Management
House proposes slashing $4B from the EPA
The GOP funding cuts, passed along party lines, would significantly impact state and local efforts to improve drinking water and reduce water pollution. Additional cuts would severely hamper environmental justice projects.
Management
ICE’s ‘outdated and overly permissive’ device policy left the agency vulnerable, watchdog warns
A spring audit of agency mobile devices found several banned and outdated applications installed on personnel and contractor smartphones.
Pay & Benefits
OPM begins prep for annual retirement surge
The federal government’s centralized HR office is urging federal agencies to be proactive in ensuring federal workers’ retirement applications are submitted without errors to streamline processing during the annual spike in claims.
Oversight
Judge tosses IG’s lawsuit alleging harassment by oversight body investigating him
A watchdog of watchdogs is acting appropriately by investigating the inspector general, court rules.
Management
Return-to-office policies may bring potential federal workforce challenges
Deltek posited in its contracting outlook for fiscal 2024 a potential talent crunch tied to the Biden administration’s return-to-office policies.
Defense
The Pentagon may never get to the bottom of that famous UFO video
The DOD’s office is creating a way for former government employees to reach out with information about UFOs.
Defense
Senate confirms first woman to lead Navy, key joint staff vacancies
However, hundreds of confirmations are still blocked by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.
Management
Cyber Director nominee talks AI, collaboration at confirmation hearing
Harry Coker, the Biden administration's choice to lead the Office of the National Cyber Director, said he'll draw on his experience as a program manager to make sure agencies hit their milestones on implementing the government's cyber strategy.
Defense
To solve national security problems, the US may have to rethink higher education
Advanced STEM degrees take too much time and cost too much, said the former science and tech head at Homeland Security.
Oversight
From payment accuracy to program integrity
COMMENTARY | The staggering level of pandemic fraud coupled with mounting concerns about the size and trajectory of the nation’s debt load should elevate program integrity as a top management focus, writes one observer.
Management
House speaker pitches funding plan with rolling shutdown threats
Different agencies would face different shutdown deadlines under House GOP proposal.
Management
O’Malley vows to listen to frontline Social Security workers
President Biden’s pick to lead the embattled Social Security Administration said many of the agency’s challenges can be alleviated by a change in culture.
Workforce
Administration officials defend maligned whistleblower protection office, though lawmakers still want changes
A VA office meant to protect employees is fundamentally flawed, lawmakers and advocates say.
Pay & Benefits
Medicare Part D is coming to an FEHB plan near you
The prescription drug benefit is being automatically added to many of the FEHB program options for the 2024 plan year.
Management
With catastrophes on the rise, a new report outlines how agencies can integrate their response
A new study from the National Academy of Public Administration and the IBM Center for the Business of Government details strategies the federal government can take to absorb the shock of unprecedented national and international events and mitigate their institutional risks.
News
NASA’s robotic prospectors help scientists understand what asteroids are made of – setting the stage for miners to follow someday
Some companies hope to one day search for deposits that are literally out of this world — on asteroids.
Workforce
Five Lessons for the coming AI talent surge
COMMENTARY | Some of what agencies learned while filling infrastructure roles can serve as examples for how to hire the AI workforce.
Management
A tall task awaits O’Malley at Social Security
If confirmed, the former governor faces a likely uphill battle to lobby Congress for funding and to reverse a decades-long decline in staffing to alleviate workloads for a workforce in crisis.
Management
Here’s what drove a 22% spike in bid protests this year
A single contract garnered more than 350 protests.
Management