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Greg Stanford with the Federal Managers Association will discuss the National Defense Authorization Act, proposed changes in Vets Preference rules and possible buyouts for some federal employees. June 15, 2016
The Army has 100,000 non-deployable troops, mostly due to medical reasons, Vice Army Chief of Staff Gen. Daniel Allyn says only 10,000 will be eligible to fight again.
Federal News Radio obtained a previously unreleased memo from federal CIO Tony Scott detailing 18 milestones over the next six months to make the Login.gov platform a reality.
The congressionally-appointed VA Commission on Care suggested a major overhaul to the Veterans Health Administration. According to the commission's draft report, due to Congress by the end of the month, VHA employees should have their own personnel system.
The Veterans Affairs Department officially fired three more senior leaders at the Phoenix VA Health Care System, the hospital where reports of wait time manipulation first started two years ago. Two of the three VA executives can appeal their removals to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
Jason Gray comes over to the Education Department from the Transportation Department to replace Danny Harris as the CIO. State Department CIO Steve Taylor is expected to move to a new position in the coming month as well.
The Justice Department says a specific provision in the Veterans Choice Act, which ultimately renders that the disciplinary decision from administration MSPB judge is final for certain senior executives, violates a clause in the Constitution. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch says Justice will continue to uphold vast majority of the Choice Act.
The acquisition shop at the Veterans Affairs Department released 10 guiding principles to better buy products and services. While vendors are relatively optimistic about the VA's new approach, they're concerned whether contracting officers in the field are embracing those principles.
One congressman and the Veterans Affairs Department's number two both suggested the VA doesn't need another policy or rule to help the agency turn around years of mismanagement and a "culture of fear" at some medical centers.
The Senate is still debating whether it should overhaul current programs at the Veterans Affairs Department that give veterans access to private health care or revise certain pieces of it. At the same time, the VA said it's close on finalizing a new appeals process, but the committee is concerned the VA's plan does little to address the current backlog of 450,000 unresolved claims.
VA Secretary Bob McDonald said his department is different enough from other federal agencies that a separate personnel system is appropriate for VA senior executives. McDonald also said the department is working on new performance standards to measure veterans' satisfaction with VA medical facilities and the time it takes to receive an appointment.
On a quest for more innovative technology, more agencies are opening up satellite offices in Silicon Valley. But some start-ups and venture capitalists say working with the federal government is a hard sell, because the procurement process takes too long and presents too many unknowns.
At nearly 400 pages, the Veterans First Act, which the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee introduced last week, covers everything from veterans homelessness to more flexible work hours for VA doctors and nurses. But VA's senior executives are still the main target of the legislation.
Gina Farrisee, assistant secretary for human resources and administration at the VA, will become the department's new deputy chief of staff. Meghan Flanz, deputy general counsel for legal operations and accountability at the VA, will take Farrisee's place as the assistant HR secretary, a VA spokesperson confirmed.