"Protests opposing the cuts and supporting laid-off workers have started popping up, but the real hotbed of organizing has been happening online, in Signal chats, on Facebook and in the popular “FedNews” channel on Reddit, where federal workers are sharing advice, talking about their experiences and encouraging opposition.

“KEEP SHOUTING THE TRUTH, KEEP RINGING THE BELL: It’s working!” read a post last week. “I just got a mass email from my agency branch ‘reminding’ us not to talk to the media, listing several regulations that state we’re not to talk to the media. They wouldn’t have sent that if the media wasn’t getting FLOODED with federal workers reporting the truth, reporting what is REALLY going on. It’s affecting them.”

“I’ve heard so many people ask: WHY is Donald T. so hell-bent on destroying Federal workers?” read another recent post. “Because we are in his way. … Hold the line.”

The totality of the effort is quite broad. Workers are filing lawsuits, joining protests and sharing internal documents with media outlets. They’ve launched anonymous websites and social media accounts to promote their narratives. They’ve built resource guides and recorded private meetings. And they’ve resigned, sometimes in large numbers, to protest Musk and the U.S. DOGE Service."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/federal-workers-fight-back-trump-dismantles-work-radicalized-rcna192040

"Over the last few weeks, as Elon Musk and DOGE have infiltrated government agency after government agency, proclaiming their intent to slash budgets, cut jobs, and embrace AI, we’ve watched a brazen, extralegal effort to hollow out the state unfold in real time. Now up to 200,000 workers are being targeted in mass layoffs. Much of the collective horror has stemmed from the broader implications this campaign—orchestrated by an unelected tech billionaire who has enriched himself with government contracts—has for our democracy. It has after all been carried out with no congressional oversight and often in stark defiance of judicial orders. It’s been called a coup, or an autogolpe, a coup from inside, or American authoritarianism.

But it’s also happening to real people, who are experiencing it all in excruciating, real-time dread. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been talking with federal tech workers about what’s happening, how they’re processing it, and how they’re pushing back. I’ve spoken to workers representing the full spectrum: From 10-year veterans to first-year tech workers in their probationary periods—and thus more vulnerable to termination—and from different departments across the government.

I wanted to share some of their stories, with their permission, because they help illuminate what’s going on at the personal level—even while we’re justifiably preoccupied with the ramifications for democracy writ large and the assault on our institutions. (I am, for the obvious reasons, keeping them all anonymous here, but have individually confirmed each of the sources.)"

https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/the-federal-tech-workers-facing-down

"The Trump administration’s move to fire thousands of federal employees could have a swift and severe impact on public services, staffers warned Friday, making it harder for veterans to get mental health care and hampering electric service to some rural residents as a beleaguered workforce struggles to cover for lost colleagues.

The full impact of the terminations will not be fully known for weeks or months, and some job losses may be reversed or challenged by law. At least one agency, the Department of Energy, paused some cuts to assess their effect on nuclear defense programs, according to three people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Still, workers said basic functions at many agencies are slowing almost immediately and could break down as critical colleagues are shown the door.

On Friday, dozens of federal workers in interviews said they were scrambling to understand the scale of the firings, which targeted probationary employees — one- or two-year hires with fewer protections — and numbered at least 14,000, according to a Washington Post analysis. The workers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said the abrupt dismissal of their colleagues is sowing chaos both personal and professional, inspiring fear about the future of the systems serving the country."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/02/14/federal-employee-firings-effects-trump-doge/

In the field of ICT, the focus on #security is growing, as is the complexity behind it.

Carlo Volpe (GARR) shares insights from #confgarr24, where experts from Italian #academia and #PublicAdministration discussed the current cyber landscape, the use of #AI as a tool in #cybersecurity, and the role of #university and #research in supporting the prevention, detection, and response to cyberattacks: https://connect.geant.org/2024/10/08/cybersecurity-where-do-universities-and-research-stand

#PublicAdministration #eGovernment #DigitalGovernment #PoliticalEconomy #SiliconValley #BigTech #CloudComputing #AI #DataScience: "A new study from the Oxford Internet Institute (part of the University of Oxford) and the London School of Economics examines how governments have gradually adopted Silicon Valley’s way of working.

This shift offers valuable lessons as the new UK Labour government looks to embrace AI and data science in public services. However, the study also highlights ongoing challenges, such as outdated IT systems, reliance on conservative tech providers, and the dominance of big tech companies.

The study, titled “The Political Economy of Digital Government: How Silicon Valley Firms Drove the Adoption of Data-Science and Artificial Intelligence in Public Management,” was published in the journal Public Money and Management. It shows how governments in the US, UK, and Australia were slow to modernise public services due to their dependence on traditional large-scale computer firms, known as “systems integrators.” Public officials also hesitated to adopt Silicon Valley methods, which held back progress for decades. The study suggests that to better harness AI, the public sector must avoid repeating these past mistakes."

https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/news-events/governments-can-learn-from-silicon-valley-as-they-tackle-ai-and-data-science/

As I near the end of my final two taught modules of my MPA, I'm thinking about the topic for my #thesis/ #dissertation

Having worked and campaigned for decades in #science and #technology, I am studying #PublicAdministration to better grasp why #debate, #decisions and #policy seem so divorced from the #knowledges available

For now, I'm referring to this as the "knowledge-decision gap" - probably naively, I've not had much time to dig into the field

For example #ClimateChange, #AI, #Health policies seem divorced from the #expertise of #academics in these fields. And the real-world #experience of citizens is poorly accounted for in #politics.

There are #vestedInterests, #lobbying, #biases, #prejudice and plain #ignorance. Are there patterns in the #KnowledgeDecisionGap that we can learn from - commonalities across fields? Are there examples of great success or appalling failure in transferring #knowledge into #decision? What do we already know? Where are the gaps in our knowledge about gaps ?

The subject is still wide open for me and due to be honed in April. I'd be delighted if anyone can chuck thoughts, ideas, references, comments my way

The European Data Protection Supervisor (@EDPS@social.network.europa.eu) Wojciech Wiewiórowski (@EDPS_supervisor) right now giving a brief input on “Fediverse for Public Administration. Why we try and why we fail”.

Responding to a (too) short definition of the Fediverse as an antidote to big-tech social media platforms, he stated:

“I have nothing against big. I have nothing against American. I have nothing against platforms. I have something against being dependent.”

A recording of the talk will be published on his office's PeerTube instance (@edps@tube.network.europa.eu / @edps_tv).

#FnF23 starts off tonight with a hot issue: European Data Protection Supervisor (@EDPS) Wojciech Wiewiórowski (@EDPS_supervisor) will give a brief input on

“Fediverse for Public Administration. Why we try and why we fail” followed by a fishbowl discussion.

19h at Mundo Madou (Avenue des Arts 7-8, 1210 Brussels).

W00T!

We now have an #nptech group on Mastodon!

You can find it at @nptech

Please boost this message.

#nonprofit
#technology
#SocialGood
#CivicTech
#PositiveSocialChange
#Philanthropy
#CommunityTechnology
#PublicGood
#NTEN
#NonprofitTechnolgy
#OnlineActivism
#ElectronicAdvocacy
#DigitalInclusion
#MissionBased
#CivicMedia
#technobabes
#SocialEnterprise
#TechnologyAffinityGroup
#NotForProfit
#CommunityBased
#CivicData
#NetworkCentricAdvocacy
#MacroSocialWork
#PublicAdministration
#ngo

Attempting my first Mastodon thread by highlighting an article I wrote with Dr. Rachel Fyall (University of Washington) & Dr. Jodi Benenson (University of Nebraska Omaha) titled "Talking about antisemitism in MPA classrooms and beyond". Written initially for those who teach #PublicAffairs #PublicAdministration #PublicPolicy, it is for anyone interested in addressing #JewishLiteracy & #antisemitism in the classroom #AcademicChatter #AcademicMastodon 1/?

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15236803.2019.1646581

I really appreciated this thread by @eldang because it resonates with me as a settler academic navigating the complex relationship between #Indigenous research methodology, Western academia, and #PublicAdministration. https://weirder.earth/@eldang/109452733528514201

When I read about research performed with #Indigenous participants (not "on" them), the promise implied by the praxis fires me up. 1/

We are #hiring: Tenure-Track Assistant Professorship(s) in Public Administration and Policy

https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/?show=157824

Amazing students and research environment, excellent colleagues, wonderful #Copenhagen.

Join me, Asmus L. Olsen, Lene H. Pedersen, Peter Dahler-Larsen, Wiebke M. Junk, Emily St. Denny, and many others!

Application deadline: Dec 19

@publicadministration @politicalscience #publicadmin #publicadministration #publicpolicy

We are hiring!

- One Post-doc position (4 years): https://www.wu.ac.at/karriere/arbeiten-an-der-wu/jobangebote/?yid=1595

- One PhD position (4 years): https://www.wu.ac.at/karriere/arbeiten-an-der-wu/jobangebote/?yid=1590

These positions are part of a project at the Institute of Public Management & Governance, funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).
In this project we will research daily interactions between citizens and public-serving organizations. Find out more here: https://www.wu.ac.at/en/pubmgt/research/public-value-reputation-and-stereotypes/episodic-citizenship-reputation-and-stereotypes/

#Introduction / #Introductions
I am a Research Fellow at the #KULeuven #PublicGovernanceInstitute, also connected to the #DigitalSocietyInstitute. My field of study is the Digital Transformation of Belgian Public Agencies in a EU context. My current research is on #EnterpriseArchitecture fit for #PublicAdministration.
For more info, see:
https://soc.kuleuven.be/io/english/staff/00017090

When it comes to the whole "move fast and break things" mentality, the situation gets tricky when you try to move that into the #publicadministration and/or #communitydevelopment disciplines.

Things that should be broken: decision-making by fiat and not by consensus; Roberts' Rules of Order; gate-keeping; means testing

However, those in power don't want to break those things. But we should break them and find out a more equitable way of doing things!