  Ironically one of the things that didn't make the final cut of my article on Apt613 was my lamentation about the lack of quality men's clothing in Ottawa; the nice thing about Indochino is that once you are measured up and in their system you can simply order custom suits/shirts as needed without having to go into a store front.
Below is a video outlining a bit more about the company/process for those who are interested. I should probably also mention that if you RSVP your custom fitting in advance you get a free custom dress shirt with every suit purchase you purchase (not a bad deal if you are in the market for a new look). 
The event runs in Ottawa from April 24th to April 28th.
See you there.








Originally published by Nick Charney at cpsrenewal.casubscribe/connect

A Few Upcoming Opportunities

Hi All -
Hope you had a safe and happy new year, I did, despite accidentally (read: foolishly) putting my car into a snow bank on New Year's Eve, but that is a story for another time.  I figured I should take the time to share a couple of upcoming events (listed by date) that may be of interest:

Open Government Consultation (ends January 16th)
If you didn't know the Government of Canada is currently conducting a public consultation on the issue of open government, the consultation ends January 16th.  If you have something to say, here is your chance.
Details can be found here.
(Disclosure: I have not yet provided input into the consultation, but hope to write an open letter that I will cc my blog on).

Collaborative Management Day (January 25th)
The next instalment of the Collaborative Culture Camp series, a series designed to build capacity for working together openly and embracing a culture of collaboration.  This is a free learning series wholly organized by public servants for public servants and should prove to be worth your time.  
Details can be found here; the program even boasts regional participation for those of you outside the National Capital Region.
(Disclosure: I had a hand in organizing the first camp of the series, and have since signed up to be a volunteer if needed).

Career Bootcamp 2012 (January 27th)
An annual event organization by various federal government young professional networks in partnership with the National Capital Region Young Professionals Network (NCRYPN).  The event is a blend of workshops, professional development, hand-on learning, and networking geared towards new public servants.
Details can be found here; this year the conference is on pace for 300 attendees and seems like a great opportunity to meet your colleagues.
(Disclosure: I am sitting on a panel with Simona Ioffee and Blaise Hebert to discuss Virtual Engagement to Enhance Job Performance).

Crises in Canadian Government: Enable the emerging workforce! (February 9th)
A peer-to-peer roundtable conversation to discuss how the government can enable the emerging workforce and what technologies, policies and ways of thinking/operating could make a difference.  This event is connected to the One Million Acts of Innovation campaign and is free to attend.
Details can be found here; I've spoken with the organizers and the discussion should prove interesting should it bridge the gap between those who would be entering the public service and those who are ready to retire from their careers in it.  
(Disclosure: I've been invited to attend the event and help animate the discussion, but won't be doing any formal presentation).

Unconfirmed Travel Rumours
You might be able to find me in Toronto, Winnipeg and Regina in the next two months, but nothing has been nailed down just yet.  I'll provide more intel when I get it, in the interim if you are in those areas and want to connect, let me know.
Cheers

Originally published by Nick Charney at cpsrenewal.casubscribe/connect

Public service renewal: the weekly round-up

For the week of September 19 - 23, 2011

If you’re involved in public service renewal – or just a curious bystander – here's the run down of stuff you'll want to read and do this week.

To do:

Sign up (as soon as possible!) for an inexpensive (read: $5) opportunity to scheme virtuously and network at: Beyond the Kool-Aid: Open Government? Space is limited and conversation promises to be dynamic. Join experts from Google, other levels of government and Mediastyle to talk Government 2.0; while the ideas have been discussed over and over, for many it feels as if little progress is being made. Where do we go from here?

Join us: Now that school has started we’re gearing up for yet another #w2p mixer, this time with a different twist. Mark your calendars for September 28 where the #w2p community will be mixing it up with the Advanced Leadership Program.

To read:

• The Future of the Federal Workforce: can we apply the cloud model to the PS workforce?

• On cuts: Federal unions launch petition drive to call on Clement to put critical services and the long-term social safety first.

• Junk the jargon, cut the clichés and use plain English – a new tone of voice would help so many public organizations

• The U.S. is having a national dialogue on improving government web sites - and there are loads of fabulous ideas to be found on the site.

Have a great week!

This post has been a collaborative effort from Lee-Anne Peluk and Nicholas Charney.You can check out Lee-Anne's blog "In the Shuffle" at www.leeannepeluk.wordpress.com

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A Mixed Bag

Hey Everyone -

Here is a mixed bag of things in my brain right now ...


Food for thought ...

Here is a quick list of articles that I've read recently that I found interesting:

• Digital Storytelling and the Rise of the Layered Narrative
• Hard and Soft Power in Enterprise 2.0
• I Can't Think!
• Leading from the Edge

Also the University of Yale has an entire years worth of lectures on Game Theory available online for free. If you are interested in thinking more strategically I highly recommend you check them out (or even add them into your learning plan).

Finally, I just finished reading Re-Work; and I must say that I recommend reading it only if you need a motivational kick the arse. If you are already motivated, you won't walk away with much. On the other hand, I started reading the Master Switch by Tim Wu and would recommend picking up a copy if you are interested in the historical evolution of communications industry.


Places to be ...

1. MARCOM, June 1/2 (Ottawa, Ontario)

I'll be presenting at MARCOM again this year. My session title is "Disrupting the Culture: How Social Media can be used to embrace organizational change, drive engagement and foster innovation". MARCOM is a lot of fun for me because I get to meet a boat load of communications professionals from both the public and not-for-profit sectors. In preparation for the conference I sat down with Bernard Gauthier, CEO of Delta Media and Graham Machacek from IABC Ottawa to talk about converging media, part 1 of the podcast is available here.


2. Govcamp, June 8 (Toronto, Ontario)

I'm really looking forward to participating in Govcamp in Toronto. I'll be working the event as a facilitator, but if everything works out I may also have something cool to demo (or at least share a sneak peak). If you are in the area check it out, its totally free.


3. Financial Management Institute's Public Sector Management Workshop, June 12-14 (Edmonton, Alberta)

To be honest, I don't know much about FMI, but I'm looking forward to meeting new people in Edmonton, and being there when it isn't -40 out!


4. Social Capital Conference, July 23 (Ottawa, Ontario)

It's not official yet but I have it on good authority that I will be tagging in with Joe Boughner to discuss internal collaboration, the benefits, risks and strategies for enterprise adoption.


5. Next Generation of Government Summit, July 28-29 (Washington, DC)

This conference is by far the most energetic conference for public servants I have ever been to. Last year Steve Ressler from Govloop gave me a huge opportunity to help open the conference, to date it is one of the highlights of my career. When Steve asked me to come back this year I couldn't say no. The challenge: motivate a couple hundred public servants in 15 minutes or less without using any material I used last year.

Challenge accepted.


Final note(s) ...

1. I rejigged the graphics on the page (including the header), feedback always appreciated.
2. I'm still blogging daily at cpsr365
3. I'm trying to bring an enterprise tablet application to market, I've stood up another site, and am tweeting and blogging about the experience.
4. Keep an eye on the newly minted Gov2 TV
5. I'm interested in starting up a series of "Wonkcasts" (podcasts for policy wonks) if you are interested in collaborating with me on this project please let me know.

Thanks for taking the time, take care.

Originally published by Nick Charney at cpsrenewal.ca
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Gov 2.0: Policy, Public Servants and Citizens in the Age of Social Media on Feb 10

Join us for a fantastic learning and networking opportunity with current and future public servants on the theme of Government 2.0.!

This event was created because we wanted to facilitate linkages between w2p and graduate students of public administration. Many of them will be joining our ranks in the coming years, so this is a great opportunity to introduce a new generation to the idea of Gov 2.0.

It's also a great opportunity for us to get fresh perspectives on the Gov. 2.0. issues we grapple with daily!


Come share, learn and mingle over beers with other public servants on the cusp of the Gov 2.0. revolution, public admin students gearing up for a career in the digital age, and non-governmental experts in facilitating online and offline dialogue between citizens and policy-makers.

Speakers include myself, Ryan Androsoff and Hannah McKinnon (location/logistical details can be found on the RSVP links below)

You can RSVP via Twitter or via Facebook.

Unproductive Meetings? There Should Be an App For That

"In this world nothing is certain except death and taxes" - Benjamin Franklin

Old Ben was pretty close, but he forgot one crucial element: meetings. We all attend them, we often loath them, we often wonder in hindsight if they were actually worth the time. I'm not trying to say that meetings can't be useful, just that they often aren't, at least in my experience. In fact the more time I spend around the boardroom table, the more I think that there must be a better way to manage meetings within the organization.


Why do we need to rethink meetings?

I can't say for certain if this phenomenon is universal or simply ubiquitous across my own experience, but people tend to think of meetings as just another part of their job; few think of meetings in terms of their costs to either them personally or their organization, happily meandering through directionless meetings.


How do we need to rethink meetings?

Meetings, even internal meetings, aren't free. There is always a cost associated with meeting. Why not build an app that could show participants what the true cost is? Here's a rough outline:

• Meetings could be created by the person setting the agenda.
• Info can be attached to the invitation
• Attendees would check in to the meeting when they accept the meeting
• Their salaries are automatically drawn out of their enterprise employment records (but not divulged to others in the room)
• The convener starts the meeting and projects a running tally of the cost of the meeting as it is being conducted kind of like a taxi meter
• Next to the cost of the meeting is the deliverable cost (e.g. say the meeting is to decide how to allocate a 25k contract)
• Each participants mobile device can concurrently display their own dollar tally as well as a percentage of the total meeting cost.
• The app would also give each participant ongoing cumulative data on how much of their own salary they have eaten up in meetings.
• This data could also be used by the organization as a catalyst for better information sharing (to circumvent or improve the culture of meetings)
  
• All in all the app is designed to shift thinking around the costs of meetings and inform better decision-making when it comes to meetings.

What can we do to rethink meetings?

This app is just a sketch on a whiteboard, but if you are interested in helping me build it, let me know. I'd love to get this one out the door.

Oh an yes I know that it probably will never make money, may actually contradict the science of motivation, but I can think of no other more immediate way to show people that (for hypothetical example) spending 150k in salary dollars determining how to best allocate an under 25k contract may not make sense.

Go West (Again)

I've had a really interesting week last week. I spent time in Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria.

In Edmonton, I delivered social media training at the Affects Symposium hosted by the Alberta Federal Council. I ran three separate workshops on social media: (1) Putting the Social in Social Media; (2) Social Media 101 for Personal Development and (3) Social Media 101 for Organizational Objectives. I also hosted three roundtable Q and A-style discussions on social media in general. My key takeaway from Edmonton was that there is still a significant demand (and need) for social media 101 training.

In Vancouver I had the opportunity to sit on a panel with two people for whom I have a tremendous amount of respect: Etienne Laliberté and David Eaves. This panel was a long time coming. These men helped shape my career. The conversation was incredibly satisfying and we touched on a number of salient points. The most important of which was an intervention by David where he argued that, 10 years ago this panel couldn't have existed because the three of us would have never been able to connect, share and publicize our ideas to the extent that we have. David went as far to hypothesize that perhaps the three of us would have chosen completely different paths. I can't speak for Etienne and David but I can say that without them I would have surely left the public service a long time ago. While I am grateful for the help, encouragement and brotherly advice the two have given me over the last few years, I am even more grateful to count them among my friends.

In Victoria I attended a planning session for the upcoming Open Gov West BC conference being held at the University of Victoria on November 10. My sense is that the event will be a unique mashup of my experience at ChangeCamp Ottawa, WiredCamp Toronto, Open City Edmonton, and GovCamp. As a speaker for the event, my objective is simple. I want to rally people around a single idea:

We are the future of open government, open data and public sector innovation. We are here learning our trade, stretching the organization, and building the platform for the next generation of government. We are the public servants that the web built.

I'm going to do that by sitting down with my friend Walter Schwabe and share some stories about the importance of openness, the transformative nature of the web and how those things relate to government. I want to share specific examples and help connect the audience to other people in the larger community in hopes that they will continue the conversation after the event.

In short, I'm hoping to inspire people, and I'm hoping to make a case for open government. But most importantly, I'm hoping you will join us in Victoria on November 10.

See you there.

Event: United Way Speaker Series:Dan Heath

The United Way Ottawa is hosting an event featuring Dan Heath, co-author of Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard (which, coincidentally, I am currently reading).

It just so happens that I have a pair of tickets to give away. If you are interested, please leave a comment on this blog post. I will randomly select one person to receive the tickets and post the winner to the blog this Friday.

The event takes place on Oct 14, 2010 from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM at the Shenkman Arts Centre 245 Centrum Boulevard, Ottawa, Ontario. K1E3X9.

If you'd rather secure your seat now, I would strongly encourage you to register, tickets are $65 and the money goes to help support the United Way.

See you there.

Event: Collaborative Culture Camp

**English follows**

C'est enfin le moment!
Le Camp sur la culture de collaboration (C3) aura lieu à Bibliothèque et Archives Canada le 15 octobre 2010, de 8:30 à 16:30.

• Organisée de manière bénévole par des fonctionnaires passionés par le renouvellement de la fonction publique, le C3 sera une activité hautement interactive qui vous permettra d'apprendre et de partager votre savoir au sujet de pratiques exemplaires pour travailler de manière collaborative au sein du gouvernement.
• L'activité fera appel à des conférenciers d’expérience et des études de cas d’exemples exceptionnels de collaboration, ainsi que des séances de forum ouvert dirigées par les participants qui seront axées sur les pratiques exemplaires et des leçons concrètes que vous pourrez ensuite appliquer à divers contextes de travail.
• Wayne G. Wouters, Greffier du Conseil privé et Secrétaire du Cabinet, sera notre conférencier d'honneur.
• L'inscription est maintenant ouverte à tous les employés fédéraux, sans frais! Le seul coût demandé est votre engagement à participer à la journée entière.

Pour plus d'information et pour vous inscrire, visitez le lien suivant :

http://www.gcpedia.gc.ca/wiki/Camp_sur_la_culture_de_collaboration

*****************************************************************************************************************************



It's finally here! The Collaborative Culture Camp (C3) will be taking place at Library and Archives Canada on October 15, 2010, from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

• Organized on a volunteer basis by a group of public servants with a passion for public service renewal, C3 will be a highly-interactive event during which you will share and learn about best practices for working collaboratively within government.
• The event will feature knowledgeable speakers and case studies showcasing exceptional instances of collaboration, as well as a number of interactive, participant-led sessions with a focus on take-away lessons and best practices that can be applied in a variety of contexts.
• Wayne G. Wouters, Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, will be the Keynote Speaker.
• Registration is now open to all federal employees, at no cost! The only cost we ask is your commitment to participate in the full day of activities.

For more information or to register, follow this link:

http://www.gcpedia.gc.ca/wiki/Collaborative_Culture_Camp_2010

Update: An Honest Appeal

I'll be making an honest (albeit unofficial) appeal for the public sector as employer at GenYOTT on Sept 23rd here in Ottawa. Its a rapid fire talk, and it's all new material.

The event is free and a great opportunity to network with people from all three sectors here in Ottawa.

Hope to see you there.

More info/register

Update: canada@150 Report to be Released Next Week!

I just wanted to write a quick update to let you know a bit about some key things going on next week. After much anticipation the canada@150 report will finally be officially released at an armchair discussion at the Canada School of Public Service.

You may recall that around this time last year I conducted an interview with one of the participants that was, and I quote (myself) "chocked full of successy-goodness".

Unfortunately I can't be at three places at once, so while the report is being released, I will be in Yellowknife presenting at the 2010 Northern Communicators' Forum; which also means I will be missing Govcamp Toronto.

Don't get me wrong I am very excited to be visiting the Canada's North for the first time, connect with some of the people in real life there (whom I have only ever met online) and to be on a panel with Jesse Brown.

All of that being said it pays to be a blogger (actually it doesn't =/) because it means that I am sitting on an advance copy of the canada@150 report and plan on sharing my thoughts in a blog post next Friday (June 18th).

Talk to you soon, have a great Public Service week next week. Oh, and if anyone has any suggestions on must do things while I am in Yellowknife, please let me know.

Cheers

I’d rather be GovCamping!

[Update: I took the code off from the live stream as it was live streaming other FusedLogic TV events. Cheers. - Nick ]

Today I'm at Govcamp in Ottawa, below is a live stream of the event care of my friends at fusedlogic. Seems like the feed settings are wider than my column below, if you are tuning in, I'd full screen the feed. Cheers.

If we build it, will you come?

If we built a free, day long conference focused on teaching and learning about collaboration (not technology!) in the public sector would you want to attend? Would you want to lend a hand?

If you are inside the Government of Canada firewall I would invite you to look at (and contribute!) to the planning page in GCPEDIA.

If you are outside the federal public service and want to be a part of the planning team, the first planning meeting is being held Friday June 4th at 4pm, details here.

If you are interested in participating but not helping organize please let me know via email, twitter, or in the comments here so I can get you more details when they are available.

Update: Armchair Discussion May 10th

Hi All - just wanted to blog this quick for those of you following the blog but not using twitter.

I will participating in an armchair discussion at the Canada School of Public Service on Monday, May the 10th from 1:00pm-3:30. Here are the details quoted verbatim from the School:

May 10, 2010 | 1:00 p.m to 3:30 p.m. (ET)

The Implications and Use of Social Media for Employee Engagement in Values and Ethics

Language: English Presentation; Bilingual Panel Discussion

Harnessing new technologies to enable the workplace presents both exciting opportunities and elements of risk. These tools create new possibilities for engaging employees and for renewing our workplace ethical culture. During this discussion, the speakers will talk about their approach and experience with incorporating social media into ethics programming for employees.

You are invited to attend this session at 65 Guigues Street (Ottawa) by clicking on "Register" below. If you cannot attend in person, tune in via Webcast (live video and audio feed) by clicking on "Register - Webcast".

Speakers:

Ms. Kathleen Edmond, Esq. is the Chief Ethics Officer.

Mr. Gil Dennis is the Senior Director of Organizational Effectiveness at Best Buy Corporation.

Colin McKay is the Director of Research, Education and Outreach at the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Nicholas Charney is a Policy Analyst with Indian and Northern Affairs.

You can get more information and/or register here... if you ask me the real draw of this event will be my friend and colleague Colin McKay - that guy cracks me up.

EAVB_NQYLDTDKIA

Column:What Excites Me About Open Data

As a public servant who is often frustrated by the lack of information-sharing within public sector organizations, I can only wager a guess at what it is like to try to get information when you are outside them.


Naturally, whenever anyone mentions open data I get excited.

I get excited about the efficiencies I think it can create within and between public sector organizations.

I get excited about how I think it may shift workflows.

I get excited about how it can change the relationship between governments and citizens.

I get excited by the fact that it should allow governments to provide more efficient services at the click of a mouse, while freeing up resources to nurture a closer relationship between government and citizens when it makes sense.

I get excited about getting access to information that is otherwise buried under an immense transaction cost.

I get excited about the possibility of serendipitous discovery of partnership opportunities.

I get excited about a robust management framework that I think an open data regime will require.

I get excited about the internal human resource reallocation that I think will follow an open data regime.

I get excited about the fact that open data helps build a public service culture based on stewardship, one that is okay with outcomes that aren't entirely predetermined, one that is about enabling innovation.

I get excited about open data because it gets us closer to the idea of government as platform; a platform that enables both those on the inside and on the outside to innovate.


From Excitement to Action

I get excited when I see Chuck Shawcross, Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Information Officer at Environment Canada stand up at the last Web 2.0 Practitioners meetup, self-identify as a champion for open data, and issue a call to action.

I get excited not only because of the immense value of such an undertaking, but because I know many of the people working on the initiative.

These are good people, people who care, people I am proud to call my friends.


Get Involved!

If you are a part of the (Canadian) federal family and would like to get involved with this initiative I would encourage you to visit the Open Data page on GCPEDIA directly. Moreover if you happen to have some time today there is a meetup planned.

If you are outside the Canadian Federal Government and have an interest in Open Data writ large, feel free to drop me a line; if I can, I would be happy to connect you with others.

Update: Suggested Reading (and Doing)

On February 25th the Fourth Report of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee on the Public Service was released. If you are interested, David Eaves weighed in on the report on his blog.

On March 1st the Clerk of the Privy Council, Wayne Wouters showed up in GCPEDIA. He has an account, a profile page and a discussion paper. The purpose of the discussion paper is to solicit input to shape the forward looking renewal agenda. A week later, news of the Clerk's move hit the Globe and Mail.

I would encourage you all to make a contribution to the discussion paper in GCPEDIA.

Cheers.

Update: Things to Do in March

Just thought I'd give you a quick update on what I'm up to in March... (so far)

1. I will be giving my Social Media in Government talk on March 2nd, Ottawa c/o Social Media in Government, Advanced Learning Institute.

2. On March 5th I will be attending the Public Policy Forum's session entitled: "The Future is Open: How open government is essential to creating a culture of public service innovation" featuring my friend David Eaves and former CTO of the Government of Canada Chuck Henry.

3. I will be in Edmonton on March 6th in order to help the city with its Open City Workshop. The workshop is intended to help build community through open information. Among other things it will feature a panel discussion on the subject of government as platform with David Eaves, Mark Kuznicki, and myself.

I hope to see you sometime in the month of March, if you need more information about any of these events please feel free to contact me.

Cheers.

Upcoming Talks in February

Just thought I'd give you a quick update on what I'm up to in February. I have provided descriptions and links to conference agendas. Feel free to ping me w/an email/comment/tweet if you want to know more.

1. Getting Your Organization Ready for Social Media
February 16-17, Ottawa
Social Media in Government, Federated Press

Social media is one of the latest trends in communications inside
government, but getting into the game before knowing the rules can be
costly, or even embarrassing. This session will help you understand the
importance of learning how to run behind the firewall, before walking
outside it.

In this session, you will learn:

• Why traditional hierarchies are obstacles to engagement and innovation
• How these new communication tools aretearing down silos faster then ever
• How to engage yourself, your employees and your colleagues and create an environment conducive to user-driven innovation, increased productivity and better retention

2. Schemed Virtuously
February 17-18, Ottawa
Youth Mandate for Greater Involvment (YMAGIN) National Conference (internal link)

Starting a career in the public service is often a difficult transition. There are many rules and cultural norms that at first glance don't seem to make sense or inhibit innovation. The confusion that some new public servants feel can be overwhelming, the messages they receive contradictory. Success or failure in the public service is often left to a mystical combination people, organizational architecture, routines and culture. Sometimes that combination works out on its own, sometimes you have to make it work. In Nicholas' case, he had to make it work. In his two part presentation Nicholas will tell his personal story of public service renewal and then share some of the tactics he learned along the way.

YMAGIN is Human Resources and Skills Development Canada's (HRSDC) young professionals network. This talk will be a bit of a homecoming for me as I got my start in HRSDC and with YMAGIN.


3. Effective Uses of Social Media for HR
February 22-23, Ottawa
Public Sector Human Resources 2010: Building Capability for Future Challenges, Conference Board of Canada

Collaboration is a core element of any successful organization, and many public service HR managers are exploring the collaborative benefits of social media tools. As with any new technology, however, this early adopter enthusiasm can rapidly turn into disillusion as anticipated results fail to materialize.

Nicholas Charney will discuss how these technologies are transforming workplaces, how to manage this transformation, and why managing it will lead to greater innovation, increased productivity and better retention. Gain a new appreciation for the possibilities as you learn practical strategies for realizing the full benefits of Web 2.0 tools in your organization.

Social Mixer

Also you if your active online and a public servant, you may want to attend the next W2P mixer. It should be great, we will have some of our friends from Edmonton who happen to be in town.

Update: Busy Week, Lots to Do

Hey Everybody, there are a lot of great things going on this month that I just wanted to quickly draw your attention to.

First, in the month of "Movember" men everywhere take the opportunity to grow out their moustaches to help raise awareness (and money) to fight prostate cancer. To this end I have joined a team of my fellow public servants, cleverly titled Her Mo-jesty's Loyal Public Service. It is a great group of public servants and friends, one of whom - my brother Rumon - is even chronicling the month with daily photos. If you wish to make a donation it would be greatly appreciated. Now, if you have seen me recently you may have noticed that I have yet to convert to the "Mo", but I promise I will do it by the end of this week. For more on Movember feel free to have a gander at this video:



Second, Ignite is coming to Ottawa on Thursday, November 12. If I were you I would register immediately, show up promptly, and clap hella loud for my presentation: Public Service Renewal in 5 Minutes (Note: This will also be your last opportunity to see me prior to converting to the moustache for the rest of the month).

Third, I will be attending the 2nd Ottawa Timeraiser on Saturday, November 14th at the National Gallery of Canada. It is an innovative project that centres around a silent auction where people bid volunteer hours for local organizations. Great cause - I hope to see you there. There is a video below with more information.



Fourth, just a friendly reminder of that the 1st Case Study Jam is Thursday, November 19. Be there or be square.

Note: We just confirmed that the Canada@150 project will be sharing some of their findings about the use of new collaborative social media technologies within the public sector. It is going to be an awesome blend of some statistical analysis and user experience stories.

Update: Case Study Jam: What the Doers are Doing

Hey Everybody,

I just wanted to drop you all a quick note regarding a great opportunity for those of you interested in social media in Ottawa. On Thursday November 19th at 6pm the first Case Study Jam will take place at La Roma Restaurant (430 Preston).

[Proactive Disclosure: I am a very small part, of a great team heading up the Case Study Jam.]

The Jam is a free event inspired in part by a session held at ChangeCamp Ottawa by my friend and all around good guy Joe Boughner. Joe is the man behind the Association of Canadian Financial Officers (ACFO) use of social media to communicate more effectively with its members. You may recall that we did an interview with Joe about the unions efforts back in January.


So what is a Case Study Jam?

Case Study Jam is a place for communications practitioners to come together and share their stories – successes and failures. How are on-the-ground, front-line folks using social media and, more importantly, how are they integrating these tools into overall communications strategies and practices?

You can find more information about the Jam here.

Come'on out to the Jam and find out what the doers are doing.