Helpful Links For County Officials and PIOs
Charles Caleb Colton, an English cleric and philosopher, once wrote that "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." NACIO is attempting to honor his belief by compiling best practices in many areas that PIOs are involved with. On this page is a collection of links in such areas as social media policies, citizen's academies and others. If you have a practice or program you would like to share or if you have a subject area for which you would like to see some samples of best practices, please contact any NACIO officer or any member of our Board of Directors.
Citizen's Academy programs
A Citizen's Academy is an excellent way to teach citizens about the roles and responsibilities of local governments. The School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has compiled an excellent catalog of Citizen's Academy programs and helpful hints. Below are some links to specific examples contributed by NACIO members.
Media Relations policies
Many counties have established policies and guidelines for employees when they are approached by a reporter for a news story. Below are some examples submitted by NACIO members.
Social Media policies
As more counties are establishing social media presences on Facebook and Twitter, it is imperative that guidelines be established for what kinds of posts are acceptable, who can post, will public comments be allowed, etc. Below are some copies of social media policies that have been adopted by other counties and contributed by NACIO members.
Use of County Logo policies
County Educational Initiatives
National County Government Month – Each April, counties across the country conduct events that celebrate and explore what counties do for their citizens. Working with NACIO, the National Association of Counties recognizes the best celebrations each each year.
County Government Works is an initiative to make the American public, who are beneficiaries of government services, and officials at other levels of government, who are partners in delivering those services, more knowledgeable and positive about the contributions of county government. This initiative has put in place the tools for county officials and PIOs to use explain county government, including the Counties Work Online Game. NACo, together with iCivics, created "Counties Work" to educate students, grades 6 through 12, about the important role and functions of county government by letting them run their own county. A curriculum and web quest has also been developed to assist teachers with preparing lessons on county government.
State Associations of Public Information Officers