Author Archive

Mark Drapeau

Mark Drapeau is director of public-sector social engagement at Microsoft. 
People

Keeping work and life balanced in a BYOD world

In an age when employees are expected to always be available, maintaining a work/life boundary is tough -- but managers can make it happen.

People

7 lessons worth learning from the Navy Social Media Handbook

The Navy's recently published Social Media Handbook has some good lessons for everyone, write Kristin Bockius and Mark Drapeau, Microsoft's resident social media experts.

People

Government 2.0, meet Citizen 2.0

The future of Government 2.0 might come not from federal agencies' use of social media but from grass-roots initiatives to bring government information into the sunlight.

People

4 year-end predictions for government 2.0

Gov 2.0 maven Mark Drapeau offers some non-exhaustive, somewhat creative, and entirely debatable trends and ideas that he foresees taking shape in the next year or so.

Modernization

5-minute citizen engagement plan

Agencies can better engage the public by learning from less serious sites that seek to 'make people happy for five minutes a day,' writes FCW columnist Mark Drapeau.

Modernization

Top 5 ways to think about Gov 2.0

When considering modern communications, social networking and emerging technology, government has many different connotations, such as process, provider, partner, product and protector.

People

Social-media bans miss the mark

Three reasonable steps could help agencies avoid categorical bans that undermine security and collaboration.

Digital Government

Trust, but verify, Web 2.0 sources

Government agencies face a challenge in evaluating the veracity of information posted from the public on Twitter and Facebook quickly enough to use it.

Digital Government

Benefits of information sharing outweigh vulnerabilities

The Markle Foundation’s Task Force on National Security in the Information Age has written “Nation At Risk: Policy-Makers Need Better Information to Protect the Country,” which focuses on five simple recommendations that center on leadership to change bureaucracy, enforce already existing rules and seize the moment to make change happen.

People

Drapeau: Public affairs efforts can borrow from nimble jazz music

Coordination of a public affairs effort in government is similar to jazz improvisation — an office has a strategic theme, but tactically, improvisation must also occur. And one lesson from the military is the notion of "commander's intent."

Cybersecurity

Drapeau: Web 2.0 best practices already surface

Agencies are starting to learn smart ways to use emerging technologies for communicating with citizens and each other.

People

Drapeau: The rise of the goverati

People who are members of the goverati aim to apply emerging social technologies to create a more transparent, participatory and collaborative government.

Modernization

Who are the brand ambassadors?

Social-media tools can unite government and citizen.