According to a March 2017 GAO report OBO recently established an initiative—termed the Ideal Operational State—to explore long-term ways to centralize and standardize data collection across OBO’s operations.

According to OBO officials, this Excellence-related initiative is intended to provide a long-term data solution that will allow for better program management across OBO’s business activities as well as better tracking of project metrics such as cost and schedule performance. The study group tasked with assessing OBO’s current information technology systems and potential market alternatives held a kickoff in May 2016 and, after a series of working sessions and vendor evaluations, recommended a series of actions to OBO’s senior management, including an upgrade and modification of existing OBO management software. OBO management approved action on these recommendations in October 2016.

For those interested, the job announcement is posted below:

Responsible for Overseas Building Operations (OBO) Ideal Operational State (IOS) public relations initiatives. Creates, manages, and implements PR campaigns with the goal of enriching the IOS Program’s position in the eyes of external and internal stakeholders. Maintains strong relationships with the client and key stakeholders. Will effectively disseminate and communicate the program mission, policies and goals to the entire organization. Will inform the organization of all initiatives, processes, and outcomes relating to the program, in such a way as to create interest, acceptance, and engagement.

Responsibilities

• Plan and direct public relations initiative, designed to create and maintain a favorable public image for the client and the IOS program
• Create IOS program literature, talking points, sound bites, and other content and user success stories for trifolds, videos, presentations, roadshows, and other marketing materials
• Support the Organization and Transformation Advisor in developing a strategic PR/Communications schedule to be rolled up into a larger Integrated Master Schedule Coordinate scheduling and logistics w/ internal and external clients, as needed
• Coordinate conference, trade shows, and press interviews
• Develop content for the IOS Program’s website to attract more traffic and increase stakeholder engagement and interest; Recommend, implement and maintain site design and operation
• Work with the IOS team for timely and useable content submissions
• Copyedit, proofread, and revise communications
• Design and launch email marketing campaigns
• Plan pre-training communications rollout in anticipation of the execution of the training program
• Promote IOS program successes and services through public relations initiatives
• Create thought leadership materials to include leveraging creative tools (i.e. Foreign Service Institute) for delivery of communications
• Identify, develop and execute communications strategy for key stakeholders (internal and external) contacts and customer references
• Research lessons learned (UK Ministry of Defense, Smithsonian and DHS etc.) and industry trends to supplement narrative
• Develop fresh story ideas
• Conduct extensive stakeholder outreach
• Prepare briefing materials
• Manage and track communication dissemination
• Prepare agendas, as needed
• Help to clarify the organization’s point of view to their main constituency
• Advise and keep PM/DPM informed of not only current state but also future strategies
• Create high quality, well executed clear and engaging written materials
• Develop promotional strategies to further engage the organization in the program’s mission
• Organize communication events/opportunities to further educate/inform the organization of the program’s initiatives, processes, and outcomes
• Develop and build key relationship with internal and external stakeholders
• Coordinates with the program team to design and distribute bulletins, newsletters, website content, flyers, and media releases
• Help gather information, write, edit and disseminate content for internal and external customers
• Support comprehensive, proactive social media initiatives
• Evaluate social media opportunities for reach, effectiveness, and required resource investment

Qualifications

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, English or related field
• Required Knowledge/Experience:
  • 5+ years of directly related experience
  • Full Microsoft Office Suite expertise, particularly in PowerPoint and Word functionality
  • Experience working in or directly with web-based media
  • Ability to write clearly and adapt writing to suit various audiences
  • Strong interpersonal and oral communications skills, experience with a variety of audiences
  • Collaborate with cross functional teams
  • Coordinate with and manage stake holders
  • Develop schedules and maintain deadlines
  • Strong technical and design skills to build visual layouts desired in conjunction with PM/DPM and Organizational Transformation Advisor, facilitate stakeholder workshops, roadshows, training sessions etc. as needed
  • Strong strategic planning capabilities with equally strong tactical execution skills
• Preferred Knowledge/Experience:
  • Experience working with Department of State Customer

#