Departure Dialogues Project

Stewarding Federal knowledge for effective government

About the Project

You've seen how it really works. Now Congress wants to hear from you.

After years of dedicated Federal service, you've witnessed firsthand how well-intentioned policies can create unintended barriers to effective program management. You've seen the gaps between what Congress writes and what actually works on the ground. And like many Federal employees, you may not have had the freedom to share these insights, or seen them prioritized in the Legislative Affairs bottleneck.

POPVOX Foundation, the Niskanen Center, and Federal AI invite departing Federal employees to share your insights to help inform future Congressional action to strengthen Federal programs. Whether it's a constructive suggestion, a frustrated observation, or a practical recommendation you've never been free to voice — this is your moment to be heard.

How it works:

We guide you through ten focused questions about program challenges, successes, and inefficiencies that could inform better Congressional oversight and policy, either as a video/audio recording or a written questionnaire. You choose how your insights are attributed, with options to remain anonymous if you prefer, and we review submissions to ensure appropriateness before archiving them in a public database for Congressional committees and researchers.

This isn't whistleblowing or partisan storytelling — it's a nonpartisan initiative focused solely on actionable information that can help Congress fix longstanding program gaps and frustrations that often span multiple administrations.

Who is this project for?

Departing Federal Civil Servants and Contractors

The Departure Dialogues project provides the validation and respect of having their experiences acknowledged and their expertise valued. Many dedicated public servants were dismissed without an opportunity to share their stories and lessons learned. This platform offers them a voice, elevating their substantive expertise without being sidetracked by the politics of the moment.

Congress

Departure Dialogues creates a unique source of on-the-ground intelligence about government operations and program implementation that cuts across agencies and functions, and is outside of the rigid reporting structures that limit unfiltered policy feedback loops. Unlike formal testimony or agency self-reporting, the information contributed by these individuals may offer a candid look and detailed insights into what works, what doesn't, and what might be improved — formatted for maximum usability in legislation and oversight. This initiative also demonstrates a new model of evidence-based, outcomes-driven policymaking that closes the gap between legislative intent and practical implementation. By systematically capturing implementation challenges, Congress can begin fixing ineffective policies immediately.

The American People

This project represents an opportunity to reset perspectives on the commitment of civil servants, showcasing how even in a time of unforeseen transition, they are willing to share their valuable knowledge to aid in making government work better.

Sign Up to Participate

Sign up to be invited to submit a self-guided video interview or written questionnaire.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No! We welcome insights, ideas, and comments from any and all departing federal civil service employees and contractors.

  • Entirely up to you: the TheirStory platform will walk you through our set of ten suggested questions to answer, but you can skip any question or share anything else on your mind. There is no minimum or maximum length for videos — and you’re welcome to submit multiple videos to share different elements of your federal career.

  • Yes! In fact, we encourage it: please feel free to share multiple videos focusing on different elements of your career, or submit a second (or third!) video if there’s something you forgot to mention in your original submission.

  • To help keep our project nonpartisan, we are choosing to focus on civil servants and contractors for the first round, but we may open a later round to all departing federal employees, including political appointees. Follow us on social media to stay in the loop if that happens.