Government Accountability Office
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A cloud computing security program established in 2011, continues to present difficulties to government and industry: FedRAMP, the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, is a way of establishing that cloud computing service companies are secure. But more than 12 years in, the program still has cost uncertainty. And agencies don't always use FedRAMP approved vendors, according to the Government Accountability Office.
January 31, 2024 -
Federal improper payments roll on and on, year after year. Among the most frustrating are fraudulent unemployment benefits, federal dollars that get spent by the states. Last fall, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that as much as 15% of pandemic-era unemployment spending went to fraudsters, or as much as $135 billion.
January 24, 2024 -
The challenges facing our nation are many and significant. They require agile means to access the innovation needed to address them. That agility cannot be found in a system made sclerotic by mechanisms focused on compliance without a concomitant demonstration of benefit.
January 19, 2024 -
Offering telework to federal employees supports recruitment, retention, satisfaction and engagement, Mark Green, chief human capital officer at the Interior Department, told members of the House Natural Resources committee this week.
January 18, 2024 -
In today's Federal Newscast: The Securities and Exchange Commission is planning to update its workforce strategies. A CIA technology leader is headed to the private sector. And GSA's Polaris contract is pulled back into the protest vortex.
January 18, 2024 -
Veterans who want to start businesses often turn to the Small Business Administration for loans. The SBA is obligated to give them special consideration. But the Government Accountability Office found that SBA doesn't really have procedures in place to deal with veterans. For more, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Daniel Garcia-Diaz, GAO's Managing Director for Financial Markets.
January 17, 2024 -
In today's Federal Newscast: National Cyber Director Harry Coker calls for more diversity when hiring for federal cyber jobs. The Space Development Agency has made $2.5 billion worth of awards to build its tracking layer. And the VA is looking to reduce the child-birth mortality rate for women veterans.
January 17, 2024 -
Rulemaking. The government does lots and lots of it. But because the power to regulate is the power to destroy, rulemaking has rules. And like all agency activities, it requires congressional oversight. The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress asked the Government Accountability Office for ideas on how to improve rulemaking oversight.
January 10, 2024 -
Office of Personnel Management Deputy Director Rob Shriver said there will be a continuing and increasing emphasis on pooled hiring in the coming months.
January 09, 2024 -
Improper payments in retirement services have been gradually escalating for the last several years, but the Office of Personnel Management is taking steps to try to mitigate the problem.
January 05, 2024 -
ePS- National Diversity Veteran Small Business filed a protest in December after being disqualified from the competition for the next generation Commercial Platforms Initiative program.
January 04, 2024 -
The Postal Service has one of the most diverse workforces in the U.S., but a recent watchdog report finds that diversity doesn’t always reflect in its leadership ranks.
January 04, 2024 -
Whether Congress passes a 2024 budget or not, federal agencies will continue to engage in contracting. That will mean continued protests by disappointed bidders. You can learn a lot from protests that have already been settled.
January 04, 2024 -
That 5% pay raise for GS federal employees comes with a 25 pay cut for one small group of Bureau of Prison employees.
December 28, 2023 -
The Defense Department ranks high among federal agencies seeking expertise in quantum computing, the next big thing in computing. DoD agencies have established several ways to recruit and hire people with chops in quantum sub-skills. But the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds, they're not all following the best practices for getting the people they need. For more, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke to Candice Wright, the GAO's Director of Science, Technology Assessment and Analytics .
December 27, 2023