Agency Oversight
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Agency leaders are reviewing tens of thousands of comments from their employees and the public on ways to make government more effective and efficient. In speaking with their workforces about their ideas, most leaders say the focus has generally been on how the agency can better deliver the mission and services to the public, not on forthcoming personnel cuts.
June 15, 2017 -
Mallory Barg Bulman and Ron Sanders joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss the results of a joint study between the Partnership of Public Service and Booz Allen looking at what should happen when deputies are appointed to federal agencies.
June 15, 2017 -
Satellites have come a long way, but still have the potential to fail after reaching orbit. The Government Accountability Office decided to take a look at who or what is responsible for the mishaps. Christina Chaplain, director of acquisition and sourcing management issues at GAO, joined Federal Drive to discuss the results.
June 15, 2017 -
Industry and government both agree, without qualified people, America remains at risk in the cybersecurity wars. Rodney Peterson, director of the National Initiative on Cyber Security Education, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss his team's efforts
June 15, 2017 -
Zero tracking, limited oversight, and a loss of institutional knowledge all contributed to the Small Business Administration's failed VERA/VSIP program three years ago.
June 14, 2017 -
The House will pass the VA Accountability First and Whistleblower Protection Act, clearing the way for the President to sign the bill later this week. Some lawmakers and veterans service organizations see the bill's passage as a major win after years of debate over new accountability legislation. But federal employee groups say the bill would do more harm than good.
June 13, 2017 -
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) blasted a recent opinion from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, which urges executive branches to respond only to inquires from congressional committee chairman. Some Cabinet-level secretaries have said they would not abide by the OLC policy.
June 09, 2017 -
An Office of Special Counsel investigation recently found that Dan Scavino, Jr., the White House director of social media, violated the Hatch Act when he tweeted about Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) ahead of the primary election.
June 09, 2017 -
Staffing shortages, attrition and low morale cause perpetually ongoing problems at every level of the Secret Service, said the Homeland Security Department's inspector general. The president's 2018 budget request calls for more funding and employees, but neither the IG nor members of Congress say it's enough to turn around the beleaguered agency.
June 08, 2017 -
Tammy Duchesne says sexual harassment is not just a problem at the National Park Service, but that doesn't mean the agency isn't addressing the issue with 100 percent effort.
June 08, 2017 -
President Donald Trump unveiled details about his plan to privatize air traffic control. Instead of the FAA handling all aspects of general aviation, a non-profit entity would handle shift service and "route efficiency," and leave safety to the federal government.
June 05, 2017 -
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin delivered his diagnosis of the department in a "State of the VA" briefing before reporters Wednesday morning. He outlined 13 areas where the department needs to improve and the legislative and administrative fixes it needs in order to see progress.
May 31, 2017 -
In today's Federal Newscast, data discovered by the Associated Press reveals the Veterans Affairs Department Office of Inspector General is looking into over 100 cases of employees accused of stealing drugs from VA Health facilities.
May 31, 2017 -
The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General in its FY 2017 management challenges report, said the agency needs to get a better handle on its workforce and workload, otherwise it's "unclear" whether the loss of personnel is really all that bad for the agency. Cybersecurity, and oversight of states, territories and tribal areas, are also issues facing the department.
May 30, 2017 -
The Merit Systems Protection Board is moving forward with a whistleblower case from James Wilson, the chief human capital officer for the Office of Special Counsel, who filed a whistleblower retaliation complaint against OSC. The agency plays a key role in investigating cases of whistleblower reprisal and protecting federal employees from prohibited personnel actions.
May 30, 2017