News

This webinar, hosted by CMF and SHRM as part of the "Life in Congress project," will feature the "Workflex Toolkit for Congress," a practical guide with worksheets, assessments, and tips for how to make flexible working options a reality in your office. Join us September 27 for this online briefing that also will feature congressional managers who have implemented family-friendly or more flexible policies in their office.

Every year, the Congressional Management Foundation trains thousands of citizen-advocates to effectively engage with their Members of Congress both in Washington and back home. Through these efforts, CMF has had opportunities to work with groups who have advanced advocacy programs – the kind designed to cultivate sophisticated advocates, targeted strategies, yielding significant results in the public policy arena.

These programs run the gamut from anti-hunger nonprofits to industry associations. Because CMF works with many of these advanced-advocate programs, we've been able to identify common characteristics nearly all of them possess. For grassroots professionals working for nonprofits, associations, and companies looking to build their programs, these are some traits you should aim to develop.

By Seth Turner and Chip Felkel

Last week, The Congressional Management Foundation and the RAP Index joined forces on a webinar, Citizen Engagement: What Works and What Doesn't, which raised questions as to whether the most common grassroots advocacy tactic – identical mass email campaigns to Congress – actually are a good return on investment.

The boss’ time is THE most precious resource in every congressional office and it is the Schedulers who make the critical decisions about how to best use that valuable (and limited!) resource. This webinar session will provide an overview of the updated, Scheduler-focused content on CMF’s Office Toolkit, with a focus on applying routine criteria to the onslaught of scheduling requests.

How can your office navigate the tricky waters that are the many tributaries of the federal agency bureaucracy? CMF is delighted to welcome TWO former House Chiefs of Staff who have both also worked within the Executive Branch. On July 30 they will discuss what they've learned in their various roles and share their insights with senior House managers.

In 2002, I started a new job as the Manager of Policy and Advocacy for the National Youth Employment Coalition. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which had revamped the nation's job training system, was nearing its five-year expiration. So it was an exciting time to be a workforce development advocate.

The tea leaves indicated that the process would be bipartisan and fairly short. Fast forward to 2014, 11 years and six Congresses since the law had expired – workforce system advocates finally celebrated the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act's long-overdue enactment.

When Congress is slow to advance legislation or when issues are technical, it creates challenges for professional advocates.

Eight Members of Congress and their staff are the recipients of the Congressional Management Foundation’s inaugural Democracy Awards, the first program to recognize non-legislative achievement in operations and constituent service by congressional offices and Members of Congress.