News

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for adopting a resolution Friday to create a "Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress." The new 12-member committee will research ways to develop "a more modern and efficient Congress," focusing on everything from improving staff recruitment and compensation to updating technology and fostering innovation.

When I arrived on Capitol Hill in the summer of 1983 for my internship with a House member, I had never stepped foot in a congressional office building. I walked into the office, was led to a corner in the back and sat down in front of an IBM Selectric typewriter. (For younger readers, you can see examples at the Smithsonian.)

Join us Dec. 4 for this special program in which Chief of Staff Lisa Sherman and District Director Jessica Reed, senior managers for Rep. Susan Davis, will present their best practices on hiring. Lisa and Jessica will share the "Team Davis" approach to hiring – a process so impressive that they were recognized for a 2018 Democracy Award for "Life in Congress" Workplace Environment.

Tip O'Neill once said, "It's easier to run for office than to run the office." Running a campaign and creating a congressional office are vastly different tasks. Setting up a House or Senate office includes all the challenges of starting a small business with all the red tape of a bureaucracy. During the past 40 years the Congressional Management Foundation has helped thousands of new members of Congress and their staffs set up freshman offices. Here are 7 mistakes to avoid.

Our ability to communicate openly and honestly with the Members of Congress that represent us is a hallmark of American democracy. However, the current system of engagement is stunted. What was once a well-traveled highway, designed to make two-way trips faster and more convenient, has become a dilapidated, congested thoroughfare that can no longer support the amount of drivers on the road.

Repairs and alternative routes are needed.

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.