Agency Oversight

• FDA commissioner announces resignation

  Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will resign at the end of March after nearly six years on the job, according to an FDA-wide email sent Thursday morning.

  Management

  February 05, 2015
• IGs face obstacles, delays in accessing agency records

  A trio of inspectors general told the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform today about obstacles they routinely encounter in obtaining records as part of their investigations into potential wrongdoing.

  Congress

  February 03, 2015
• Randolph Alles, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Air and Marine

  Eight years after unmanned aircraft became a part of border security, the effectiveness of the program remains a question mark. A new Homeland Security inspector general audit says Customs and Border Protection never developed performance measures. Investigators found aircraft don't meet flight goals, and CBP has way undercalculated flight costs. The agency, however, disputes those findings. For the management side of the story, Randolph "Tex" Alles, assistant commissioner of the Office of Air and Marine at CBP, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive. His first bone to pick concerned how long the drones are supposed to be in the air.

  Federal Drive

  February 02, 2015
• Air Force suspends, begins debarment process of FedBid

  The Air Force's decision comes after the Veterans Affairs IG found alleged procurement fraud, intimidation and threats against a federal official. FedBid says it's cooperating with the Air Force and believes it took the necessary steps to fix the problems.

  Defense

  January 28, 2015
• Fighting for whistleblower rights, OSC gains higher profile

  Blowing the whistle on wrongdoing at the Department of Veterans Affairs can mean risking everything from losing a job to losing the respect of co-workers. But in fighting whistleblower retaliation today, the Office of Special Counsel hopes future whistleblowers will come forward without fear of punishment.

  Defense

  January 28, 2015
• USAID suspends awards to Virginia-based contractor

  The main U.S. foreign assistance agency on Monday suspended awards to a non-governmental organization that has received more than $1 billion for its work in Afghanistan and Iraq the past nine years.

  Management

  January 26, 2015
• Contracting whistleblowers may get new channel to report wrongdoings

  The Office of Special Counsel has proposed a rule change that would allow federal contractors and grantees a new channel to report wrongdoings at federal agencies.

  Management

  January 23, 2015
• John Roth, Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security

  Eight years after unmanned aircraft became a part of border security, the effectiveness of the program remains a question mark. A new Homeland Security inspector general audit reveals, Customs and Border Protection never developed performance measures. Investigators found aircraft don't meet flight goals. And, CBP has way undercalculated flight costs. John Roth is the Inspector General at Homeland Security. He joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin with more on the report and the future of the drone program.

  Federal Drive

  January 22, 2015
• Supreme Court decision helps clarify whistleblower protections

  The Supreme Court upheld an appeals court's decision that Robert MacLean is eligible for whistleblower protection. The TSA fired the former air marshal for leaking information to the media.

  Management

  January 21, 2015
• Don’t ask GSA how many full-time teleworkers it has – it doesn’t know

  An inspector general audit slams the General Services Administration's telework program. It says the agency poorly tracked employees who work outside the office and the costs they incurred.

  Management

  January 21, 2015
• Supreme Court rules in favor of fired whistleblower

  The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a former air marshal who was fired after leaking plans to the media about security cutbacks can seek whistleblower protection.

  Management

  January 21, 2015
• OSC helps VA whistleblowers retain jobs, regain reputations

  Veterans Affairs whistleblowers reclaimed their jobs and reputations after supervisors tried to downplay claims of falsified performance reports, a delayed response to rape allegations against a VA employee and low staffing levels at VA medical centers.

  Defense

  January 20, 2015
• Jon Rymer, Inspector General, Department of Defense

  A lead Inspector General will now keep tabs on the fight against the Islamic State group. That means oversight of programs from the Defense Department, State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The new IG is Jon Rymer. He's the current DoD Inspector General. He joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to explain why a separate IG was needed to oversee Operation Inherent Resolve.

  Federal Drive

  January 20, 2015
• John Pickett, Senior Economist, Office of Inspector General, USPS

  A better work-life balance at the Postal Service will help the agency, its employees and its customers. That's according to the agency's Inspector General, who has a plan to introduce more workplace flexibility for Postal Service employees. The IG says the plan should make everyone that interacts with the agency happier and more productive. John Pickett is senior economist for the Postal Service's Office of Inspector General. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he shared details on how to implement a new work-life balance plan.

  All News

  January 12, 2015