Wednesday federal headlines – March 9, 2016

The Defense Department will deploy Windows 10 throughout the department by January, according to a recent memo by Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work.

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive.

  • The Defense Department will deploy Windows 10 throughout the department by January, according to a recent memo by Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work. Work said the decision is based on DoD’s need to strengthen cybersecurity while also streamlining its IT operating environment.  He’s directing U.S. Cyber Command to work with the CJCS and DoD CIO Terry Halvorsen to lead the implementation. (Defense Department)
  • The Justice Department launched a new inter-agency effort to combat religious discrimination. The  initiative is aimed at promoting religious freedom by enhancing enforcement against religion-based hate crimes. Other agencies participating include the departments of Education, Homeland Security and Labor. Officials involved will host roundtable discussions to identify priorities and to speak with community and civil rights leaders. (Justice Department)
  • Twenty-one companies won a spot on the next huge multiple award IT contract. The Veterans Affairs Department picked nine large businesses and 12 small firms, including 10 that are service-disabled veteran owned companies for the Transformation 21 Total Technology Next Generation vehicle. VA said the contract could be worth more than $22 billion over 10 years. VA made the awards only after GAO last week denied several bid protests filed by companies unhappy with the agency’s approach. T4NG replaces the previous contract known as Transformation 21 Total Technology, which VA awarded to 15 firms in 2011. (Veterans Affairs)
  • A new Defense Department performance rating system is set to start April 1. But a union is saying the roll out plan is flawed. The American Federation of Government Employees said the first batch of employees to test the New Beginnings Performance Management System are all non-bargaining unit. That’s thanks to delayed negotiations over implementation of the new system. In a letter to Deputy Secretary Bob Work, obtained by GovExec, AFGE urged a delay to finish talks. (GovExec)
  • The Government Accountability Office said it could take more than 40 years for the number of women on corporate boards to equal the number of men. A report said it may take that long because corporate boards are not actively recruiting women, there are fewer women with CEO or prior board experience and there is a low turnover among board directors. GAO studies showed there has been an increase in women in the boardroom. The number of women board directors doubled from 8 percent to 16 percent from 1997 to 2014.
  • Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said his department’s cyber workforce is not where it should be. He told a congressional committee that one goal of the agency’s proposed 2017 budget is to lure cyber recruits from the private sector, where salaries are higher. In the meantime, DHS will work on speeding up the hiring process for potential cyber workers. Johnson offered to work with lawmakers as they craft legislation on incentive pay for border protection officers. Johnson said Customs and Border Protection is having trouble keeping up with vacancies for officers in high-traffic ports of entry. (Federal News Radio)
  • The Office of Government Ethics is adding more training programs for its employees and agency ethics officers ahead of the 2016 presidential transition. OGE released a guide on processing financial disclosures last week. Former and current administration leaders said the process for vetting appointees often takes too long. Many applicants have to fill out multiple forms that have overlapping questions worded in a different way. (Federal News Radio)

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