An Agency's Most Valued Commodity: Its Knowledge The nation's federal, state and local government agencies provide the foundations for services and products that ensure America's safety and well-being. Agencies develop and enforce measurable standards for everything from dependable bridges and postage stamps to reliable food and beneficial drugs. However, the most valued commodity of an agency – its knowledge, communicated in its documents – is typically not produced to a measurable standard. As a result, government documents have for years had a justly earned reputation as exemplifying unclear, unfriendly, not-useful and sometimes unsafe writing. The GS-USDA's Writing Center is a response to:
By working directly with your agency's representatives, the GS-USDA will help you maximize productivity and minimize risk in your written communications, to make sure you get the most out of your time and dollars. Research and experience have shown that writing skills training is highly perishable in the absence of policies, style manuals, job aids and ongoing support from experts who can answer questions on grammar and style, help break writer's block, or even edit or write troublesome documents. Hence, the GS-USDA uses a Document Development Process Improvement system to build an environment where high standards will be understood and maintained across the workforce. The GS-USDA Writing Center's Document Development Process Improvement (DDPI) system includes these components, among others.
The GS-USDA Writing Center helps agencies to apply quality assurance and risk management where they are needed the most: written communications. Through its Writing Center, the Graduate School has the expertise and resources to provide comprehensive consulting and training solutions to government agencies and other organizations. With a nationwide presence, over 50 courses in writing skills, a prestigious faculty, varied delivery capabilities (including online), experienced course development staff and resources, and content provider partners including the nation's top publishing firms, the GS-USDA has the capacity for training in writing and other communications skills for the government, corporate and nonprofit sectors. For more information on how the Writing Center can assist you, please call Dr. Alvin Officer at (202) 314-3432. |