COOP Practices at IRS Improving, Audit Says
The IRS has made progress in addressing recommendations of a 2013 audit finding shortcomings in its continuity of operations planning, …More
Federal Manager’s Daily Report
Sign up Now! Free eNewslettersCommittee Renews Openness Push
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has signaled a desire to continue a push for more openness by federal …More
House Approves DHS Acquisition-Related Measures
The House has passed a package of bills targeting the DHS acquisition process including: HR-1282, to require the department to …More
State Struggling to Fill Need for Foreign Language Skills , GAO Says
Proficiency in languages other than English is a key skill for many State Department positions but a shortage of employees …More
VA Generally Supports Official Time Restrictions
The VA has given general support to HR-1461, a recently introduced bill taking a different approach to the issue of …More
Growth in DoD Civilians, Contractors Criticized
In arguing for reforms of civilian personnel policies at DoD, a former official there has noted that employment has increased …More
Burden on Managers in Performance Improvement Decried
The number of DoD civilian employees “who simply aren’t up to the job or refuse to carry their share of …More
Report Sounds Caution on SES Disciplinary Changes
Concerns that changes in disciplinary rules for SES members would be unconstitutional are “arguable” but the stated motivation behind such …More
Army Updates EEO Policies
The Army has updated its guidance on EEO and related policies to “reflect new federal directives, specific procedures for requesting …More
Another Warning Sounded on Cost of Census
The IG at the Commerce Department has issued the latest in a series of warnings that the costs of the …More
IG Leader Warns of Impact of Budget Cuts
Budgetary restrictions could weaken the ability of agency IGs to investigate whistleblower retaliation complaints and to audit agency programs, the …More
DoD Civilian Personnel Policies Called Locked in the Past
Civilian DoD employees make a crucial contribution toward the military’s mission but their personnel system is premised on circumstances that …More
Hiring Process at DoD Called Flawed
A Bipartisan Policy Center report has repeated commonly voiced criticisms of the length of the federal hiring process, which it …More
VA Adds to Hiring Freeze Exemptions
The VA has added more than two dozen occupations to its initial list of some 100 that are exempt from …More
Tighter Control over Professional Services Contracts at GSA Sought
GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service “is not consistently evaluating and negotiating contracts and options” awarded under the professional services schedule as …More
EEOC Pilot Testing Online Inquiry and Appointment System
The EEOC has launched a test at five of its offices of an online inquiry and appointment system, designed to …More
Budget Not Finalized Yet, EPA Reminds Employees
The EPA has reminded its employees that the agency’s budget for fiscal 2018–the Trump administration is proposing a 31 percent …More
FMA Names Manager of the Year
The Federal Managers Association has presented its Manager of the Year award to Alan Kent, president of its chapter at …More
Special Counsel’s Status Uncertain
The Trump administration has withdrawn the renomination of Carolyn Lerner to head the Office of Special Counsel, while whistleblower advocates …More
Compliance with Telework Policies Varies, Says GAO
In a study of four agencies GAO found differences in their approaches to approving telework and reporting on it, although …More
GAO Gives Examples of Resistance to Telework
Managerial resistance remains one of the major barriers to telework and “can undermine reviewed agencies’ ability to meet telework participation …More
Interior Department Bureau Gets Good Review
The creation in 2011 of a separate Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement in the Interior Department “significantly strengthened the …More
GAO Gives Examples of Resistance to Telework
Managerial resistance remains one of the major barriers to telework and “can undermine reviewed agencies’ ability to meet telework participation …More
Interior Department Bureau Gets Good Review
The creation in 2011 of a separate Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement in the Interior Department “significantly strengthened the …More
Agencies again Told to Limit Comments on Budget
OMB has sent another notice to agencies telling them to be restrictive in their public communications, this one focused on …More
OMB Seeks Agency Belt-Tightening This Year
Along with its preliminary budgetary proposal for fiscal year 2018 that starts October 1–seeking to shift $54 billion from domestic …More
VA Making Limited Progress on High-Risk Designation, Says GAO
The VA has made some progress toward getting its health care functions removed from GAO’s high-risk list, but much remains …More
Report Suggests Ways to Improve Performance Management
Annual performance reviews “have developed a bad reputation as bureaucratic exercises, with some organizations eliminating formal year-end performance ratings altogether” …More
House Aims to Improve VA Hiring
The House has passed HR-1367, aimed at enhancing hiring at the VA, which has had difficulties filling vacancies in health …More
Hiring Freeze’s Impact at VA to Get Capitol Hill Scrutiny
The House Veterans Affairs Committee plans hearings this week that will include the first formal scrutiny by Congress of the …More
