Management
Updated: Retired Rear Adm. Earl L. Gay, President Barack Obama's nominee for deputy OPM director, has withdrawn his name for the position, according to OPM. Since 2013, Gay served as the senior adviser to former director Katherine Archuleta.
July 31, 2015-
The Homeland Security Department is committing $250 million in spending to the professional services governmentwide acquisition contract known as OASIS. DHS signed a memorandum of understanding with GSA detailing its commitment. Todd Richards is the OASIS contract program manager at the General Services Administration. Federal News Radio Executive Editor Jason Miller talked to Richards at the National Contract Management Association’s World Congress in Dallas and has more details about the MOU with DHS.
July 30, 2015 The Office of Management and Budget is working on new cybersecurity guidelines for contractors in the wake of two major breaches. Contractors already have five major expectations for their own cyber programs from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Larry Allen is president of Allen Federal Business Partners and writes the Week Ahead newsletter. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose that your company can't get into the cybersecurity game without perfecting and securing its own network first.
July 30, 2015-
Protests aren't the big holdup to defense acquisitions that industry thinks they are. New data from the Congressional Research Service shows protests aren't bad news for acquisitions. It's quite the opposite. Protests tend to push agencies to take action and resolve it themselves. Steve Schooner is co-director of the Government Procurement Law Program at George Washington University. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose about the tough odds that protestors face.
July 30, 2015 -
The Department of Defense is seeing an increase in its projected IT spending for 2016 for the first time in 3 years. The increase is small at 1.6 percent but that's an extra half a billion dollars. Shawn McCarthy is the Research Director at IDC Government Insights. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose where that half a billion could be going.
July 30, 2015 -
The Senate passed a piece of legislation Wednesday that will help the Veterans Affairs Department avoid a budget shortfall that could impact the care some veterans receive.
July 30, 2015 -
The House passed the VA Accountability Act of 2015, which would give the Veterans Affairs Department the power to remove or demote a VA employee based on misconduct or performance.
July 30, 2015 -
Whistleblowers told a House committee that managers at the Environmental Protection Agency turned a blind eye to allegations of sexual harassment for more than a decade.
July 30, 2015 -
The Office of Personnel Management's data breach has people questioning the competence of OPM’s staff and leaders, and asking why OPM exists in the first place, says former DHS HR executive Jeff Neal. So what does something other than business-as-usual look like?
July 30, 2015 -
Your work computer may look very different soon as Microsoft releases Windows 10. Some agencies have transitioned to Windows 7, but some agencies are still on Windows XP, which Microsoft doesn't support any more. Roger Baker is former assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs for information and technology at the Veterans Affairs Department. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose about the pitfalls and benefits of managing a huge IT transition.
July 29, 2015 -
After nearly 20 years of development, the Marine Corps said its first squadron of F35B joint strike fighters is just about ready for combat. It's the first joint strike fighter model to reach initial operational capability and the Defense Department spends nearly $100 billion in the process so far. Jim Hasik is a senior fellow at the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose what the Pentagon could have spent its money on instead.
July 29, 2015 -
Employees at the headquarters at the Department of Veterans Affairs have the ear of Congress. The Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee — Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) — tells In Depth with Francis Rose his most recent visit to VA included discussions with employees at every level of the agency.
July 29, 2015 -
The White House wants agencies to use data to make budget decisions and more data is available than ever to determine what works and what doesn't. But data may not be the only measure of program success. Paul Eder is a lead consultant at the Center for Organizational Excellence. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose that expectations may play a part in the success of your work.
July 29, 2015 -
The executive branch has gotten the DATA Act off to a good start by meeting its first deadline, Obama administration officials, auditors and lawmakers agree. But persistent problems with the data itself threaten to undermine the financial transparency at the heart of the law.
July 29, 2015 -
The DoD 5000.ac will detail a better, agile process for the military to buy services.
July 29, 2015