Workforce

• Agency Tip 4: Make new hires feel welcome

  Part of \"The Need for the Next Generation\" special report, NASA\'s Toni Dawsey explains how the space agency revamped its onboarding program for new hires.

  Hiring/Retention

  January 24, 2011
• Agency Tip 2: Provide career development

  Part of \"The Need for the Next Generation\" special report, the VA Acquisition Academy\'s internship program develops future contracting professionals through rigorous classes, job rotations and leadership development.

  Budget

  January 24, 2011
• VTC Opens New Hailing Channels Between Congress and Military Field Commanders

  Amidst all the other turbulence on Capitol Hill last year, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) was renovating - on a scale not seen in over fifty years. That project brought two hearing rooms into the twenty-first century, replacing bare-bones 1960-vintage microphones and equipment with state-of-the-art audio and video systems. This new gear provided the Committee with greatly-improved capability to broadcast hearings and markups, and added new powerful features as well. The new setup includes multi-function touch screens for members at their places on the dais, which lets them follow Floor action, quickly access PowerPoint, memos and documents presented during hearings, get messages, and pull up additional reference materials. But the biggest change is the new video teleconferencing built into the system. \"Tandberg CODEC gear with multipoint capabilities can be routed to these Committee rooms as required. The House of Representatives\' Recording Studio coordinates all our inbound and outbound broadcast and teleconference requirements ,\" explained a senior committee staffer who spoke with us on background. \"That now allows HASC Members to speak directly with forward-deployed military units or commanders as the situation might require.\" Staff are confident that use of this VTC capability will increase as a complement to Congressional Delegation (CODEL) field trips. \"On a VTC, you can talk to a few people and a couple of field commanders. When members go on CODELS, they talk to hundreds of people, from generals to field specialists. VTC can\'t replace that spontaneous interaction, but it does mean that, in an urgent situation or on very short notice, the members can speak face-to-face with forward-deployed commanders who might not otherwise be easily accessible, or are too far away to travel easily and quickly to Capitol Hill.\" All 62 committee members can access the system at once, but it can also be used by just one or two at time. \"The members are still getting used to new technologies, but with every election cycle the HASC - members as well as staff -- get more comfortable with using these new capabilities.\"

  Technology

  January 23, 2011
• Fed membership in unions declines slightly

  Union membership has declined across the board in 2010 despite a substantial rise in public sector union workers compared to their private sector counterparts.

  Pay & Benefits

  January 21, 2011
• Eliminating the Federal Career Intern Program

  The Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) has been eliminated. What comes next and how will it affect those already in the program? These questions and more are answered on this week\'s FEDtalk. January 21, 2011

  FEDtalk

  January 21, 2011
• Five-year pay freeze, more federal job cuts proposed

  The Republican Study Committee introduced the Spending Reduction Act that would eliminate USAID and three other small agencies. It also would take spending back to 2006 levels in fiscal 2012. The legislation also would cut or reduce spending in 100 programs such as agency travel budgets and require the collection of unpaid taxes from federal employees.

  Pay & Benefits

  January 21, 2011
• CDW report: Agencies adopt green gov to reduce IT energy use

  CDW-G\'s Andy Lausch discusses the findings of a report on green government initiative metrics for IT.

  Management

  January 20, 2011
• Whack DC But Hit Denver & Houston

  With all this talk about furloughs and layoffs Senior Correspondent Mike Causey has a timely reminder for politicians: while their target may be waste, red tape and duplication in Washington, people hurt most by government cutbacks live, work and VOTE way outside the beltway.

  Defense

  January 20, 2011
• Inside Government – January 21st, 2011

  Bryan Lowry President, AFGE Council of Prison Locals Former Rep. Bob Edgar (D-Pa.) President & CEO, Common Cause

  Pay & Benefits

  January 19, 2011
• Outside of D.C., where do feds live?

  FEW compiled an interactive map that breaks down the federal population by state.

  Workforce

  January 19, 2011
• Report: Keeping Talent key to future success

  Agencies spend significant time and resources recruiting and training top talent but a new study warns that many are ignoring the other crucial side of the equation - keeping those employees. Booz Allen\'s Ron Sanders explains.

  Federal Drive

  January 19, 2011
• MSPB to comply with Chambers reinstatement

  But the question of whether Interior will comply is still open. We get the latest details from sister-station WTOP\'s Neal Augenstein.

  Federal Drive

  January 19, 2011
• DISA’s BRAC move to Ft. Meade underway

  As DISA heads north for the Maryland border, we get an update from Director for Manpower, Personnel and Security, Jack Penkoske.

  Federal Drive

  January 19, 2011
• Study: Agencies should work harder to keep employees

  A new report warns that agencies need to focus on employee retention as Congress threatens pay and hiring freezes. Agency leaders and line managers must work together to maintain their workforces.

  Budget

  January 18, 2011