Rock Creek Roundup (September 2 Edition)

Posted by: Meagen Ryan, Director of Strategy Sep 02, 2011 0 Comments

The Army releases a social media handbook, Americans want more federal apps, FEMA proves itself again, Twitter has its eye on Washington, and how local law enforcement uses social media, all in this week’s version of the Rock Creek Roundup!

—With more and more federal agencies using social media, more agencies are also sharing their best practices and advice with others. The U.S. Army recently released an official social media handbook promoting transparency and communication while addressing security concerns. For military personnel overseas, social media is the link home, but it also allows them to keep up with what’s going on in the Army. While staying connected is important, security remains a top concern for the Department of Defense. The new social media guide keeps this in mind and urges all soldiers to do the same with every post, photo and video.

—While many government agencies are jumping on board with mobile applications, the citizens want more. According to the Meritalk 2011 Federal Customer Experience Survey, 3 percent of Americans have used a federal mobile app, but 18 percent would like to. With the White House’s push to open government and improved customer service, there has also been an initiative to serve citizens on the go with easy-to-use mobile apps. As many Americans use smartphones, mobile apps allow people to access federal information, tips, and data easily and quickly. Overall, the survey revealed that 31 percent of Americans are satisfied with federal customer service – up from 24 percent last year – which means the shift towards mobile apps, better websites, and social media has paid off.

—After a number of high-profile natural disasters and issues around the world, FEMA has come though and proven itself again after its response to Hurricane Irene. With a focus on real-time, speedy updates, FEMA improved its operations by preempting the storm rather than waiting until after to assess damage. By acting early and using new emergency plans, FEMA was prepared for the Irene and was able to provide citizens with support. The Department of Defense joined teams with FEMA to mitigate issues along the East Coast where the hurricane hit the hardest. According to the DOD, it supported 16 FEMA assignments and offered bases, personnel, ships, and transport to support the cause.

—While the government is embracing Twitter, Twitter is also embracing Washington. Over the last year, Twitter has slowly increased its presence in the capital city through hires well-versed in government policy and visits to the city. Former FCC aide Colin Crowell joined the Twitter team this year as the second DC-based employee, following former C-SPAN executive producer Adam Sharp. While Twitter’s next steps are unclear, it is ahead of the curve by getting familiar and friendly with federal policy, lawmakers, and agencies.

— As federal agencies are using social media to improve customer service, local law enforcement agencies are using social media to better serve their people while keeping them safe. Through social media monitoring, law enforcement can make faster and more informed decisions by gauging public sentiment or crowd-sourcing opinions about issues. With the recent natural disasters and issues, law enforcement can also get help to those in need faster and track real-time responses. While it’s no easy task to monitor an online community effectively, the two-way nature of social media offers an open, public forum that can be used in many ways to potentially benefit a local community.

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Meagen Ryan

Director of Strategy

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