Protected: Editorial Vision Statement The Partnership for Public Service publishes leading-edge reports, issue briefs, blog posts and other editorial products to inform and educate people in the federal government, academia, the private sector and the public about important federal issues. These products include recommendations that federal leaders and managers can use to advocate for change and support our mission to build a better government and a stronger democracy. We aim for editorial products that are actionable, accurate, written in plain language, free of jargon and acronyms, and interesting to people outside of government as well as within. Our key audiences include agency leaders at all levels, both career and political; congressional stakeholders; private sector leaders; academic leaders; good government stakeholders; presidential transition teams; the media; donors; and board members. Our work also benefits the private sector, academia, and members of the public interested in the workings of the federal government. Partnership products are guided by our five main operational principles, which are to be constructive and credible, connect people, serve as a catalyzer for our partners, and provide continuity during changes in administrations. With those and other considerations in mind: We aim for Credible, high-quality content that is evidence-based and rooted in experience. Findings that provide beneficial insights and lessons that can lead our partners to take meaningful action to create a better government and stronger democracy. Constructive recommendations for change that are rooted in our organization’s strategy, mission and principles. Accurate, practical data. Content accessible to all. Carefully reviewed and edited work. Plain language for ease of reading. Content that stays relevant across administrations. Products that include insights from the robust community of leaders, practitioners and thinkers within and beyond government, whom we’ve connected over the years through our work. What we don’t publish Partisan content. Comments on partisan aspects of electoral politics. Comments on the policies of elected officials unrelated to the management of the federal workforce and the civil service, agency operations, the lawful presidential transition process or other nonpartisan activities. Partisan commentary on election results. Endorsements of elected officials. Our editorial products Reports We write three types of reports: Research reports. White papers. issue briefs. Research reports are in-depth analyses of a given topic based on extensive data. They identify a major, multifaceted challenge facing government, outline key findings about that challenge, offer case studies and vignettes on how agencies or other interests are addressing it, and present actionable recommendations for stakeholders across government. Length: 20+ pages. Examples:` “Designing a Government for the People: Collaborative Approaches to Federal Customer Experience” “Trust in Government: A Close Look at Public Perceptions of the Federal Government and Its Employees” “The 2020-21 Presidential Transition: Lessons Learned and Recommendations” White papers and issue briefs are similar but shorter in length and smaller in scope. They provide readers with a concise overview of one topic, and include short case studies, datasets, and recommendations or suggestions for further study. Length: White papers: Up to 10 pages Issue briefs: Two to three pages Examples: “Leadership and Gender Differences in the Federal Government and Beyond” “Unconfirmed: Why Reducing the Number Of Senate-confirmed Positions Can Make Government More Effective” “Federal Data and Digital Maturity: Agencies Assess Where They Stand” Blog Posts Blog posts are short publications that promote different aspects of Partnership programming and impact, highlight major findings and recommendations from our research, advocate for certain federal management policies and shed light on recent good government issues. Blog posts can take many forms, including interviews or Q&As, listicles, event or report recaps, short opinion pieces and more. Authors are encouraged to use plain language and a more casual professional tone for blogs to reach general audiences, and to link out to Partnership resources to raise awareness of our work. Length: 500-600 words Examples: “Then and now: Federal policy and the value of LGTBQ+ public servants” “Meet the top 6 finalists for the 2023 Service to America Medals® People’s Choice Award” “Connecting the dots between the customer experience and trust in government” Op-eds Op-eds assert a strong and informed opinion about topics of relevance to the Partnership’s mission. We place op-eds in a range of mainstream news outlets like The Washington Post, Politico and Bloomberg News, to websites covering legislation and policy like Roll Call and The Hill, to good government publications like GovExec. Op-eds should be persuasive, take a clear stand on a topic and elevate the Partnership’s voice as an expert on federal management issues. Length: No more than 800 words. Examples: “The federal workforce is aging. It’s time for a new generation.” “The IRS Is Becoming a Model of Efficiency. Really.” “Why Democracy’s in Such Trouble: A Crisis in Public Trust of Government.” Scripts Scripts are delivered by Partnership executives at internal and external events or are used to narrate Partnership-produced videos. Examples include keynote addresses, introductory remarks and voiceover text. Length: Varies Examples: “2020 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings release” “Our Government Explained (in 3 Minutes or Less): Who Is the Career Workforce?” “Introducing the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals®” Data Visualizations Data visualizations present quantitative findings about a given topic on a page. They are designed to be interactive, visually compelling, and an effective storytelling device, enabling users to explore different aspects of our data and the key messages it conveys. Length: Varies Examples: Trust in Government Dashboard Agency Performance Dashboard Webpages and One-pagers Webpages and one-pagers provide overviews of Partnership programs and focus areas for our key audiences. They are typically developed by program and team leads, sent to an editor for feedback on text and language, and then sent to a member of the web and design team for layout. Webpages and one-pagers should ideally include concise text, the right spacing, and a mix of images, lists, subheads, quotes and other features to guarantee the pages are easy to read and user-friendly. Length: Varies Examples: Visit our main web properties: Ourpublicservice.org. GoGovernment.org. Bestplacestowork.org. Servicetoamericamedals.org. Impact Reports and Stories Our annual impact report offers an overview of the Partnership’s accomplishments within a given year, and includes testimonials, survey and metric data, videos, photographs and an executive letter. The impact report should demonstrate the Partnership’s positive impact on government operations, and appeal to Partnership donors and board members. Impact stories offer firsthand accounts of how our programs advance the careers and skill sets of public servants, drive government performance and enable agencies to better serve the public. They target a broader audience, including federal employees and potential participants in Partnership programming. Length: Annual report: 3,000-3,500 words. Impact stories: 600-800 words. Examples: 2022-23 Impact Report “Customer experience in action: Building a foundation for housing equity at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.” News Releases New releases inform the media when the Partnership holds important events, releases reports, hires new vice presidents, selects new board members or has other significant news to share. They should state the subject up top and include quotes, usually from Max or a member of the executive or management team. Typically, the press team writes the release and gets approval from colleagues such as Partnership subject matter experts, the person who is subject of the press release or a vice president versed in the subject of the release. Releases also are sent to an editor to check for grammar and style. Length: One to two pages. Examples: Partnership for Public Service announces 2023 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal winners and star-studded gala to celebrate outstanding civil servants Partnership for Public Service, Boston Consulting Group and The Washington Post unveil top performers in 2022 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings • Partnership for Public Service (ourpublicservice.org) Google’s Karan Bhatia joins Partnership for Public Service’s board of directors • Partnership for Public Service (ourpublicservice.org) Statements Press statements publicize our views in response to activities such as legislation introduced or passed, national events concerning good government, nominations of people for federal roles when we have relationships with those nominees, elected leaders’ remarks; and other issues that affect government, such as shutdowns, the use artificial intelligence and more. Examples: Partnership for Public Service statement on threats against public servants. Statement: The looming government shutdown is an abdication of congressional responsibility. Partnership for Public Service statement on Passage of Bipartisan Recommendations for Congressional Modernization. Letters to the Editor Letters to the editor are short opinion or advocacy pieces in response to articles, op-eds or editorials published in the media. They are an opportunity to advocate for our positions and to get on the record as opposing someone’s viewpoint when we disagree with an editorial or other piece—publicizing the Partnership and its work. Example: Opinion | Federal employees are not downtown’s saviors – The Washington Post
