Partnership for Public Service

Right now, there are a lot of questions swirling about what it means to be a federal employee and the role of the career workforce.   Our Supporting Federal Employees Through Change resource hub provides answers to frequently asked questions we've received and provides information on actions career employees are currently facing.   Explore the hub below for resources and answers to questions, such as:   • What is Schedule Policy/Career (formerly Schedule F)? • How are civil service rules enforced? • What are the basic rights of federal civil servants? • What is due process? • How long is the probationary period? Visit the website here: https://lnkd.in/eANDEz4n

Amid the current busy tax season, representatives of billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived at the IRS and in a matter of days began the process of firing 6,700 employees at locations throughout the country. What could possibly go wrong?   The fire first and ask questions later approach to purging the federal workforce has created havoc, jeopardized critical government functions, upended the lives of federal employees, likely incurred large financial liabilities for violating the law, and has been riddled with outright blunders.   In short, DOGE is anything but a department of efficiency.   Then there are the misinterpretations, such as:   • A DOGE website recently claimed it saved taxpayers $8 billion by canceling a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract that was actually valued at $8 million.   • Musk claimed that DOGE canceled a $21 million grant to encourage voter turnout in India when no such grant existed.   • Trump and his team summarily fired more than 17 inspectors general, the independent internal agency watchdogs who have saved the government billions of dollars by uncovering waste, fraud and abuse.   In their madcap demolition spree, the DOGE team is violating every basic principle of good management. Here are three that rise to the top:   1️⃣ The DOGE team came into our government and indiscriminately firing as many people as possible without identifying poor performers, occupations that might be overrepresented or areas where logical cost savings might be achieved.   2️⃣ The DOGE team has gone the extra mile to denigrate public servants and public service itself, which is a recipe for chasing away good people and will lead to a poorer customer experience for the public.   3️⃣ The DOGE team seems unaware and unconcerned that in our system of government, Congress decides the purpose and funding of federal agencies, not the president or his appointees.   Agency leadership will soon find that they cannot get much done, and the diminished organizational performance will be with us for years to come.   There is no question that reform of our government is necessary, and money can be saved, but Trump and Musk’s DOGE team is taking us in the wrong direction, and its haphazard, arbitrary and destructive decisions will have profound consequences.   This not a time for silence or looking away.   Read the article in depth in the Contrarian. https://lnkd.in/e7AKsC-9

I just finished Michael Lewis’s timely new book, “Who is Government: The Untold Story of Public Service,” which features stories from an all-star team of writers about our nation’s outstanding public servants who work behind the scenes to make our country stronger. Has a federal employee inspired you or made a positive impact on your community, on our country or on the world? Share the story with @Partnership for Public Service at yourstories@ourpublicservice.org https://lnkd.in/e5Aq3CNJ

Join us today for our Federal Employee Explainer Series session: What are my rights as a probationary employee? During this panel, speakers will share information to help federal employees better understand their rights and appeals as a federal employee in a probationary period. Speakers include: • Jenny Mattingley, vice president of government affairs, Partnership for Public Service  • Robert Erbe, attorney, Law Office of Robert P Erbe, PLLC, Federal Employment Law Office  • James Eisenmann, attorney, Alden Law Group, PLLC • Rob S., managing director, Civil Service Strong, Democracy Forward and former acting director of the Office of Personnel Management RSVP for the session now! 📅Wednesday, Feb. 26 ⌚6-7 p.m. EST 🔗RSVP now here: https://lnkd.in/e3HGb6Uz

Whether it's the processes that set up our government or the leaders that are running our country, I've cared about our government institutions my entire life.   I joined Bilal Hafeez on the Macro Hive to talk a bit about my background, how the Partnership for Public Service came to be, and the work we do towards building a better government and stronger democracy.   Some other topics we discussed include:   • How presidential transitions work • What is happening to the civil service • What can be done to modernize the government • Why we can't run our government like a business • Why rules and norms are crucial in our government • How state and local governments will be impacted   I hope you can give it a listen. https://lnkd.in/e2W3r7Ei

Federal employees and leaders, we have two webinars for you this week as part of our Federal Employee Explainer Series and Civil Service Support Series. We created these series to answer your questions and support you during this time of change. Wednesday, Feb. 26: Federal Explainer Series - What are my rights as a probationary employee? This session will walk through employee rights and appeals for federal employees in a probationary period. 📅Wednesday, Feb. 26 ⌚6-7 p.m. EST 🔗RSVP today here: https://lnkd.in/e3HGb6Uz Thursday, Feb. 27: Civil Service Support Series - Resilience in times of change for federal leaders This session will share strategies for federal leaders focused on navigating change, building resilience and leading with compassion. 📅Thursday, Feb. 27 ⌚6-7 p.m. EST 🔗RSVP today here: https://lnkd.in/eVgeMu7N

OPM’s email on Saturday is yet another example of the new administration’s contempt for public servants and public service that will lead to further confusion, anxiety and waste. Demanding federal employees to summarize their work week in five bullet points by Monday evening or face termination is a counterproductive distraction that OPM legally cannot even act on. Our government’s main mission is to serve the public and keep us safe, and unnecessarily terrorizing the two million workers responsible for this ultimately puts us all at risk. There are many strategic, productive ways to make our government more effective that don’t involve scaring our civil servants, and I urge DOGE and OPM to instead partner with them and consult their deep expertise in their efforts to reform our government. https://lnkd.in/epmM7P-s

Thanks to USAFacts and the Partnership for Public Service for including me in this discussion. Very much appreciated the opportunity to join the celebration of the excellent data work happening in government, to honor incredible civil servants like Taka Ariga, and to give shout outs to ways we can all support next steps, like communicating the value of data with #MyDataStory! https://lnkd.in/eFr8BzwH

Today we hosted the first-ever Federal Data Excellence Awards Program in collaboration with Partnership for Public Service to celebrate government agencies’ efforts to improve federal data practices and inspire other agencies and teams to reimagine their own data products. The event featured industry insights, a keynote from a chief data officer, and an expert panel — including our own Trygve Madsen.    Through extensive research and engagement with federal experts, we identified 22 characteristics of excellent data products and organized them into four categories: timeliness of the data, interoperability, helpfulness to the user, and accessibility. This year, we assessed 55 nominations in three categories: financial, administrative and statistical products.     This year’s winners make data on foreign assistance, the federal employee experience, and substance use and mental health needs across the country easy to access, use, and understand.    Learn more about the program, the 2024 award winners, and download the Standards: https://lnkd.in/gPsk9WTd  

What if the most powerful competitive advantage was hiding in plain sight? Federal data isn’t just for policymakers — it’s an untapped goldmine for businesses, AI leaders, and anyone making forward thinking, strategic decisions. And here’s the challenge…data is only valuable if people can find it, trust it, and use it. That’s exactly why today’s Federal Data Excellence Awards mattered. I had the honor of moderating a conversation with Nick Hart, Ph.D. | Data Foundation and Trygve Madsen | USAFacts, two leaders shaping how government data becomes a tool for impact — not just information sitting on a server. A handful of key takeaways: 📊 Data fuels innovation. --> Open, well-structured federal data helps businesses build better AI models, predict market trends, and solve real-world problems. 🔎 Trust is built on transparency. --> When data is clear, accessible, and reliable, confidence in institutions grows — whether in government or the private sector. 📢 Visibility is everything. --> The best data in the world means nothing if people don’t know where to find it or how to use it. And today, we celebrated the federal teams leading the charge — the people making sure that the data shaping policies, investments, and industries is open, accurate, and actionable. Here's the bigger takeaway: when people are generous with their time and their knowledge, everyone wins. The insights shared today won't only impact government — they’ll ripple into AI, business, and the broader economy. The question isn’t why open data matters — it’s how we use it to create value. This year’s winners make data on foreign assistance, the federal employee experience, and substance use and mental health needs across the country easy to access, use, and understand. Learn more about the Federal Data Excellence program, the 2024 award winners, and to download the Data Excellence standards, check out the link in comments section. ✨ Thank you to USAFacts & the Partnership for Public Service for hosting - with an extra special shout out to Max Stier, Richard Coffin,Taka Ariga, and Brandon Lardy (one of my *go-to data brains*, whom I also have the pleasure of working alongside!). #AI #Data #OpenData #Leadership #DataExcellence ____________ I’m on a mission to share responsible AI insights with 1M leaders worldwide and help turn inertia into action. Progress happens when we generously exchange knowledge — and lessons learned. Join me, 🎉 Jennifer S. Ives. If you found this post helpful, pass it along. ♻