January 7, 2010 Meeting

Our January 7th meeting will feature Jodi Cramer and John Shea of DHS (FEMA) who will discuss “Social Media.”  Social Media or Web 2.0 are new innovative tools that, when used properly, can provide an additional communication stream for government agencies. To date, social media tools have enabled any member of the public with a cell phone to act as a “citizen journalist” and report to the world what they see and hear 24/7. However, the government is not always like the private sector, and its laws, regulations, and processes have to be adhered to even in a Web 2.0 world.

 

FEMA has been able to engage citizens using this new platform while remaining compliant with its laws and regulations. This session will focus on how other government entities can likewise engage in Web 2.0 while remaining legally compliant. It will focus on creating a structure that allows for solutions to obstacles faced by the government, and will show how building a team of in-house experts can lead to solutions for any Web 2.0 tool, addressing in particular the ethics, appropriations, contracts, records, privacy and other compliance issues that face a government agency in this Web 2.0 world.  Our presenters will also look at how ethics officials can use Web 2.0 technology to better reach their audience at their agencies.

 

As usual, we will meet from 12:15-1:30 in the OTS auditorium, 1700 G Street, and, as always, individuals who are on the IEC roster need not pre-register for this meeting. 

Agency ethics officials who are not on our roster but who wish to attend can pre-register by contacting Patrick.Carney@fcc.gov not later than Monday, January 4th.  Those who are neither on the IEC roster nor pre-registered can still be admitted by showing a Government ID to OTS Security personnel.

 

For planning purposes, our February meeting will be on Thursday, February 4th, and will address the Ethics Pledge.  We are pleased to have as our speakers for that meeting, Norm Eisen, Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform, Don Fox, OGE General Counsel, and Rick Thomas, OGE Associate General Counsel.

 

We’d also like to take a moment to thank Jerry Lawson, of USAID’s OIG, for his untiring efforts on behalf of this, our website!  Without all of Jerry’s work, we would never be able to share information on the Federal ethics program among our members.  Thanks, Jerry!

 

Finally, we wish all our members the very best of the Holiday Season.  We look forward to continuing to work with you in 2010.