Rafael Borras, the undersecretary for management at the Homeland Security Department, is stepping down after almost four years on the job.
Joe Jordan, the administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, is leaving the administration Friday after working five years in assorted senior contracting manager positions. He said agencies are using strategic sourcing, reducing spending and receiving more competition.
Katherine Archuleta has spent her first few months as director at the Office of Personnel Management learning, listening and asking questions to figure out how to ensure continuous improvement. Archuleta said she expects a new plan to improve the agency's technology by the end of February.
Documents obtained by Federal News Radio show VA's financial audit found material weaknesses, including the failure to remove terminated employees from accessing the network, and the lack of a formal process for monitoring, preventing installation and removing unauthorized application software on agency systems. House Veterans Affairs lawmakers continue to press VA to make changes to their cybersecurity posture more quickly. VA officials say they have a multi-layered defense to include outside network monitoring by external partners, active scanning of Web applications and source code, and protection of servers, workstations, network and gateways, among other security efforts.
A little more than a month into Katherine Archuleta's tenure at the Office of Personnel Management, the agency is staffing up and reshuffling a handful of leadership positions. Archuleta, who most recently worked as the national political director for President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection effort, is bringing on board two fellow campaign staffers to serve as top advisers. The agency is also getting a new chief operating officer from within the ranks of the agency. Angela Bailey, the former associate director of employee services, has been named the agency's new COO.
Medina's last day at the Office of Personnel Management will be Jan. 3. She is leaving to join public relations firm APCO Worldwide as a senior human resources executive.
The agency issues a request for quotes to Schedule 70 vendors to provide 10 different software and services.
The Homeland Security Department plans to send the final draft version of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan to President Barack Obama this week. Some industry experts say DHS failed to incorporate much of what was discussed at 30 meetings.
In a message to senior executives, Secretary Eric Shinseki said that Stephen Warren now will hold the title of executive in charge, Office of Information and Technology and chief information officer. The title change comes as the House Veterans Affairs Committee is turning up on the heat once again on the agency's ability to secure its systems and protect data.
The Office of Management and Budget rescinds CircularA-127 and issues new guidance to simplify financial system requirements. The goal is to improve quality, utility and the reliability of federal financial information.
Joe Jordan, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy administrator, said the Federal Acquisition Council on Training will oversee several initiatives, including developing a new contract for all agencies to buy acquisition training from. He said the Federal Acquisition Institute Training Application System eventually will be a one-stop shop for all acquisition workforce training needs.
A recent briefing between the House Veterans Affairs Committee, VA IT executives and DHS ended with the lead majority staff member walking out before the meeting ended. The rising tensions between the House Veterans Affairs committee's majority and VA come as a report surfaced showing veterans are at a higher risk of identity theft than the average citizen.
Charles Edwards, the Homeland Security Department's deputy inspector general and acting IG, calls recent allegations of nepotism and improper travel "baseless" and says he's convinced a Senate subcommittee investigation will clear his name. Speaking exclusively to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp, Edwards said he has provided complete documentation to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight.
Bruce McConnell announced today his intention to leave the Homeland Security Department in August after spending more than four years in an assortment of senior cybersecurity positions. He will be third senior ranking cyber official at DHS to leave since January.
In an exclusive Federal News Radio survey, agency chief human capital officers said the hiring reforms instituted by the Obama administration are working. Most respondents said it now takes their agencies 46 to 100 days, on average, to hire new employees. Hiring reforms also have improved diversity at agencies and the ability to bring on more talented employees. At the same time, CHCOs said sequestration is impacting their ability to train and complete HR projects.