FOIA Denials Lead to Unknown Court Costs, GAO Says
Denials by agencies of Freedom of Information Act led to nearly 1,700 lawsuits over the five years ending in 2014, …More
Federal Manager’s Daily Report
Sign up Now! Free eNewslettersGSA Outlines Purchasing Change
GSA has proposed a policy change that it says will make it easier for agencies to buy, and industry partners …More
Report on Data Breach Highlights Workforce Issues
A House report on the breaches of federal employee personnel records and background investigation records includes recommendations to improve the …More
Keep Emergency Leave Policies Current, OPM Tells Agencies
Federal agencies should review their policies on emergency leave transfer programs to make sure they are up to date regardless …More
MSPB Addresses ‘Constructive Knowledge’ Test for Reprisal
An agency official can commit retaliation against a whistleblower by merely having “constructive knowledge” of the disclosures, MSPB has said …More
Many Hiring Authorities Used, but Rarely Assessed, GAO Finds
Federal agencies used more than 100 separate hiring authorities in 2014 but neither they nor OPM have a good handle …More
Multitude of Hiring Initiatives Also Noted
The GAO report also noted that OPM is operating “numerous hiring reform initiatives and tools” including: The 2008 End-to-End Hiring …More
GAO Cites Agency Strategies to Improve Hiring
GAO collected information on strategies that agencies said have been helpful in their recruiting and hiring. These included: Formal meetings …More
Next Phase of New DoD Appraisal Program Set to Launch
Effective in October DoD will launch the second phase of its Defense Performance Management and Appraisal Program, which is to …More
Audit Questions Hours Claimed by PTO Examiners
An IG report has questioned working hours claimed by Patent and Trademark Office examiners, in particular those claimed as overtime, …More
OMB Touts Results of Regulatory Review
Federal agencies have completed more than 800 reviews of existing regulations under a White House initiative, resulting in an estimated …More
Partnerships Could Aid Agencies in Managing Property, GAO Says
Public-private partnerships can help federal agencies manage and dispose of unneeded real property, but “may not mitigate previously identified challenges …More
Outdated IT Adding to Agency Costs, Report Says
Federal agencies suffer in many ways from their “overwhelming dependence” on outdated IT, a report says, adding that “aging systems …More
Better Coordination between OPM, SSA Recommended
Regular reporting by OPM to SSA of deaths of federal retirees would help SSA prevent improper payments to deceased beneficiaries, …More
Union Touts Agreement on Anti-Bullying Language
A new contract between the Forest Service and the NFFE union contains a protection aimed at workplace bullying that is …More
GSA Service Cited for Category Management
OMB has designated GSA’s building maintenance and operations contract as the first “best-in-class” category management contracting vehicle, GSA has announced. …More
IRS Process for Tracking Laptops Found Flawed
The process the IRS follows to track whether separating employees return agency-issued laptop computers is vulnerable to errors, an IG …More
OPM Pressed Again on Background Investigations Overhaul
Two senators active in oversight of background investigations for federal employees and others have again pressed OPM for detailed information …More
Court Backs Agency on Refusal to Hire Veteran
Federal job applicants claiming that agencies refused to hire them because of their veteran status must show that military service …More
Report Cites Impact on Productivity, Other Effects of Subpar Facilities
Deteriorating physical conditions at postal facilities can have a range of negative impacts on USPS, an IG report has said, …More
Panel Presses IRS on Security Clearance Issues
The bipartisan leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have asked the IRS for an update on the …More
OPM to Host Privacy Talent Summit
OPM will host a Privacy Talent Summit at its headquarters September 14 for HR officials and managers who have recruiting …More
Shortcomings Found in EPA Travel Card Program
The EPA does not review the rebates it receives for its employees’ use of agency-issued travel cards and therefore doesn’t …More
New Standards Should Help in Filling Cyber Jobs, OPM Says
One of the key changes in the administration’s recently announced Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Strategy which will aid agencies in filling …More
Assistance to Agencies Touted
OPM further said the cyber workforce initiative will result in more inter-agency cooperation on cyber needs, along with help from …More
Some FOIA Policies at DoD Outdated, Audit Says
An audit did not discover instances of political interference with DoD decisions under the Freedom of Information Act although it …More
Report Suggests Path to ‘Culture of Innovation’
A report from the Partnership for Public Service contains suggestions to encourage and sustain innovation in government, based on recommendations …More
VA Auditors Begin Releasing Additional Work
The IG’s office at the VA has begun publicly releasing on its website the results of investigations closed without further …More
Mixed Decision Issued in Whistleblower Case
The MSPB has authority to review whether the withholding of FECA injury compensation benefits from a federal employee was an …More
OPM Urges More Accurate Reports on Telework
Collecting and reporting data on telework “remains an area of challenge for agencies,” OPM has said in a memo that …More
