Partnership for Public Service
Encyclopedia
The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Washington, D.C.
whose mission is to inspire a new generation of civil servants and transform the way government works.
Two of the Partnership’s most visible programs are the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals
, which honor outstanding federal employees for exceptional civil service, and the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government Rankings, an annual survey that ranks federal agencies based on employee satisfaction . The Partnership is led by President and CEO Max Stier.
Heyman began his career at the Justice Department under Robert F. Kennedy after graduating from Harvard Law in 1963 . Many years after his move into the private sector, Heyman created the Partnership in an effort to reestablish public service as a desirable career and to attract talent into the federal workforce.
In 2005, the Partnership merged with the Private Sector Council — an organization founded by David Packard in 1983, which engages the expertise of the private sector to improve the business of government by connecting experts from America’s top corporations with federal leaders.
In February 2009, the Partnership absorbed the majority of the Council for Excellence in Government
, another D.C. based good-government group who had ceased operations after 25 years due to the poor economy. The Partnership took over the Excellence in Government Fellows, Strategic Advisors to Government Executives and Public Service Recognition Week programs from the Council .
Call to Serve activities include:
FedRecruit is a pilot project focusing on the recruitment, hiring and onboarding
of entry-level talent in mission-critical occupations, such as contracting, information technology and nursing.
(Sammies) awards program honors outstanding federal employees who have made significant contributions to address the country's most important challenges. Service to America Medals have gone to public servants with achievements in fighting nuclear terrorism, cancer research, weapons technology, nuclear waste cleanup, foreign affairs, public housing, and helping wounded soldiers use technology to re-enter the workforce through the world’s largest electronics accommodations program.
as well as events and activities across the country.
Current CGL activities include:
’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey of more than 200,000 executive branch employees.
to produce several features within the Post's print and online editions. Fed Faces and Federal Players are "profiles of little-known federal workers who have left a big impact" and appear weekly. The Partnership and The Washington Post also launched a new section within its On Leadership page called The Federal Coach, which is a three-times-a-week federal leadership column and blog hosted by Tom Fox, director of the Partnership's Center for Government Leadership.
In addition, the Partnership receives support from many private-sector companies who sponsor programs, projects and events. National sponsors for the 2009 Sammies included GEICO, DuPont and the Graduate School. The Partnership also works with corporate partners on its many research projects. In 2009, the Partnership and Booz Allen Hamilton collaborated to produce reports analyzing the challenges facing the federal cybersecurity workforce and examining the state of the Senior Executive Service
. Monster Government Solutions and Aon Consulting provided support for the Partnership's Where the Jobs Are 2009 report.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
whose mission is to inspire a new generation of civil servants and transform the way government works.
Two of the Partnership’s most visible programs are the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals
Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals
The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, also known as “the Sammies,” honor stars of the Federal government workforce, highlighting the work of employees making significant contributions to the governance of the United States. The awards are considered "the Oscars” of American government...
, which honor outstanding federal employees for exceptional civil service, and the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government Rankings, an annual survey that ranks federal agencies based on employee satisfaction . The Partnership is led by President and CEO Max Stier.
History
The Partnership was founded by New York businessman Samuel J. Heyman in 2001 on the premise that: “Building, energizing and maintaining a high-quality workforce is the key to success for any organization — and the federal government is no different” . Heyman founded the group in 2001 with a gift of $25-million. In 2006, he committed an additional $20-million over the next five years.Heyman began his career at the Justice Department under Robert F. Kennedy after graduating from Harvard Law in 1963 . Many years after his move into the private sector, Heyman created the Partnership in an effort to reestablish public service as a desirable career and to attract talent into the federal workforce.
In 2005, the Partnership merged with the Private Sector Council — an organization founded by David Packard in 1983, which engages the expertise of the private sector to improve the business of government by connecting experts from America’s top corporations with federal leaders.
In February 2009, the Partnership absorbed the majority of the Council for Excellence in Government
Council for Excellence in Government
The Council for Excellence in Government was a public/private partnership organization initiated in the 1980s designed to improve the effectiveness of federal, state, and local government in the United States. The organization ceased to operate in 2009 and the majority of its staff and programs...
, another D.C. based good-government group who had ceased operations after 25 years due to the poor economy. The Partnership took over the Excellence in Government Fellows, Strategic Advisors to Government Executives and Public Service Recognition Week programs from the Council .
Call to Serve
Call to Serve is a joint initiative of the Partnership for Public Service and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). It is a national network of more than 700 colleges and universities and 75 federal agencies committed to educating young people about federal job and internship opportunities. Call to Serve works to eliminate barriers to federal service through various training programs, speaker presentations, federal internships and fellowship programs and other resources.Call to Serve activities include:
- Call to Serve Innovation Grants
- Annenberg Speakers Bureau
- Making the Difference Campaign
- Federal Career Advisor Trainings
- Federal Service Student Ambassadors
FedExperience and FedRecruit
FedExperience works with baby boomers who are approaching retirement or who are already retired and helps them to enter the federal civil service for an "encore" career. The program also works with federal agencies to help them recruit, hire and retain experienced talent.FedRecruit is a pilot project focusing on the recruitment, hiring and onboarding
Onboarding
Onboarding, also known as organizational socialization, refers to the mechanism through which new employees acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors to become effective organizational members and insiders...
of entry-level talent in mission-critical occupations, such as contracting, information technology and nursing.
The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals
The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America MedalsSamuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals
The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, also known as “the Sammies,” honor stars of the Federal government workforce, highlighting the work of employees making significant contributions to the governance of the United States. The awards are considered "the Oscars” of American government...
(Sammies) awards program honors outstanding federal employees who have made significant contributions to address the country's most important challenges. Service to America Medals have gone to public servants with achievements in fighting nuclear terrorism, cancer research, weapons technology, nuclear waste cleanup, foreign affairs, public housing, and helping wounded soldiers use technology to re-enter the workforce through the world’s largest electronics accommodations program.
Public Service Recognition Week
Celebrated since 1985, Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) is designated by the President and Congress the first full week of May to honor the men and women who serve the nation as federal, state, county and local government employees and to educate citizens about the ways in which government serves the people. PSRW includes a four-day exhibition on the National MallNational Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
as well as events and activities across the country.
Center for Government Leadership
The Center for Government Leadership (CGL) offers training programs for federal employees to "prepare federal leaders to solve national challenges by driving innovation, inspiring employees and delivering results."Current CGL activities include:
- Excellence in Government Fellows program
- Annenberg Leadership Seminars
Best Places to Work
The Partnership’s Best Places to Work report is a ranking of federal government organizations , drawing on the U.S. Office of Personnel ManagementOffice of Personnel Management
The United States Office of Personnel Management is an independent agency of the United States government that manages the civil service of the federal government. The current Director is John Berry.-History:...
’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey of more than 200,000 executive branch employees.
Strategic Advisors to Government Executives
Strategic Advisors to Government Executives (SAGE) connects senior-level executives in government with their predecessors and private-sector counterparts to improve performance of government leadership. SAGE activities currently involve Chief Acquisition Officers, Chief Financial Officers Chief Information Officers.Advocacy Efforts
The Partnership's government affairs efforts encourage congressional oversight and legislative reform to improve federal workforce management. The Partnership testifies frequently on Capitol Hill and has supported legislation to improve the civil service, including the Chief Human Capital Officers Act that established senior human capital leaders in major federal agencies, the scholarship-for-service Roosevelt Scholars Act, and the Federal Hiring Process Improvement Act.Partnership and The Washington Post
The Partnership collaborates with The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
to produce several features within the Post's print and online editions. Fed Faces and Federal Players are "profiles of little-known federal workers who have left a big impact" and appear weekly. The Partnership and The Washington Post also launched a new section within its On Leadership page called The Federal Coach, which is a three-times-a-week federal leadership column and blog hosted by Tom Fox, director of the Partnership's Center for Government Leadership.
External Stakeholders
Many of the Partnership's programs are made possible through foundation support. Notable examples include the Annenberg Foundation, which has funded the Annenberg Leadership Seminars, Annenberg Speakers Bureau and other projects. The Partnership works with other philanthropic foundations that focus on public service issues such as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Peterson Foundation, and Atlantic Philanthropies, among others.In addition, the Partnership receives support from many private-sector companies who sponsor programs, projects and events. National sponsors for the 2009 Sammies included GEICO, DuPont and the Graduate School. The Partnership also works with corporate partners on its many research projects. In 2009, the Partnership and Booz Allen Hamilton collaborated to produce reports analyzing the challenges facing the federal cybersecurity workforce and examining the state of the Senior Executive Service
Senior Executive Service
The Senior Executive Service is a paygrade in the civil service of the United States federal government, somewhat analogous to the ranks of general or admiral in the U.S. armed forces...
. Monster Government Solutions and Aon Consulting provided support for the Partnership's Where the Jobs Are 2009 report.