Federal Drive with Tom Temin: Recent Episodes
Federal News Network | Hubbard Radio
When he's not tooling around the National Capital region on his motorcycle, Tom Temin interviews federal executives and government contractors who provide analysis and insight on the many critical issues facing the Executive branch. The Federal Drive is found at FederalNewsNetwork.com and 1500 AM in the Washington D.C. region.
On today's episode for the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
The premier accident investigator is urged to tighten up its management practices.
The regulations on federal contractors keep piling on.
Prepare to brace yourself for the return of Federal long-term care insurance options.
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Federal employees have not been able to purchase long-term care insurance for the past couple of months. That's because the Office of Personnel Management suspended the program, pending the new plans and prices that are expected from the carrier. It is likely to be very expensive. For what to expect, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the with John Hatton, the Policy Vice President at NARFE, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs, part of the Labor Department, has gotten White House go-ahead, for what one lawyer calls, "A significant expansion of data that contractors must report." It is all in a new schedule letter and itemized listing. To unravel it all, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with that attorney: Andrew Turnbull, a partner at Morrison Foerster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is often among the first to arrive on the scene, after an airplane or train crashes. Its expertise is renowned. But the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found the NTSB needs to tighten up its own performance planning, particularly by more effectively connecting its strategic goals with its mission of transportation safety. For more on this, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Heather Krause, GAO's Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues.
GAO REPORT link Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Defense Department can improve the acquisition process for space technology with more “market intelligence.” Its acquisition leaders need to make clearer distinctions between investing in programs that will have limited commercial support and in programs that have broader commercial applications. A new report from RAND Corporation, initiated at the request of the Air Force, looked at the way the department developed and acquired new technologies, and how it could get access to a broader spectrum of innovation. Jonathan Wong, a senior researcher for the report and an analyst for RAND, said contracting officers need a more sophisticated view of how the commercial marketplace for technology works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In many ways, retirement after a federal career is all about the numbers. Do you have enough saved that, together with your annuity, you won't run out of money. In some ways, retirement is not about numbers at all. There's also the danger of being bored to death. To delve into the issue of non-monetary advice, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin talked with federal retiree and AG Financial Services owner Abe Grungold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A seasoned overseer of federal grant-making has returned to government. After a stint at a large services contractor, Tom Yatsco recently became the inspector general at the Legal Services Corporation, one of the more unusual federal structures. He and Federal Drive Host Tom Temin has this conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Veterans Health Administration recently participated, for the first time ever, in an annual survey of hospital quality conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. VA did well. The survey is known as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). Starting off with the fact that this was not a VA survey, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Dr. Shereef Elnahal, the VA's top medical official. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
VA hospitals do pretty darn well in a national survey.
The nation's funder of legal aid services gets a new inspector general.
Retirement is easy to think about, but more difficult to pull off.
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It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say the Defense Information Systems Agency is in a heavy research mode. Whether it’s around cybersecurity tools and capabilities or cloud services, DISA has no fewer than 14 ongoing or recently completed pilot initiatives. Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner, DISA’s director and commander of the Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network (JTF-DODIN), said each of these efforts include the military services as part of the effort to field capabilities that are less complex and more effective. Take as an example, the three pilots to better protect internet boundaries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tens of thousands of the Postal Service’s rural carriers saw a rocky start to this month, after a USPS payroll error resulted in missing and incomplete paychecks. The National Rural Letter Carriers Association estimates USPS payroll issues impacted approximately 53,000 rural carrier employees. The vast majority of those impacted — about 45,000 employees — were non-career rural carriers that cover routes for full-time career mail carriers as needed. Rural carriers shared images with Federal News Network showing that their Sept. 1 pay stubs totaled $0 in take-home pay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The industry is trying to understand the extent of new Davis-Bacon regulations for federal construction coming out of the Labor Department. The final rule hasn't quite taken effect, but already contractors to the government -- or on federally-funded projects -- have a slew of new risk and compliance obligations. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Haynes Boone procurement attorney Dan Ramish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) does not build low-income housing, but it helps finance it. Since 2016, HUD's Housing Trust Fund has made grants to 263 projects for people with extremely low incomes. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that HUD officials need to do a better job of monitoring and overseeing the use of Housing Trust Fund dollars. For details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with GAO's Director of the Financial Markets and Community Investment Team, Jill Naamane. Link to this GAO Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Self-driving vehicles are nothing new. They've been operating inside warehouses and factories for decades. A few years back, the Postal Service purchased 350 automated-guided vehicles to move pallets in its processing center. But according to the USPS Office of Inspector General, the experiment didn't quite work out. For more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with audit director Todd Watson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
The Postal Service's experiment with automated vehicles sort of fizzled.
How HUD could get a better handle on funds that help pay for low-income housing.
Federal construction contractors have a slew of new compliance headaches.
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The next big initiative the Defense Department plans to develop in its technology race with China will focus on relatively disposable, quickly produced unmanned systems. DoD wants the program, called “Replicator,” to move from development to operational capability in 18-20 months. The program will stay in the spotlight as it will be supervised directly by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks along with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “We’re going to create a new state of the art — just as America has done before — leveraging attritable autonomous systems in all domains, which are less expensive, put fewer people in the line of fire and can be changed, updated or improved with substantially shorter lead times,” Hicks said to a packed house at an NDIA emerging technologies for defense conference Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Federal agencies and their watchdogs are still getting to the bottom of the total amount of fraud across more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 emergency spending, but the Labor Department is uncovering a major source of those misspent funds. The Labor Department, in a report released this week, estimates improper payments made up nearly 36% of spending on the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program between March 2020 and September 2021. Congress authorized the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program in the CARES Act for self-employed individuals who weren’t eligible for regular unemployment insurance (UI) benefits at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “While PUA provided critical support to workers and communities during a historic pandemic, states faced serious challenges in minimizing improper payments and stewarding federal funds in this entirely new program,” the Labor Department wrote in its report. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
Military logistics may not be exciting, but its the only way the latest weapons will do any good
Here's one prescription for getting more qualified civilians into national security work
Contractors make plans for a messy start to the next fiscal year
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The main question now is whether Congress will enact a continuing resolution come October 1, or whether we'll have a government shutdown. Either way, things will get messy come September 30. Joining the Federal Drive with some shutdown preparation tips for contractors, federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Should the United States need to project kinetic power far away, the decisive factor would be logistics. Yet, according to a detailed study by Brookings, the military has neglected logistics in recent years. For what that means and the consequences, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Brookings senior fellow and logistics study author, Michael O'Hanlon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As threats to the United States multiply, the government will need growing numbers of capable civilians in national security. But creaky apparatus for hiring and clearing people gets in the way. That's from a detailed look by the Center for a New American Security. The Federal Drive got more now from senior fellow Katherine Kuzminski. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Army is bringing the concepts that make up zero trust to the tactical edge. That's not so easy. The tactical environment includes operational technology, weapons systems, and typical IT systems. They all must work in an intermittent, disconnected, or simply low-bandwidth environment. For insight on the first steps to bring robust cyber capabilities to the edge, Federal News Network's Jason Miller spoke to director of the Army’s functional management office for zero trust and director of the unified network task force, Col. Michael Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Pentagon tries to move more and more toward modern software development practices, it’s become clear, the DoD budgeting system is a bad fit because of its various colors of money. Does that agile development program count as procurement? R&D? operations and maintenance? Congress has given a handful of programs permission to experiment with using just one color of money for software. One of them is the Navy’s Maritime Tactical Command and Control system. For the difference that's made, Federal News Network's Jared Serbu spoke with the program manager for Navy command and control systems, Capt. David Gast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Just because Congress is on recess, natural disasters don't stop. Now FEMA is running out of money, thanks in part to the fire in Maui. Just add it to the pile of Hill-urgent issues. For the latest, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The government's pursuit of false-claims cases never takes a break. So far this year, recoveries have totaled just under $500 million and they appear to be on pace for a full-year-yield of around $2 billion. For more on the trends, and some of the more remarkable settlements, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke to attorney Jonathan Phillips, a Partner at Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of something like 30 agencies that have a hand in disaster recovery. In trying to avoid duplicating benefits to disaster victims, in 2017 HUD started work on a data portal. A place where grantees would load information on benefits the had already received, so HUD could see it. HUD's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has found the data portal is only partially completed. The OIG also found questions about whether the portal is a high enough priority for HUD's technology staff. To all of this out, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke in studio with HUD Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
HUD is way behind on a crucial data sharing, anti-fraud portal.
Justice Department false-claims cases continue at a brisk pace.
Congress is on vacation, and FEMA is running out of money.
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Now at the March’s 60th anniversary, leaders at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Justice, the Department of Education and the White House reflected on how the March, as well as the subsequent passage of civil rights laws, impacted their agency, and how they are still working to carry out the vision and goals of the March today: “In the lifetime of an institution as broad and deep as the federal government, [60 years] is not a long time. It’s incredibly important for us to be intentional about making sure that there are not those [hiring] barriers — leaning forward where we have the tools, such as with respect to disability, to really make sure that we can bring in persons with disabilities, who have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. You have to lean into that, and the ways in which that can enrich you as an organization and as a government. Frankly, I think that the federal government, in particular, has a huge credibility problem if we are not able to tap into all the talent of this country.” — Charlotte Burrows, Chairwoman, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Several thousand Postal Service rural carriers have expressed an interest in leaving their union, after most of them saw pay cuts under a new pay system. But the union’s new national president is urging caution, and telling its members that a new union won’t mean a better deal for rural carriers. A grassroots network of rural carriers is collecting signatures from their coworkers, in the hopes of decertifying the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, (NRLCA) which counts 127,000 rural carriers as its members. Rural carriers behind the decertification effort told Federal News Network that the union didn’t do enough to keep USPS from implementing a new pay system that’s been in the works for more than a decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With everyone seeming to come to the office on random days, some federal managers have instituted "community days," designated days when everyone is required to come in. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with someone who thinks "community days" could do more harm than good: Long-time federal labor relations guru Bob Tobias. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tens of thousands of American women suffer dangerous complications during pregnancy each year. Some die. Now the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $24 million in grant money to form a new center of excellence devoted to maternal health research and improvement. For more on that, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Dr. Nahida Chakhtoura, the Chief of the NIH Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
The NIH takes on pregnancy-related health complications.
Community days for team bonding, all in the office. How that could backfire.
The Defense Department's big cloud contract seems to be taking hold.
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Time is a funny concept when it comes to federal technology initiatives. There’s never enough time to fix everything. The initiative needs more time to bake. The law, policy or regulation will take time to implement and show results. When it comes to cybersecurity, time isn’t on our side. I can only imagine that for every agency chief information officer, singer, songwriter Joe Jackson may have summed it up best in his song Got the Time: “Time – got the time tick-tick-tickin’ in my head.” The recent updates from the General Services Administration on the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) program and the Office of Management and Budget around the 21st Century IDEA Act underscore the trials and tribulations of time in the federal IT community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The so-called "mutual fund window" at the Thrift Savings Plan could disappear if a congressional policy becomes law. A House committee would bar funds relying on corporate environment, social or governance sensitivities. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Certified Financial Planner Art Stein to see what he's discovered about ESG funds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Two young State Department foreign affairs officers helped secure recent releases of Americans held in by foreign countries. That fact has landed them as finalists in this year's Service to America Medals program, aka "the Sammies." Fletcher Schoen developed the negotiation strategy for basketball player Brittney Griner, among others. And Jennifer Harkins was instrumental in the 2022 release of nine Americans held by Venezuela. Both them spoke with Federal Drive Host Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It takes a lot of thought to buy artificial intelligence. Contractors trying to sell the stuff, need to put some careful thinking into their proposals and not rush through them. Then there's an even bigger question for contractors: using AI to draft the proposal itself. Anything could happen. For some tips, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with attorney Craig Smith, a partner at Wiley Rein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
How contractors can make sure they say what they mean when using artificial intelligence to write proposals.
The story behind recent releases of Americans held in foreign countries.
A close look at whether certain mutual funds available through the TSP are worth it.
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The speed of software innovation in industry has the Defense Department struggling to keep its policies on pace with what the commercial sector can provide. To address the problem, the Army’s new chief information officer said he is prioritizing new policy for cybersecurity, software and data to try and keep up with technological advances. His first effort — developing interim policies that address immediate challenges while working on bigger, all-encompassing guidelines. “You see a really big focus on policy, and there’s a reason for that — it’s a space where we’ve kind of waited to do it. We’re going to change these long-standing huge policies that are out there in the Army,” Leonel Garciga, the Army chief information officer, said Wednesday at an AFCEA TechNet conference in Augusta, Ga. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
An IRS watchdog is calling on the agency to make better use of pay incentives already available to stay on track with plans to build up its workforce. The IRS has more than a dozen pay incentives available to recruit and retain employees with skills that are essential to its operations. But the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, in a recent report, found the IRS only used these pay incentives to recruit, retain or relocate about 1,400 employees between fiscal 2019 and 2022. The agency, during this period, made a total payout of $1.5 million through these incentives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) needs talent in all sorts of areas. Needing to fill differing jobs requires differing recruitment practices. For how they're going about it, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to the executive director of the VBA’s Office of Human Capitol Services, Dr. Aaron Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has been sifting through stacks of research on how many people actually teleworked over the last three years, and whether telework will continue to have a positive economic impact. For what auditors learned, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke John Sawyer, GAO's Director of Education, Workforce and Income Security. [GAO Report linked here] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apprenticeships go way. They became codified in the United States some 86 years ago with enactment of the National Apprenticeship Act. Now the Labor Department has brought new focus to this part of job training through what it calls the Apprentice Trailblazer Initiative. For what it is and what Labor hopes to accomplish, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Senior Policy Advisor Manny Lamarre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
The Labor Department shines a spotlight on the nation's apprentice programs.
The great telework era is over, partly because the benefits are uncertain.
You can't improve services to veterans without the manpower to do it.
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The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is about to give cloud security across government a boost with the impending finalization of security “baselines” for widely used Microsoft applications. Meanwhile, the hacking of a Biden administration cabinet member’s emails via Microsoft’s cloud environment has sparked a high-level government investigation into the incident, as well as broader review of cloud security best practices CISA’s work under the “Secure Cloud Business Applications” or “SCuBA” project has been ongoing since 2021. The project aims to give agencies and other organizations resources for securing their cloud environments. CISA released an initial set of security baselines for the Microsoft 365 suite of business applications last year for feedback from the technical community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After the National Science Foundation, like many federal agencies, announced return-to-office plans for its employees, the American Federation of Government Employees is calling on the agency to take a step back. In a new union-conducted survey, AFGE Local 3403, representing roughly 1,000 NSF bargaining unit employees, found that a majority of agency workers are concerned about going back to the office more often — and some will consider leaving the agency if the plans are implemented. “I started this job when NSF was posturing a hybrid and remote workforce, which indicated to me that NSF would have remote work available,” one employee wrote in AFGE’s survey results, obtained by Federal News Network. “Because they are essentially not allowing anyone to be remote, I will be finding a new job by October.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Defense contractors are scratching their collective head, after a procurement reform commission released some early findings. The Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution Commission (PPBE) seemed to sidestep some important questions, according to Federal Drive Host Tom Temin's guest: David Berteau, President and CEO of the Professional Services Council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For several years, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued recommendations for reforming the Capitol Police. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin's guest has compiled all of the studies and recommendations, as well coming up with a few reform ideas of his own. Taylor Swift is a senior policy adviser with Demand Progress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As long as the United States has traded with other nations, customs brokers have been at the center of it. Now Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inaugurates new continuing education for its brokers, as trade volumes and complexity grow. For the details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with John Leonard, the Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner for CBP's Office of Trade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
Customs and Border Protection aims to improve training for brokers.
Why Capitol Police reform is taking so long.
Contractors ask a defense-procurement commission, where's the beef?
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The federal acquisition workforce has recovered from the so-called “peace dividend” of the 1990s. The number of 1102s or contracting officers, is at its highest point in the last 10 years and possibly since before those cuts in the late 1980s and early 1990s. And as agencies head into the final six weeks of the fiscal 2023, these acquisition workers are busier than ever. The federal procurement budget is expected to top the $650 billion spent in 2022. The continued growth of federal procurement spending is at the crux of why most agencies don’t feel like they have recovered from the reductions that came 30-plus years ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Congress is still a couple of weeks away from returning to Washington. Still, pressure is building for members to resolve a difficult budget impasse, as the prospects for a lapse in appropriations also seem to grow. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Loren Duggan, Bloomberg Government's Deputy News Director Loren. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The IRS has a detailed plan for achieving a state of zero trust on its information technology networks, which is something all agencies are under obligation to do for cybersecurity. But the IRS needs to put the right people and money behind the plan, … according to an audit by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with TIGTA's Director of Enterprise Services, Jena Whitley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Drama over the IRS is now mostly confined to Congress. The agency has returned more or less to normal, dealing with the day-to-day complexities of taxes. The Taxpayer Advocate Service has also been dealing with vexing, if not existential issues. To review a few of those issues, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the National Taxpayer Advocate herself: Erin Collins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
If a tax law perplexes the public, it also makes life difficult for the IRS.
The IRS hasn't quite reached a state of total zero trust on its networks, but it's close.
All congressional eyes focus on the great question: CR or government shutdown?
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With sustainability front of mind, a new influx of funding will go toward completing three construction projects in the long saga of the Department of Homeland Security’s headquarters consolidation. DHS and the General Services Administration will use a $288 million investment from the Inflation Reduction Act to build two new headquarters buildings, as well as a new parking garage, at DHS’ St. Elizabeths West Campus in southeast Washington, D.C., the agencies announced Thursday. The IRA investment breaks down to $140.8 million for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) headquarters; $80.8 million for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters and $67 million for a new DHS garage and gatehouse. GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said the consolidation project, using the IRA investments, will set a tone of sustainability for other future federal building projects, and build on broader sustainability goals from the Biden administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sexual harassment and assault at the service academies will continue to rise without significant changes to management and culture, according to a new study released by the office of the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness (USD P&R) Thursday. The number of cadets and midshipmen experiencing unwanted sexual contact and sexual harassment at the military service academies spiked since 2020 to an average of over 20% of women and 4% of men. Additionally, the report noted an increase in incoming midshipmen and cadets reporting incidents of sexual assault and harassment in the years before they entered an academy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You're heard of the term cancel culture: getting rid of people with unpopular opinions. It's not all that new. The popular new movie Oppenheimer re-enacts the revocation of the scientist's security clearance in the 1950s, because of his opposition to the hydrogen bomb. What about today? Can unorthodox opinions mean loss of clearance? For analysis, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Dan Meyer, Managing Partner at the law firm Tully Rinckey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Veterans Affairs Department has long had a nationwide network of facilities so it could be close to those it serves. But now it's taking that a step further, with a fleet of mobile medical units on wheels. VA hopes to reach homeless or other veterans who just can't get to a medical center. For the details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Jillian Weber, VA's national program manager for homeless patient-aligned care teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
VA takes to the streets and byways to meet at-risk veterans.
How to make sure you keep that security clearance.
DoD looks to expand a successful cybersecurity program.
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The Army is adapting the way it trains non-commissioned officers (NCOs) to meet the needs of its increasingly technology-dependent forces. As the service plans for its force of 2030, producing NCOs who can lead in cybersecurity and IT fields is informing the way training is developed and what specialties are available. In addition to the talent needs of an expanding Cyber Corps, the Army’s Signal Corps finds itself short on information technology experts. The Army not only needs senior leaders to fill those roles, it needs to keep them up to date with continuous training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ever get a cut and use cotton gauze to wipe it up? Cotton gauze is just cotton gauze, right? Not to my Federal Drive Host Tom Temin's guest. He developed new cotton fabrics that have proven more effective in trauma care and other medical requirements than the traditional ones. In fact, his invention is the first new medical gauze in 50 years. Vince Edwards is a chemist with the Agricultural Research Service and a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals Program, also known as the Sammies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Labor Department is out with a final rule to update how the government determines wages it will allow in federal construction contractors, as well as in federally assisted construction. The new rule is 812 pages long. It's not sitting well with the construction industry. For one reaction, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Claiborne Guy, from the trade group Associated General Contractors of America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Federal Communications Commission has established a task force to deal with privacy and data protection, noting what it calls the era of always-on connectivity. For the details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Loyaan Egal, the Chief of the FCC's enforcement bureau. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
The FCC strengthens its approach to data privacy and security.
Contractors take issue with gigantic new rule from the Labor Department.
An old medical product gets a modern makeover thanks to this USDA scientist.
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The National Security Agency, amid an unprecedented hiring push, is considering options for hybrid work and other flexibilities previously unimaginable at the highly secretive agency. NSA Director Gen. Paul Nakasone described how the organization is in the middle of “perhaps the largest growth in our agency’s history” during an appearance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies today. The NSA announced earlier this year that it has openings for more than 3,000 new employees. Nakasone described the hiring surge as necessary to begin replacing an aging workforce at the signals intelligence agency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The expert panel Congress assembled to find fixes to the Pentagon’s archaic planning and budgeting process won’t deliver its final prescription for reform until next spring. But its members say there are at least some steps the Defense Department and Congress should start taking right now, particularly in light of the fact that fixing what’s wrong is certain to be a years-long effort. The Commission on Planning, Programming Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) Reform published an interim report this week, previewing 10 of the possible recommendations it might make in its final edition next March, and urging lawmakers and DoD to start taking at least some specific steps toward improving the budget system right away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The stability of the nation's electrical grid depends in part on large power transformers. The size of small houses, these transformers are in short supply and they take a long time to build. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the Energy Department could help secure this important link in the electricity supply chain. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with GAO's Director of Natural Resources and Environment Issues, Frank Rusco. GAO REPORT on ELECTRICITY GRIND: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-106180.pdf
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When the Supreme Court ruled against race-based admissions at Harvard University, it opened the door to preference programs across the board. Recently a federal district court in Tennessee forced the Small Business Administration to suspend applications from small businesses to join the 8(a) program for disadvantaged companies. For what this may mean, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Haynes Boone procurement attorney Zach Prince. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hundreds of thousands of federal employees get their paychecks issued by the National Finance Center, which is operated out of New Orleans by the Agriculture Department. The whole place is in danger of meltdown because of staffing, budget, technology, and even storm damage problems. That is according to detailed study, under the auspices of the National Academy of Public Administration. To learn more about the study, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Margie Graves, the former Deputy Federal Chief Information Officer, who is now with IBM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
This problem could cut off federal paychecks as surely as a shutdown.
Here's one step the Energy Department could execute to help insure grid resilience.
Could the venerable 8(a) program actually be on its way out?
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In another effort to try to usher young talent into the federal workforce, the Office of Personnel Management is proposing changes to decade-old parameters for the Pathways Program. The new proposed regulations from OPM, in part, look to expand eligibility for the recent graduates’ Pathways Program, to include individuals who may not have a college degree, but who have completed different “technical education programs.” By counting experience in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps and the Registered Apprenticeship Program, OPM said it hopes to make the program overall more inclusive, and help agencies attract a broader, more diverse pool of early-career applicants. The proposal comes amid a more recent push toward skills-based hiring, which makes the Pathways Program’s current regulations, dating back to 2012, limited in comparison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Veterans Health Administration is looking to exceed its year-end hiring goals, during a year in which the agency already broke records to grow its workforce. Undersecretary for Health Shereef Elnahal told reporters Tuesday that the VHA in July surpassed 400,000 employees for the first time in the agency’s history. “There has never been a period of time in VA history where the health care system has had this many employees. That 400,000 threshold is a first,” Elnahal said. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Advance contracts and GSA contracts for state and local governments, are a couple of the avenues by which the federal government and its acquisition system will get aid to fire-ravaged Maui. For more on that, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin talked with Federal Sales and Marketing Consultant Larry Allen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is on the Government Accountability Office's High-Risk List. It is there primarily because of its long-term fiscal uncertainty and questions about whether, in the long run, it can pay the benefits it owes retired Americans. But SSA also has an other internal management problem, stemming from its Office of Inspector General. That's according to Federal Drive Host Tom Temin's guest: Faith Williams, Director of the Effective and Accountable Government Program at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It doesn't have boiling flasks or people in white coats, but a lot happens in the Procurement Innovation Lab (PIL) operated by the Homeland Security Department. For an update, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the PIL's new director, Katherine Crompton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
Things are cookin' at the DHS Procurement Innovation Lab.
Count the IG among the challenges facing Social Security.
How federal acquisitions will help recovery in Maui.
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Congress has passed just one of 12 bills needed to fund the government next fiscal year. When members return early next month, the question of further funding for Ukraine in its war with Russia will enter the funding debate. For what that could mean, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin turned to WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
By law and regulation, certain products are barred from purchase by federal agencies, like telecommunications products made in China. Yet the General Services Administration's office of Inspector General has found, that somehow prohibited products have made their way onto the Multiple Awards Schedule contracts. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Deputy Assistant IG for Acquisition Program Audits, Barbara Bouldin and with the Regional IG for Auditing, Michelle Westrup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In Washington, it seems like there is a commission for everything. Mostly they produce reports no one reads. But there is one commission that has established a string of permanent accomplishments you can see, touch and feel. It is the American Battle Monuments Commission. This year it celebrates 100 years in business. For a review, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the commission secretary, Charles Djou. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
Few commissions can leave more permanent results than this one.
Stuff you are not supposed to buy, finds its way into GSA multiple-award schedule contracts.
How the Ukraine War could gum up federal budget negotiations.
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The American Federation of Government Employees took a significant step towards unionizing Defense Department employees in Europe. The union plans to have at least one new organizing body in place by the end of 2023 or early next year. Of about 30,000 Defense Department employees in Europe, AFGE is focusing its initial efforts in Germany around Defense Health Agency (DHA) employees and workers at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), the on-base super stores where service members and DoD employees shop for food, clothes and consumer goods. AFGE filed a preliminary letter with the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FRLA) to trigger an investigation into whether employees at Ramstein AAFES want a union, and if the proposed bargaining unit is correctly described. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The crazy weather throughout the country seems to be reflected in Congress. On recess, when it returns it will have 12 working days to workout a regular federal budget for 2024. Ain't gonna happen. Joining the Federal Drive to explore the possible consequences, the vice president for policy and programs at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, John Hatton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The system for declaring disasters and getting federal help dates back a century. For the past 25 years disaster declarations have been on the rise. But according to my next guest, politics, skill at the state and local level, and inconsistency in how federal agencies decide things mean the whole system needs reform. Joining the Federal Drive with more, Brookings Metro fellow Carlos Martin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
She's a successful State Department negotiator dealing with the United Nations, no less. She's a lifelong athlete, excelling in several sports including rock climbing. And, she conducts her life from a wheelchair. Sofija Korac just received national recognition for work on behalf of people with disabilities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The White House Office of the National Cyber Director brings in a former Defense official to help lead workforce and education efforts. Daniel Ragsdale worked in the Pentagon’s research directorate, at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and in the Army. He was most recently in the private sector at Two Six Technologies. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday caught up with Ragsdale this week to talk about his new White House role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pay compression, it’s a phenomenon that’s been affecting some senior-level federal employees for years. Now, one member of Congress is trying to help adjust pay for those compressed individuals. The new bill comes after months of pressure from senior executive organizations, who want the White House to make good on a promise to at least propose a solution to the pay problem. For more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Persistence and focus have paid off for one Labor Department policy advisor. His beat for 23 years of federal service has been access for people with disabilities, access to transportation, jobs, and technology at the federal and state levels. For his work he's a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program. Supervisory Policy Advisor Michael Reardon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
At a recent financial industry conference, the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission called for a shift in how organizations think about cybersecurity. She called for a change from an incident response mentality, to a resilience mentality. My next guest has some ideas for how that might actually happen. Igor Volovich is vice president for compliance strategy at Qmulos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ever since the first Microsoft Word macro attack, documents have been a source of malware delivery. Thirty years later it's still a problem. Word documents, PDFs, photographs, spreadsheets, they all remain potent delivery mechanisms for hackers. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, has for several years run a program called SafeDocs, aimed a creating documents that do not become attack surfaces. The Federal Drive got an update from DARPA program manager Sergey Bratus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The government has managed to trim improper payments, after a surge at the height of the pandemic. A group of agencies have a three-year plan to really take on improper payments. In fact, the Joint Financial Management and Improvement Program will to release a Payment Integrity Plan this fall. For a preview, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the Treasury Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Accounting Policy and Financial Transparency, Renata Miskell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, has launched a new challenge competition with help from some of the top artificial intelligence companies. It’s aimed at using AI to find and fix software weaknesses in critical networks. White House officials hope it will showcase something good about AI. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday has more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There's cybersecurity, and then there's cyberwarfare. My next guest is both an academic and a practitioner of cyber wargames. He's here to update us on the types of exercises going on right now in federal agencies. David Brumley is CEO of AllSecure, and recently returned to Carnegie Mellon University as a computer science professor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We just heard the macro view of how the immigration situation is cascading down to the Justice Department's immigration courts. For how it looks from the inside, the Federal Drive turned to the president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, Mimi Tsankov. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Immigration courts have become what my next guest calls the dumping ground for the nation's systemic immigration failures. And that's caused enormous backlogs on the immigration court dockets. For more the Federal Drive turned to senior research associate at the University of Notre Dame, Don Kerwin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Six months after it was established by law, the Defense Management Institute has found its groove. The Institute, a sort of think tank for Pentagon management, has established human resources, healthcare and acquisition as topics to focus on. For more, Federal News Network's Alexandra Lohr spoke with the Institute's director, Peter Levine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The higher the ranks of the federal workforce, the less diversity. That been the case for decades in the Senior Executive Service. It's gotten a little more diverse in more recent years. But federal associations have ideas for how to widen representation in the government's top ranks. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman got more from Tyra Dent, president of the African American Federal Executive Association, and Marcus Hill, president of the Senior Executives Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Buy-American and not-buy-from-China rules have raised concerns from contractors. Meanwhile the FTC proposes new rules on contractor mergers that look practically unworkable. The Federal Drive got industry analysis from the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Among the 40,000-odd counties in the United States are some really big ones. Like San Diego County, California. At the recent National Contract Management Association's World Congress, I caught up with the buying chief of San Diego, who would like to see the GSA multiple award schedules open permanently to states and counties. Among the topics I discussed with procurement and acquisition director Jack Pellegrino. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The great comedian Rodney Dangerfield became famous for his jokes about lack of respect, partly for being ugly. One went like this: He was so ugly as a child, his dad carried around the picture that came with the wallet. If buildings could talk, the Hubert H. Humphrey Federal Building, home to headquarters for the Health and Human Services Department, might also lament about being considered ugly. In fact, its become something of an internet thing, after a Washington newspaper called HHS the ugliest building in D.C. Here to speak for the 1976 structure, from Health and Human Services, online communications director Kelly Langford, and the acting assistant secretary for public affairs, Kamara Jones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transportation Security Administration employees just got a historic pay raise. Now, the union representing TSA airport screeners is negotiating an expanded collective bargaining agreement. The progress for TSA employees in recent years has been swift. But it follows more than a decade of efforts to address low morale and high attrition at what is still one of the youngest federal agencies. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joined the Federal Drive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
IRS officials expect to issue faster tax refunds once the agency goes paperless by 2025. The agency is planning to digitally process all the tax returns it receives by the 2025 filing season, thanks to billions of multi-year modernization dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act. The IRS struggled to keep up with its paper workload at the height of the pandemic. And that led to long wait times for taxpayers to hear back from the agency. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Congress left for recess this month, it left lots of Defense Department questions up in the air. When it returns in September, it will have just a few short weeks before the end of the federal fiscal year. For an update, the Federal Drive turned to Bloomberg Government defense reporter Roxana Tiron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Protests of agency solicitations or contract awards draw protests about two thousand times every year. It's no fun for either side. But there are things the government can do in crafting an acquisition to lower the chances of a protest. At the recent National Contract Management Association World Congress in Nashville, the Federal Drive got the lowdown from the senior procurement analyst at the Army's Procurement Support Directorate, Michelle Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Poverty often means less access to good health care, and therefore worse outcomes than those of the wealthy. Now the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded $50 million in grants to establish five new organizations devoted to cancer prevention and care. The Federal Drive got details now from the senior advisor for health disparities, Shobha Srinivasan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Defense Department has a new approach to talent management when it comes to its ever-expanding cybersecurity workforce. Officials hope to once and for all get past their recruitment and retention challenges. The department released its cyber workforce strategy late last week. For details, Federal News Network’s Alexandra Lohr joined the Federal Drive to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency execs like to say security is so important they put it in their name twice. Now that same rationale is the impetus behind CISA’s first-ever cybersecurity strategic plan for 2024 to 2026. Security is so important CISA says it needs its own strategic plan to position itself to better handle the ever-changing cyber challenges. Eric Goldstein, CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity, tells Federal News Network's Jason Miller about how the new cyber strategic plan provides a roadmap for transformative change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In more than a thousand federal employee complaints filed against their unions, only 1% of those employees prevailed. That is according to research by a group called Americans for Fair Treatment. AFT says it is dedicated to ensuring accountability for federal employee unions. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin talked with the group's special counsel, David Osborne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The human remains of recently deceased individuals often require transporting over long distances. In the case of cremated remains, they often go via the Postal Service. And the Postal Office of Inspector General has found, USPS needs to improve some of its procedures for handling them. For more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with audit director Amy Jones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Countless new technologies have developed under federal funding, much of it under the auspices of federal laboratories. To showcase some of these developments and the technology transfer process, the Federal Laboratory Consortium has updated its online presence known as LabTech In Your Life. For more on that, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Derek Parks, the Deputy Director of the Technology Partnerships Office at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
The Federal Laboratory Consortium revamps its public view of technology transfer.
The Postal Service is told to tighten up procedures for shipping urns full of human ashes.
This group says it keeps federal unions accountable to their members.
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The Biden administration’s emphasis on early-career federal hiring starts in large part with interns — and they’re beginning to get a lot more attention in even the senior-most levels of government. “You guys wouldn’t believe how often we talk about you,” Office of Personnel Management Deputy Director Rob Shriver told a group of interns at an event Tuesday. “All the time, we talk about, how can we get more interns into the federal government? How can we make sure they have a good experience? And how can we turn them into the pipeline of the future jobs in the federal government?” The federal internship program has struggled for years, dwindling in numbers by nearly 90% in the last decade. Just a few years ago, agencies were offering far fewer paid internships through the Pathways Program. Agencies offered 60,000 paid internships in 2010, compared to just 4,000 in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Like so many projects, sequencing human genomes has gotten harder the closer the work came to completion. A National Institutes of Health team spent seven years heading up a worldwide consortium assembling the last 8% of the human genetic code. For its work, the team has made the finals of this year's Partnership for Public Service's Service to America Medals program, aka "the Sammies." Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Dr. Adam Phillippy, who is part of the NIH team, which also included scientists Sergey Koren and Arang Rhie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Minority and low-income military veterans tend to move more than other veterans. Often they cross state lines, which makes it hard for state governments to identify them. That's according to research by Transunion, the credit-and-identity services firm. For the implications of veteran migrations, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Transunion's Director of Research and Consulting, Greg Schlichter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The U.S. has experienced a hot summer so far. Yet one group of students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), are spending their time in heavy gear, learning to fight wildfires. It is part of a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and a group of four HBCUs. For details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the National Diversity Student Programs Manager, Stephanie Love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
The Forest Service introduces minority students to woodland firefighting.
Sometimes, veterans' mobility makes it hard for agencies to find them.
This federal team put the last few pieces into the human genome puzzle.
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Employees at the Social Security Administration are just a few small steps away from solidifying benefits in telework eligibility, training and career development, child and elder care — and much more. After months of negotiations, SSA reached an agreement with one of its unions, the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents about 42,000 SSA employees nationwide. The two parties began negotiations in April over six articles of their collective bargaining agreement. Labor and agency leaders reached an agreement to update the articles, which will last for the next six years, AFGE said in a press release Wednesday. The updated provisions are a positive step in labor-management negotiations, said Jessica LaPointe, president of AFGE Council 220, which represents SSA field office and teleservice center employees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The question of who should get access to the so-called “lower three,” or the part of the broadband spectrum ranging from 3.1GHz to 3.45GHz, has the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and industry in a stand-off with the Department of Defense. A new report due to be released next month could be the key to ending the stalemate.Congressional authority to auction off parts of the broadband spectrum to industry expired in March, and while telecommunications companies and the FCC continue their push to renew the auctions, leaders in both the Pentagon and Congress say the lower three is vital to national security interests. The lower three is used for some of the Pentagon’s radar capabilities. Both sides are waiting for the results of a report due to be released in September about the risks and capabilities of the lower three. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As you look higher up in the ranks of the federal workforce, you’ll find less diversity among some of the government’s senior-most leaders. That lack of diversity in the Senior Executive Service — the cohort of federal senior leaders serving just under agencies’ top political appointees — has been evident for decades. Notably, though, it has improved in just the past few years. Over time, the SES has grown in numbers and become more diverse along the way, but it’s still not fully representative of the federal workforce’s overall demographics, the Partnership for Public Service said in a report published Tuesday. “As public servants, a primary responsibility is being a steward of the public good,” Max Stier, the Partnership’s president and CEO, told Federal News Network. “Having a government made up of a broad swath of our population is more representative of the people. Diversity across the board is something that improves performance, improves the public’s perception of public service, and more broadly, it’s something that you should be keeping an eye on, which is part of the reason why we’ve done this report.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the nation marked the 75th anniversary of desegregation in the military and the federal workforce, it celebrated progress — but the occasion also served as a reckoning. A combination of congressional concerns about quotas and recruiting problems for the armed services reveals a fault line in how the military should set policies to increase diversity. “I think we as a nation have always been three steps forward, two steps back. And every time there is a movement toward equal rights, there has been a counter-movement for that,” retired Army Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, who served as the vice chairman of the Congressional Naming Commission, which renamed DoD bases honoring Confederates, told Federal News Network. “Whether it’s after Reconstruction, or it’s the reaction to the civil rights movement, or the reaction to a black president, or the reaction to the call for equal justice after George Floyd.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Coast Guard is famous for its field units up-and-down the coasts. They're the ones who launch search-and-rescue missions when fishing boats capsize or canoes drift into shipping lanes. But the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found the field units often don't have emergency food and water for themselves. For more on this, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Heather MacLeod, GAO's Director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues. (GAO REPORT HERE) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Frontline contracting officers contend with a lot of policy. One thing about policy, it's always changing. And that can get in the way of basic efficiency and pricing considerations. At last week's National Contract Management Association (NCMA) World Congress in Nashville, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin discussed the topic with John Tenaglia, the principal director of pricing and contracting at the Defense Department, and Janice Muscopf, the director of price, cost and finance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Two recent Supreme Court decisions changed the calculus for contractors when it comes to dealing with the False Claims Act. The court altered long-standing definitions of "reckless disregard" and "deliberate ignorance." And it gave the government more discretion over dismissing whistleblower cases under the false claims act. For analysis, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin turned to long-time procurement attorney and a partner at Center Law, Alan Chvotkin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
How to keep new policy from making procurement less efficient.
The Coast Guard needs to better protect its own emergency responders.
The Supreme Court shifts the ground under the False Claims Act.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Postal Service no longer teeters on the brink of a crisis. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is trying to keep it that way. USPS no longer finds itself in the same dire shape it was in at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. When DeJoy took office in June 2020, the agency was on track to lose $20 billion that year, and stood less than two months away from running out of cash to operate. The agency, even with some financial intervention from Congress — $10 billion in emergency pandemic funds and $3 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act to purchase more electric delivery vehicles and charging stations — is still far from fully digging itself out from its long-term financial challenges. But DeJoy, sitting at a conference room table at his USPS headquarters office, is talking about what it’ll take for the organization to not just survive, but thrive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The White House’s new strategy for expanding the national cyber workforce carves out a key role for agencies by positioning the federal government as a leader in adopting skills-based hiring practices, while officials will also consider the creation of a Federal Cyber Workforce Development Institute. The “National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy” released today by the Office of the National Cyber Director lays out the Biden administration’s approach to meeting both immediate and long-term cyber workforce needs. It comes on the heels of the administration releasing its implementation plan for the overarching national cyber strategy. And it comes as the demand for cybersecurity skills continues to outpace the supply of qualified personnel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
A union objects to the F-A-A's return-to-the-office order.
Contractors are also combing through the House and Senate defense authorization bills.
That Supreme Court affirmative action decision is already affecting federal contracting.
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When the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action as practiced by Harvard University, it set off a tsunani. One of those giant waves is already washing over federal contracting. For more on this and other matters, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin checked-in with federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The defense authorization bills, while contentious, would do a lot for contractors; from inflation relief to easing greenhouse gas emissions reporting. For a summary, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Haynes Boone procurement attorney Dan Ramish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The FAA's order for employees to return to the office didn't sit well with one of its unions. They call the order a clear violation of their collective bargaining agreement. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Dave Spero, President of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the nation marked the 75th anniversary of desegregation in the military and the federal workforce, it celebrated progress — but the occasion also served as a reckoning. A combination of congressional concerns about quotas and recruiting problems for the armed services reveals a fault line in how the military should set policies to increase diversity. “I think we as a nation have always been three steps forward, two steps back. And every time there is a movement toward equal rights, there has been a counter-movement for that,” retired Army Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, who served as the vice chairman of the Congressional Naming Commission, which renamed DoD bases honoring Confederates, told Federal News Network. “Whether it’s after Reconstruction, or it’s the reaction to the civil rights movement, or the reaction to a black president, or the reaction to the call for equal justice after George Floyd.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
They haven't done nothing, but the House and Senate have a lot more to do for any chance of a budget by September 30. For one thing, the two chambers are $100 billion apart. This as they head out for a long August recess. For an outlook, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Bloomberg Government Congress Reporter Jack Fitzpatrick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A bevy of trade groups recently urged the Biden administration to sharpen its cybersecurity strategy focus on identity and identity-related crime. And they sent three suggestions to top White House cyber officials. For details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Jordan Crenshaw, the Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It was established in the steam-power and rotary- engine era. And it remains relevant in the nuclear and jet propulsion era. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) recently marked 100 years in business, and a history of helping U.S. naval forces keep their competitive advantage. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Dr. Bruce Danly, NRL's Director of Research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
A leading military research unit celebrates a century of work.
Trade groups urge the administration to boost focus on identity in cybersecurity efforts.
Congress recesses with its federal budget still under construction.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Airport screeners and other Transportation Security Administration employees have received a major pay increase to bring their salaries on par with the rest of the federal civilian workforce. The new pay scale instituted by TSA this month mirrors the General Schedule wage system used across much of the rest of the federal government. The increases were funded under the homeland security appropriations bill passed by Congress late last year. It included funding for the pay raises starting in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. Late last week and into the weekend, TSA employees received their first paychecks under the new system. Some TSA employees received as much as a 31% pay boost, officials said during a press conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport today. “That’s a hell of a pay increase for anybody, but it’s long overdue,” House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
U.S. Space Force tests out wearable device to track the fitness of guardians.
Are budget cuts the best way to fix troubled agencies?
The Agriculture Department puts together a new model to manage its cloud services.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Washington's ticker tape of controversy has wrapped around several agencies and departments. Republicans in Congress would fix things by cutting their budgets. But is that the best way to cause reform? Not according to the guest of Federal Drive Host Tom Temin: Former American University Professor Bob Tobias. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How fit are guardians, you know, the service members in the U.S. Space Force? The Air Force would like to know. So the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) is running an experiment to find out what information wearable fitness devices might yield, and whether they will help increase the fitness of guardians. For details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Katharine Kelley, the Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital at the Space Force, and with James Christensen, a Product-Line Lead at the AFRL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Federal retirees, and employees looking to retire, have some new resources to help them through the often long and thorny retirement process. A new series of video tutorials from the Office of Personnel Management lays out, step by step, a couple of key items on the federal retirement to-do list. With the three new videos, OPM said it hopes to reduce the number of errors from federal retirees when trying to log in to manage their online retirement accounts. And in theory, the videos should also help reduce wait times at retirement services call centers, OPM said, now that more detailed information is readily available to feds who get caught up in some of the early steps of the process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For Thrift Savings Plan investors, 2023, so far, has brought a partial climb back out of the depths of 2022. It's a good time to separate the patient investors over here, and the would-be market-timers over there. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Certified Financial Planner Art Stein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For service members or civilians aboard the nation's ships and planes, nothing is worse than a culture of assault, bullying and sexual harassment. Yet those were widespread on the craft operated by the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA). Federal Drive Host Tom Temin's guest set about fixing a toxic culture. Now she's a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program. She is Rear Admiral Nancy Hann, the Director of NOAA's Commissioned Corps and Director of its Marine and Aviation Operations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
An organization called Service to the Citizen recently handed our dozens of awards to federal officials. At the very top of the list was Alek Stripipatana, the Director of Data and Evaluation at the Health Resources and Services Administration. He and Federal Drive Host Tom Temin had this conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
A slightly-past-mid-year review of your Thrift Savings Plan investment returns.
She rescued this sea-faring federal group from sinking under its own culture.
A slightly-past-mid-year review of your Thrift Savings Plan investment returns.
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Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) hold on Senate-confirmed Defense Department nominations will likely not end before Congress’ August recess. It’s a move that leaves not just nominees, but military and civilian DoD families in a state of limbo. The trickle-down effect means a hold on plans for family moves, school admittances and spouse employment. Secure Families Initiative (SFI), a military family advocacy group, sent a petition to Tuberville and Senate leadership on Monday requesting the block be lifted. Members of the group delivered the petition with more than 550 signatures to the offices of Tuberville, as well as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The nominee to lead Cyber Command is eyeing new programming and budgeting authorities that will allow CYBERCOM to set training standards, build out its warfighting forces and partner more closely with industry. The bureaucratic but significant change was included more than two years ago in the Fiscal 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. The law says that, starting with the fiscal 2024 budget, the head of CYBERCOM will have direct control over the planning, programming, budgeting and execution of resources for the Cyber Mission Force. Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, who currently serves as the deputy commander at CYBERCOM, called the forthcoming change a “critical moment” in the 13-year-old command’s history that will put it on par with more established warfighting organizations like U.S. Special Operations Command. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
TSA finishes work on a nifty new training center in the west
A snapshot of the National Cybersecurity Strategy's implementation
The Defense Department clarifies how to use other transaction authority
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Other Transaction Authority (OTA) acquisitions have become popular in the Defense Department and other agencies, to the tune of billions of dollars a year. OTA's have guardrails against abuse of this method of buying. The Office of the under secretary of Defense for acquisition and sustainment earlier this month released fresh OTA guidance that seeks to dispel what it calls some of the myths. For analysis, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin turned to Haynes Boone procurement attorney Zach Prince. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Congress authorized the creation of the Office of the National Cyber Director back in 2021, and the White House issued the National Cybersecurity Strategy earlier this year. So, how's it doing implementing said strategy? Well the Government Accountability Office looked to answer that very question with a "Snapshot" of where things stand. To learn more, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to Marisol Cruz Cain, Director of the Information Technology and Cybersecurity team at GAO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For the Transportation Security Administration, what happens in Las Vegas certainly does not stay there. TSA recently opened a new officer training center near the Las Vegas Airport, and new hires trained there take their knowledge all over the country. For an update, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with TSA's Assistant Administrator of Training and Development, Kim Hutchinson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As you look higher up in the ranks of the federal workforce, you’ll find less diversity among some of the government’s senior-most leaders. That lack of diversity in the Senior Executive Service — the cohort of federal senior leaders serving just under agencies’ top political appointees — has been evident for decades. Notably, though, it has improved in just the past few years. Over time, the SES has grown in numbers and become more diverse along the way, but it’s still not fully representative of the federal workforce’s overall demographics, the Partnership for Public Service said in a report published Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the four months since his Senate confirmation, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel has been on a listening tour. Werfel has been talking to employees, the union representing employees, citizens and anyone else who will talk to him. One of the constant challenges he heard was around the safety of IRS revenue officers and agents who were conducting unannounced home visits, and the ever-growing concern from citizens about scam artists posing as tax agency officials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's Federal Newscast, Military spouses call on Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama to end his block on Senate confirmed military appointments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When agencies enact new rules aimed at curtailing some aspects of the larger national economy they can sometimes lead to conflicting impacts on federal contracting, both for the companies and the federal agencies. There are a couple of recent examples that we discussed with David Berteau, President and CEO of the Professional Services Council. We also got into what the fourth quarter could look like for contractors after the last one didn't perform as well as though. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, that means a large amount of investment from both the private and public sector. With much of it going to local infrastructure and manufacturing endeavors, it can be tough for people, especially private citizens, to find out where that money is going. To help, the Center for American Progress has created a new tool to catalog more than 35,000 of these investments. To find out what went into this project, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Emily Gee, who is senior vice president for Inclusive Growth at American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/biden-administration-investment-tracker/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The U.S. Agency for International Development operates throughout the world, but all its work is local. It's been on a drive to concentrate more contract and grant dollars to organizations in the countries where a project is occurring. At USAID, they call that localization. For a progress report, Federal News Network's Tom Temin spoke to the agency's senior advisor for localization, Sarah Rose.
https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/FY%202022%20Localization%20Progress%20Report-June-12-23_vFINAL_1.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Like many organizations, the intelligence community is grappling with the rapid advances of generative artificial intelligence over the past nine months. Many spy agencies are now evaluating their plans for both using the technology and defending against its use. For the latest, the Federal Drive was joined by Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Thrift Savings Plan has seen plenty of changes over the last year, but one of those updates has had perhaps a little less time in the spotlight. The new “mutual fund window,” which launched last summer, offers TSP participants 5,000 additional investment options. But now, a bill in Congress is threatening an early demise of the optional program. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman joined the Federal Drive with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is about, well geography of course. And data. And now it's about artificial intelligence. For a progress report, the Federal Drive checked in with the NGA's director of data and digital innovation, Mark Munsell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week Congress is hard at work on spending bills for 2024. It's the last work week before the August recess, as the fiscal year rushes towards September 30. Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan joins me with a look ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Small Business Administration might be a small agency but it has outsize influence over the economy. The pandemic highlighted shortcomings in the SBA, including constituents' access to credit, customer service, and entrepreneurial development. That's according to a task force convened by The Bipartisan Policy Center. And it has a list of recommendations for reform. Joining me with more, the task force co-chairs. Former SBA associate administrator in the Office of Capital Access, Ann Marie Mehlum and the former chief of staff and chief operating officer, Pradeep Belur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Federal hiring managers view sector-wide shakeups in the private sector, especially the tech sector, as an opportunity to grab some talent for public service. Agencies are joining forces with state and local governments to pitch that idea of public service career in public service to displaced techies. Those agencies held a recent “Tech to Gov” virtual job fair, to help some hires while interest is high. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with a senior advisor for the Office of Personnel Management’s Hiring Experience Group, Kyleigh Russ. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
Both houses of Congress are churning out appropriations bills, believe it or not
A business plan for reform of the Small Business Administration
Data science drives big changes at the Bureau of Fiscal Service
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On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
An in-depth (2-part) review of federal efforts to improve citizen experience and reduce administrative burden.
Higher interest rates have dampened mergers and acquisitions in the defense market.
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The Defense industrial base is always a concern for the Pentagon. It worries both about capacity and whether it has a competitive market. That's why planners keep an eye on mergers and acquisitions aka M-and-A. M-and-A activity is highly sensitive to interest rates. For insight on what to expect now that the federal reserve rate is 5%, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Venable law firm partner Joseph Schmelter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
No American would stand on a soap box and shout out how easy it is to deal with the federal government. A small office deep within the White House apparatus has been coaxing agencies to reduce what's officially known as administrative burden on citizens, things like difficult forms, procedures for getting on airplanes, obtaining a loan. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has a progress report on the year-old effort. To find out more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with OIRA's associate administrator, Sam Berger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When the Department of Homeland Security launched the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program a little over a decade ago, it represented a major shift in how federal agencies managed cyber risks on their networks. Instead of doing it alone, DHS would provide tools so agencies could “continuously” monitor their networks for assets and risks. But the CDM program’s initial focus would hardly be considered “operational” today, according to Michael Duffy, the associate director of capacity building at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 2003 crash of the Space Shuttle Columbia sparked big changes at NASA. That's when its Engineering and Safety Center got established, in order to provide safety oversight and a culture more attuned to safety. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin's guest was the lead guy for the Engineering and Safety Center, and he's a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program, the Sammies. He's Ralph Roe, Jr., NASA's former Chief Engineer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It only took six years, but now the Homeland Security Department has new regulations covering how contractors must handle CUI, controlled, unclassified information. Better get ready. They go into effect later this month. The find out how you might need to prepare, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Holland and Knight attorney Eric Crusius. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Navy's carriers and submarines might be the most technically sophisticated in the world. But they're also the most expensive. And, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin's guest argues that they also might not be the most effective in dealing with the rise of China. Dan Grazier, a military fellow at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), contends that alternative strategies and technology exist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
Why the U.S. should consider a completely different military strategy to deal with China
Homeland Security is finally off the dime with regulations on sensitive information
Meet the man who transformed NASA, no less.
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Following weeks of return-to-office announcements, yet another agency has made its plans clear to currently teleworking employees. But this time, the National Science Foundation has drawn negative attention from its union. NSF leaders made a return-to-office announcement to staff members Friday, prior to negotiating or reaching an agreement on telework with the American Federation of Government Employees, the federal union said. Starting in October, all telework-eligible NSF employees and Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) employees stationed at agency headquarters will have to work in the office at least four days per two-week pay period, NSF leaders said in an all-staff email, obtained by Federal News Network. The changes do not apply to employees eligible for remote work or those with an approved remote work agreement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the calendar year half over, it's a good time to review your financial life. For people in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHB), open season isn't far off. For a few housekeeping tips to keep in mind at this mid-year point, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with financial adviser Abe Grungold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The most talked-about Government Accountability Office (GAO) report confirmed what a lot of people suspected: Federal offices are largely unoccupied, a continuation of the situation during the pandemic. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke to the man behind the report: GAO's Acting Director of Physical Infrastructure, David Marroni. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
An old saying goes like this: "If it moves, tax it. If it moves too fast, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it." Well, Artificial Intelligence is in that fast-moving stage, but no one seems to quite have any sense of how or even why to regulate it. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin's guest has a few clues: Dr. Charles Clancy, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of MITRE Labs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
How exactly should the government regulate artificial intelligence anyway?
What exactly did the GAO say in that report on empty federal offices?
Mid-year is a great time to review your financial options.
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Provisions in a pair of must-pass pieces of legislation making their way through the House of Representatives could go some way toward addressing what advocates say is a lingering crisis in access to health care for DoD employees in Japan — particularly for the more than 6,000 members of the department’s civilian workforce who serve there. One of the provisions, part of the 2024 defense authorization bill the House approved on Friday, would order U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the geographic combatant command responsible for military forces in the region, to conduct a study on whether the personnel who support its missions are getting the health care they need to keep doing everything they do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The federal government is setting a new record for overall small business contract spending — with more than a quarter of federal contracting dollars going to small businesses last year. The Small Business Administration, in its fiscal 2022 Small Business Federal Procurement Scorecard released Tuesday, found agencies spent a record $162.9 billion dollars on small business contracts last year — an $8.7 billion increase from fiscal 2021. About 26.5% of all federal contracting dollars in fiscal 2022 went to small business prime contracts awards — which exceeds a government-wide goal for 23% of that spending to go to small business prime contracts. SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman said small business owners in the federal marketplace support over a million jobs across several sectors — including manufacturing, construction, and research and development. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thanks to that extensive survey by the Government Accountability Office, we know just how empty federal offices really are. None of them is more than half full. That fact has depressed the market for certain commodities a lot of vendors counted on each year as a kind of annuity. To take a fuller look at the empty offices, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution. PPBE has been the way of the Pentagon since the 1960s. Nobody is thrilled with it, but it persists. The latest set of recommendations for reforming Pentagon acquisition comes in a letter signed by a dozen contractors and venture capital outfits. For the details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Ahmed Humayun from Applied Intuition and one of the signatories to the letter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's one thing to want new infrastructure, but it's another thing to get a project through a nearly impenetrable thicket of federal, state and local environmental rules, not to mention the almost inevitable lawsuits. That's where the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council comes in. For details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Eric Beightel, the Council's newly-appointed executive director. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
The Federal Permitting Council gets a new lease on life thanks to new infrastructure spending.
No shortage of ideas for reforming Defense Department acquisition.
No shortage of ideas for reforming Defense Department acquisition.
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For more than a decade sexual assault and harassment allegedly ran unchecked at the Coast Guard Academy, and when the service finally investigated, the report stayed under wraps. The Coast Guard conducted the investigation starting in 2014, but only notified Congress of their findings in June. Now members of Congress want answers as to why the Coast Guard failed to disclose their findings, and how the service intends to fix the problem. In a letter dated July 13, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to Admiral Linda Fagan, the commandant of the Coast Guard, requesting information and documents related to the investigation, known as “Fouled Anchor.” “We are profoundly troubled by the Coast Guard’s choice to withhold from Congress and the public — as well as the [Coast Guard Academy] and broader Coast Guard — the Coast Guard’s own findings of the multi-year investigation that uncovered the mishandling of the sexual assault allegations,” the letter said. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
An extended hold on military promotions by a Republican Senator is distorting talks over the National Defense Authorization Act. But that is not all that is bothering Congress these days. For the week's outlook, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Customs and Border Protection is adding more criminal investigators to its Office of Professional Responsibility, the office in charge of investigating serious misconduct allegations by CBP staff. The office also reviews use of force and critical incidents like in-custody deaths. The agency is using several hiring tools. For how its going, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with the executive director of investigative operations, Dan Altman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Registered nurses at the VA's Cincinnati Medical Center recently staged a public protest -- an "informational picket" -- over what they say is a new and unsafe practice. They say veterans will become collateral damage and they put their own nurses licenses at risk. For details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Eric Cromer, a nurse and member of National Nurses United. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
A group of VA nurses sounds the alarm on a new patient practice.
Customs and Border Protection turns to special hiring authorities to recruit investigators.
The defense authorization for 2024 bill becomes a dart board for peevish lawmakers.
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It may not have tanks anymore, but the Marine Corps wants to make sure it has cutting edge technology tailored to the force’s unique requirements. One source for that technology — the Marine Innovation Unit (MIU) — is scheduled to reach full operational capability this fall. The unit primarily employs reservists to fill its ranks, a choice which allows it to draw from private sector talent to get expertise in fields like cyber security, artificial intelligence and robotics. “The driving assumption that has spawned the Marine Innovation Unit is that we are going to be in a position to leverage this unit with specialized talent, expertise and backgrounds so that we can deliver real outcomes that would otherwise be difficult for the active component to drive in isolation,” Marine Lt. Col. Eric Chase, head of MIU’s defense engagement branch, told Federal News Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nearly 33,000 federal employees are almost set to receive a little more in their paychecks starting in 2024, thanks to new proposed rules from the Office of Personnel Management to establish four new locality pay areas. Many federal unions and organizations have lauded OPM’s proposal, but at the same time, federal manager advocacy groups said these relatively small tweaks to locality pay are only the tip of the iceberg. “Creating new locality pay zones when systemic compensation issues holistically undermine the government’s competitive posture is akin to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic,” Senior Executives Association President Marcus Hill said in a July 7 letter to the President’s Pay Agent. “It is not enough.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Copyright Office's equivalent of small claims court has helped hundreds of people solve disputes in its first year. The three-member Copyright Claims Board will help in cases worth up to $30,000. For a progress report, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Claims Board member Brad Newberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The annual Feds Feed Families campaign has raised nearly 100 million pounds of food since 2009. The 2023 campaign, just a few weeks in, has the goal of gathering more than eight million pounds of food this year. For an update and how you can help, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin talked with Feds Feed Families National Chairwoman, Andrea Simao and the Acting Deputy Assistant Agriculture Secretary for Administration, Duane Williams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
July, the time for weenies and pretzels and beer, and for USDA, feeding the hungry.
The Library of Congress marks a year of helping solve copyright disputes
The Navy’s pursuit of innovation stretches far and wide.
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The Biden administration is giving agencies marching orders to make its cyber policy goals a reality. The White House on Thursday released an implementation plan for its National Cybersecurity Strategy. The plan outlines 65 high-impact initiatives agencies must meet to stay ahead of emerging threats, and sets a timeline to complete those goals. The plan puts 18 agencies in charge of leading at least one initiative, although much of its goals will require interagency coordination. Acting National Cyber Director Kemba Walden said Thursday that the implementation plan is a “living document” that will be updated annually to reflect the federal government’s evolving response to emerging threats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When the Securities and Exchange Commission filed charges against former Army financial counselor Caz Craffy Friday, it highlighted a need for financial protection for military families in possibly their most vulnerable moment. Craffy is accused of defrauding Gold Star families with unauthorized trading and higher risk strategies that did not match customers’ investment profiles. A new amendment to the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act would offer protection to military families when working with a Defense Department financial counselor. The amendment would mandate conflict of interest restrictions for DoD financial counselors and require reports to document any conflicts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Let me riddle you this: When it comes to government contracting, if you are not a small business, what are you? The answer, of course, is “other than small.” Not much of a riddle, except if you are a “medium-sized” business in the $34.1 million to $250 million revenue range (feel free to argue for that end range to be closer to $500 million) over the last year, specifically under NAICS Code 541512 — computer systems design services. Then the riddle clearly is how to compete in a market that favors small and very large firms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For nearly 18 months, the United States and its allies have shored up Ukraine with advanced weapons and ammunition. Early on, a policy office deep in the Pentagon coordinated efforts to enlist more than 50 countries to gather up not only weapons, but also medical supplies, ambulances and clothing. Laura Cooper is Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, or RUE. For her work in to help Ukraine, she's a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program, orchestrated by the non-partisan Partnership for Public Service. She is the lastest of Federal Drive Host Tom Temin's weekly guests who are Sammies finalists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In war, the only thing worse than getting there late is running out of ammunition. No one has infinite stockpiles. The drawdown in support of Ukraine has shown the need to boost the surge capacity of the defense industrial base. Now the George Mason University Center for Government Contracting has offered a list of ways to deal with the capacity deficit. To learn more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Jerry McGinn, the center's executive director. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Supply chain interruptions and slowdowns linger as an effect of the pandemic. They make purchasing and acquisition difficult for both the private sector and government. Recently thinkers from IBM Center for the Business of Government, National Academy of Public Administration, and the Chamber of Commerce put their heads together to come up with ways governments can become more resilient on the supply chain front. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin discussed all of this with Dan Chenok from the IBM Center and with Robert Handfield from North Carolina State University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
How governments can better prepare for supply chain disruptions.
How the Defense Department can improve surge capacity in the supply chain.
This Defense official put allied suppliers to Ukraine on speed dial.
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In the wake of a suspected China-linked cyber campaign targeting the unclassified Microsoft cloud-based email accounts of federal agencies and other organizations, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency expects to soon issue an announcement with Microsoft on the availability of critical network logs outside of the company’s premium payment structure. The development comes as a senior CISA official noted to reporters that federal cyber defenders were able to detect the incident last month because the first agency affected — reportedly the State Department — had access to premium logging capabilities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The annual Warrior Games bring together wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans in Olympic-style competition. They compete at what are called adaptive sports. Global Consulting Firm Booz Allen participated by bringing human performance and data analytics practitioners. For why, and what they learned, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke [in studio] with Munjeet Singh, the Senior Vice President of Booz Allen's Bright Labs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Defense Department has been steadily developing artificial intelligence capabilities. But how should it go about purchasing AI tools? To get some ideas, the Government Accountability Office recently looked into how a handful of companies handle it. For what they found, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to the director of GAO's Contracting and National Security Acquisition, Jon Ludwigson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Federal Drive has been bringing its audience stories of State Department employees who received this year's Data for Diplomacy Awards. One awardee was honored for changing the approach of the State Department's delegation to the United Nations in Geneva -- specifically the Human Rights Council. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Jesse Lynch, the Human Rights Officer for U.S. Mission to the U.N. Delegation to the Human Rights Council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
How the State Department uses data to improve work with the U.N.
A look at the Pentagon buying strategy for artificial intelligence.
Games can help a lot with military service member readiness.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Department of Veterans Affairs will implement a long-awaited pay raise for its IT and cybersecurity workforce later this month, to bring employees’ salaries closer to what they could earn in the private sector. Kurt DelBene, VA’s assistant secretary for IT and chief information officer, told Federal News Network that the department will implement a Special Salary Rate (SSR) for its IT and cyber workforce in July. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Schedule F, the hotly debated executive order from the final months of the Trump administration, could make a comeback if a Republican president steps into office, as both former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have already promised to revive the order, or a similar policy, if elected. Among harsh criticism from unions, federal employee organizations and Democrats in Congress, proponents of the now-defunct executive order defended the policy’s intentions during a June 29 panel discussion hosted by the National Academy of Public Administration. Two former Trump administration officials said the current process for firing federal employees is too difficult, and at its core, Schedule F is about improving the accountability of the federal workforce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
This National Science Foundation grant will help forecasters see inside clouds.
Why government spending on blockchain is small but on the rise.
Cybersecurity comes home to roost for federal contractors.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Contractors will, somehow, be living under it, and there's still time to comment on it: The revision to NIST special publication 800-171 on protection of controlled, unclassified information. That's not the only cyber policy affecting contractors. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the Executive Vice President for Policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Agency spending on blockchain is a tiny fraction of total technology spending. But it's important and growing, according to analysis by Deltek, a company focused on delivering software and information solutions. For more on what Deltek is spending and why, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Alex Rossino, Deltek Advisory Research Analyst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a 90-plus million grant with the purpose of improving understanding of weather. It went to the University Corporation for Atmosphere Research. The result will be an airborne phased radar giving 3-D pictures of weather phenomena. For the details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with NSF's Chief Officer for Research Facilities, Linnea Avallone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A federal service used by financial institutions to verify Social Security numbers, recently highlighted as a prime example for how the government could reduce improper payments and fraud, is at risk of a “death spiral” due to a steep increase in user fees, according to proponents of the system. The Government Accountability Office is now conducting a review of the Social Security Administration’s electronic Consent Based Social Security Number Verification (eCBSV) program after lawmakers flagged concerns with cost overruns and price increases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If the fiscal 2024 budget process was a baseball game, we’d still be in the early innings. And like in baseball, where no lead is safe, what the bills look like today is far from what they will look like on Oct. 1 or Nov. 1 or even Jan. 1, whenever Congress passes, and the president signs, a final set of spending bills. The one thing that seems certain, is lawmakers will not get the budget done by Oct. 1, leaving agencies with yet another continuing resolution and opening the door, ever so slightly, for the return of the “S” word — sequestration. Just don’t say to more than three times, or like Beetlejuice, if you say it too often, it will appear out of the ether. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
Has the Supreme Court weakened the cause of whistleblowers?
Conflict of interest comes to light in the EPA's small business innovation research program.
Both the House and Senate have a lot to take care of and not that much time to do it.
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Coming back from its holiday recess, both chambers of Congress have a lot of business to take care of before their next one. With nominations and appropriations on the agenda, Federal Drive Executive Producer Eric White spoke with Bloomberg Government's Loren Duggan, to get all the details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The federal Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) has aided neophyte companies in a variety of domains. The EPA is among the agencies with an active SBIR program. But there's a nagging problem, according to the EPA's office of inspector general: conflicts of interest in SBIR contracts. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with IG Special Agent Nic Evans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A new Supreme Court ruling seems to throw a wrench into the False Claims Act, in particular the "qui tam" cases where a whistleblower stands to benefit from revealing false claims. It gives the Justice Department greater authority to toss out certain cases. For analysis, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with whistleblower attorney Steve Kohn of Kohn, Kohn Colapinto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC) obligated its available funds for the current year, it marked a milestone for the three-year-old government-backed venture fund. After starting as an idea — exploring whether the government can make an impact on early-stage hardware production to benefit the Defense Department — it quickly developed into a working fund with 17 companies in its portfolio. The initial seed money from Congress spanned five years at $15 million per fiscal year after the first year with a mandate of providing funds to start-up hardware companies that could provide the Defense Department much-needed products from secure domestic sources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
Archiving things is not the sleepy job you might think it is.
This group is called FEW, but luckily there's more than a few of them.
How two agencies are squeezing the security-clearance calendar.
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Federally Employed Women (FEW) has a new president, and she's got ideas. To delve into those ideas, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with FEW President Pamela Richards, who also happens to be a Supervisory Investigative Research Analyst at the Government Accountability Office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The National Archives is more than just a bunch of warehouses filled with old paper. Archiving and managing records is a profession unto itself. Now the Archives' National Historical Publications and Records Commission has established a leadership institute at the University of Virginia. For the details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with UVA archivist Brenda Gunn and the Commission's Director for Access Programs, Nancy Melley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A month after the initial decision, a new explanation has emerged for the Pentagon’s sudden decision to cancel the $374 million program it’s been working on for the past several years to replace its much-maligned Defense Travel System (DTS). But for Capitol Hill, the latest rationale has raised almost as many questions as it’s answered — enough to prompt lawmakers to call Defense officials to testify at a July hearing and to demand documents that could help explain the sudden change in course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Defense Department is moving to improve oversight of personnel with access to classified information, appoint “top secret control officers” and establish a joint office for insider threats after a junior Air National Guardsman allegedly leaked troves of highly classified data on the Discord website. The new actions are laid out in a June 30 memo signed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. They are based on a 45-day review Austin ordered in April after 21-year-old Jack Teixeira was arrested for being the alleged perpetrator of the leaks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Usually, contractors protest to the government over matters related to money. But there's a long history of non-monetary damage, usually related to interpretation of a contract. To hear more about a recent case that has affirmed this line of claim, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Haynes Boone procurement attorney Dan Ramish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is among the oldest enduring federal programs. Now, the Agriculture Department has found a way to help recipients eat well even if they live in what's known as a food desert: no access to supermarkets or high quality food. Two finalists for Service to America Medals brought SNAP to online food buying. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the two Sammies finalists: Lisa Gafaldi, a Senior Technical Adviser to the SNAP program and Shelly Pierce, Director of the SNAP Policy and Innovation Division. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A bill with bipartisan backing would give substantial raises to federal firefighters. Their union says they make close to minimum wage for this dangerous work, and they haven't had a raise in a generation. For more on the Federal Firefighter Pay Equity Ac, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Greg Russell, the government affairs representative of the International Association of Firefighters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
The push is on to improve pay for the nation's federal firefighters.
These USDA employees modernized an old program so poor Americans could eat better.
When contractor claims against the government don't involve money.
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The Office of Personnel Management is asking agency leaders to take it up a notch to support federal employees’ mental health and wellness. Every agency’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) has a set of traditional offerings to help feds through personal and work-related issues — including mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and financial and legal services. EAPs are voluntary programs that feds can opt into, when or if they’re looking for those services. But now OPM is calling on agencies to revamp their EAPs and start including even more resources for feds, to create what the agency called Employee Wellness Programs (EWPs). New employee wellness guidance, which the agency published in May, expands on OPM’s EAP revitalization efforts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Supreme Court, in the case of a former mail carrier who declined to work Sundays, is setting a higher standard for employers in and out of government to reject religious accommodations in the workplace. The court, in a unanimous opinion issued Thursday, clarified businesses must grant religious accommodations to workers, unless doing so would result in “substantial increased costs” carrying out the business. The court’s ruling in Groff v. DeJoy raises the bar from a previous requirement that employers must demonstrate more than “de minimis,” or minor costs to claim a religious accommodation is unreasonable. The Supreme Court made its ruling in the case of Gerald Groff, a former rural letter carrier in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Time-wise, there's not much left of the federal fiscal year. Less then three months now. Money-wise it's a different story. Agencies will spend around $217 billion between now and September 30, more than half by the Defense Department. Contractors, especially small businesses, need to make sure their pipelines are clear, according to federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen, who spoke with Federal Drive Host Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's perfectly legal for federal agencies to make grants to foreign entities. Research and scientific good can come of it. But it requires oversight. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) looked at how the Health and Human Services Department, and in particular the National Institutes of Health, overseas foreign grants, or money that went to grant sub-recipients in foreign countries, like China. For more on this, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Candice Wright, the GAO's Director for Science, Technology Assessment and Analytics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Federal Drive with Tom Temin recently brought you an interview with one of this year's Data for Diplomacy awardees from the State Department. The award cited the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations for its work in a program called the Conflict Observatory. Team lede Susan Wolfinbarger joins Federal Drive Host Tom Temin once again for an update on a new observation post in the deeply troubled Sudan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
The State Department launches a special program to monitor the violence in Sudan.
NIH needs to tighten oversight of foreign grant money recipients.
That rumbling you hear is the end of the fiscal year approaching.
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When 13 technology and venture capital leaders wrote an open letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on June 26, it was a plea to reform the Defense Department’s acquisition process. The letter lists four items it calls “actionable,” but the realities of acquisition reform may mean the status quo won’t change, at least not quickly. The letter referenced an interim report published by the Atlantic Council in April that listed ways the Defense Department can immediately modernize acquisition. The letter sent to Austin sought to highlight the importance of those reforms. The final version of the Atlantic Council’s report is due to be completed in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Budget talks in Congress are in suspended animation this week because of the 4th of July recess. When members return, they will have only three weeks until the August recess. For a recap of the sticking points, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The PACT Act, which became law in 2022, aims to help veterans who were exposed to toxins. Since June 3, it has sparked more than 625,000 new claims. For how the agency is dealing with the caseload, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Josh Jacobs, the Department of Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Benefits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Artificial intelligence seems to be overturning every part of life. How about this one: AI and its country cousin, machine learning, working together to develop new drugs. To see how AI can help and what some of the risks might be, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the Food and Drug Administration's Associate Director for Policy Analysis, within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Dr. Tala Fakhouri. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
The FDA ponders whether artificial intelligence can help with drug approval.
How the Veterans Benefits Administration is coping with Pact Act claims.
Congress is gone until next week, but the budget questions drone on.
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Almost 33,000 federal civilian employees are a step closer to a bigger pay raise in 2024, after the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a proposal to establish four new locality-pay areas for the General Schedule. OPM’s proposed rule, added to the Federal Register Wednesday, comes after the President’s Pay Agent in December approved recommendations from the Federal Salary Council to establish the four new locality pay areas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of The Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
What do people really mean when they say government should operate like a business?
VA's Inspector General has become an enduring presence among IG's
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When the nearly endless debates over the debt ceiling were raging on, the United States didn't look very businesslike to the rest of the world. Internally, though, you never stop hearing that federal agencies should operate more like a business. This is both true and not true, according to my next guest. The Federal Drive got commentary from American University professor Bob Tobias. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After seven years on the job, Michael Missal is one of the senior inspectors general. He joined Veterans Affairs as IG early in the second Obama administration. He joined the Federal Drive with a progress report. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The State Department put a spotlight on one of the Biden administration’s top federal workforce priorities, when it named its first chief diversity and inclusion officer. The department since then has launched new fellowships, and made changes to how it screens applicants joining the Foreign Service. Now State’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer is stepping down after more than two years on the job. For a retrospective, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Improving the quality of life and careers for women soldiers. That's the goal of a new new Army advisory group advocating for women soldiers. The Women's Initiative Team will hold its first meeting in August. Federal News Network’s Alexandra Lohr joined the Federal Drive with details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of The Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
This federal lawyer got a settlement from a powerful industry after a 20-year dispute
Health and Human Services tries speaking in many languages
How the Air Force secrets leaker could end up getting away with it
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Jack Teixeira, the Air National Guard member, recently joined a long list of military and civilian employees who blithely gave away classified documents. A federal judge let Teixeira hire a private attorney with experience in national security cases. Joining the Federal Drive with analysis of what this might mean, Tully Rinckey managing partner Dan Meyer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When you hit that convenience store for a pack of smokes, you might notice the warning sign. That's thanks to my next guest. She produced a settlement in a long running dispute with the tobacco industry about retail signage. For her tenacity and skill, she's a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program. The assistant director of the consumer protection branch of the Justice Department, Lisa Hsiao, joined the Federal Drive to discuss further. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The reality in America is that millions don't speak English, or English is not their first language. The Health and Human Services Department studied its own efforts to make information and services available to non-English speakers, as part of compliance with the Biden Administration's Executive Order 13-985 on racial equity. With what it found, the director of HHS's Office for Civil Rights, Melanie Fontes Rainer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With higher salaries on the horizon, attrition is way down at the Transportation Security Administration. But TSA’s top official says a House funding bill would force the agency to reverse forthcoming pay increases for non-screening employees like air marshals and canine handlers. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me with the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
A nearby state undertakes regulatory reform officials think would work in Washington
This new technology has the whole nation hallucinating
It's out, a procurement rule banning contractors from using Tik-Tok
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85% of the federal workforce operates outside the nation’s capital. That’s why the government has Federal Executive Boards – or FEBs. The decades-old program helps coordinate and communicate among agency headquarters and field offices, for things like snow days and other emergencies. But the 28 Boards across the country also manage mentoring and training programs – and much more for the federal workforce. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman got the latest from Anita Spinner, the director of FEB's at the Office of Personnel Management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Federal Acquisition Regulation Council earlier this month issued something the procurement community had been expecting. An interim rule that bans the Tik-Tok app from certain contractor devices. Joining the Federal Drive to explain the implications, Haynes and Boone partner Zach Prince. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The baby boomers used LSD to hallucinate. Nowadays people use generative artificial intelligence to hallucinate, to create misinformation that seems credible. Now the Government Accountability Office has published a detailed study of generative AI and its implications. The Federal Drive got more now from the GAO's director of science and technology assessment, Brian Bothwell.
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106782?utm_campaign=usgao_email&utm_content=daybook&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Virginia officials under Republican Governor Glen Youngkin have launched a reform of the state's regulatory system. The new Office of Regulatory Management covers all agencies. It requires them to do detailed economic reviews of proposed regulations. Joining the Federal Drive with the details, the deputy director of the new office, Reeve Bull.
https://www.theregreview.org/2023/02/20/bull-virginia-charts-a-path-forward-on-regulatory-modernization/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Labor Department has more than 500 business applications. All that software needs constant care. And Mangala Kuppa, the director of business application services in the CIO’s office, leads the caretaker effort. Kuppa, who was a finalist for the 2023 leadership award from Women in Technology, tells Federal News Network's executive editor Jason Miller about consolidation and rising use of shared services. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of The Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
Why the debt ceiling deal is not quite the defense windfall it seems to be
USDA modernizes an important research facility with a whole new building
What Congress wants Defense to look like in 2024 takes shape
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House Armed Services committees at last voted out their bills for 2024 last week. The Senate Armed Services Committee released a statement of intent. For one view of how things are shaping up, the Federal Drive turned to the president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nobody loved the deal Congress worked out to raise the debt ceiling. But it did avoid default and gives a spending blueprint for fiscal 2024. It's not quite the defense bonanza it appeared to be, according to my next guest. Elaine McCusker, who is a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, joined the Federal Drive to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Agricultural Research Service has broken ground on a big new facility at the University of Kentucky. It's known as the Forage-Animal Production Research Unit. For what will happen there, we turn to the ARS Research Leader for forage animals, Michael Flythe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is out with fresh guidance for how agencies can secure widely used business applications like email and productivity tools. CISA hopes to help agencies develop better visibility into both the cyber threats and security gaps lurking on their networks. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday, spoke with CISA’s cyber shared services manager, Chad Poland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Department of Veterans Affairs has tried twice before to replace its aging financial management IT system. Both attempts failed. But the third try could be the charm: the current project, called ITAMS, is mostly on track. Lawmakers say they’re determined to make sure it stays that way. That’s partly because nearly $4 billion are at stake, and partly because VA can’t afford to keep using its 30-year-old legacy system. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
DoD dishes out its latest batch of awards for unique research projects
It's no small task to resettle the children flowing past the nation's borders
Capitol Hill monitors enter a wait and see period
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Congress has gone into a two week recess, however the entirety of the debt ceiling debate took up a lot of time that could've been used to address other confirmations and hearings. So that mean it's going to be a busy summer once members return. To discuss what's on tap, the Federal Drive turned to Bloomberg Government's Loren Duggan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last month, the Defense Department announced $18 million in Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research or DEPSCoR awards to 28 academic teams. The teams hail from all parts of the country and the competition aims to help introduce potential researchers to DoD’s unique research challenges and supportive research ecosystem. To find out more about how it works, the Federal Drive got the chance to talk to Dr. Bindu Nair, Director of DoD’s Basic Research Office and DEPSCoR Program Manager Dr. Jennifer Becker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Homeland Security isn't the only department dealing with an ongoing border crisis. Health and Human Services has a big job too. It's Office of Refugee Resettlement has struggled with the task of making sure unaccompanied children are properly taken care of. It's got a mixed record. The Federal Drive got more from HHS assistant regional inspector general Nancy Bibb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Defense Department looks to its future force levels, continuing problems with recruitment mean it has to focus more than ever on retention. Joining the Federal Drive to tell us about some of the retention efforts, Federal News Network's Alexandra Lohr. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can a federal department have an institution. Health and Human Services does. Its institution is a person: Bill Hall, who recently retired after -- get this -- 43 years in public affairs. He retired as a Deputy Assistant Secretary. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Bill Hall all in-studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The nation seems to have both more problems and more government than ever. Federal Drive host Tom Temin's interview guest makes the case in a new book, that more collaboration with what he calls bridge-builders will be more effective than the traditional approach. Build a new organization for each problem, then dump money on it. Bridgebuilders co-author Don Kettl is a Professor of Public Policy at the University of Texas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
A new prescription for effective government from a long-time observer.
This federal institution has an institution of its own.
VA finds zero trust cybersecurity is an uphill slog.
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On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
A DHS adviser finds a way to ground airborne human trafficking.
100 new ways the government gets wrapped around its axle.
Should federal employees feel relieved by the debt crisis resolution?
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Resolving the debt ceiling did get Congress a little closer to a 2024 budget deal. So what does it mean for your pay and benefits? Federal Drive host Tom Temin checks in with John Hatton, the Staff Vice President, Policy and Programs at NARFE: the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fragmentation, duplication and overlap. There is too much of it in government programs. It degrades economy and efficiency. Each year the Government Accountability Office (GAO) details instances of multiple agencies doing the same thing. This year GAO found what if calls "100 new matters for congressional consideration." For the highlights, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Jessica Lucas-Judy, the GAO's Director of Strategic Issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Not all human trafficking takes place in trucks and boats. Sometimes perpetrators fly their victims around. Federal Drive host Tom Temin's interview guest led an effort by the Homeland Security and Transportation Departments to train aviation personnel -- on the ground and in airplanes -- how to identify potential victims of human trafficking. It's called the Blue Lightning Initiative. And for Michael Camal's work on Blue Lightening, he finds himself as a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals Program, aka the Sammies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Only a couple of weeks until that magic date: The start of the final quarter of the federal fiscal year. It is now or never for contractors to make their sales goals. For some advice, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Larry Allen, a long-time federal sales and marketing consultant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The top echelon is aware the U.S. Army has a problem with sexual harassment, sexual abuse, substance-use disorders, and suicide. In fact, since 2019, the Army has produced nearly 50 studies of these problems. But most of those studies do not include specific recommendations for dealing with these problems. That's according to an internal meta study done by the Army Audit Agency, and obtained by POGO: the Project on Government Oversight. To learn more about the meta study, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with POGO Senior Investigator Nick Schwellenbach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has been steadily improving the way it delivers health care to a growing segment of the veteran population: Women. Research has unpinned many of the care initiatives. To learn more about what is behind much of that research, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with someone deeply involved it, as well as a recipient of a special VA Secretary's award. Based in Los Angeles, Elizabeth "Becky" Yano is Director and Co-Founder of the VA Women's Health Research Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
How research drives VA's approach to women veterans health care.
The Army studies its sexual harassment problem, but could do more about it.
Smart contractors are preparing for what could be a solid fourth quarter.
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Republicans in Congress are arguing amongst themselves over 2024 spending levels, as well as with the Democrats. Now the talk of a lapse in appropriations and a government shutdown are already in the air. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talks about all of that with WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Defense Department has been dealing with Chinese planes and ships harassing U.S. planes and ships. The State Department has dealt with Chinese aggression on the diplomatic front. China has also emerged as a central challenge for the Commerce Department, by design, according to Federal Drive host Tom Temin's guest: Wire China staff writer Katrina Northrop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When many members of Congress are unable to manage a Facebook account, Don Beyer of Virginia has been pursuing a master's degree in machine learning. He's been at it for a year. For a progress report, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talks with the student himself: Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
A progress report on a sitting Congressman who is back in college.
Defense and State aren't the only departments with a big China challenge.
Budget talks for 2024 are rocking, raising talk of a government you-know-what.
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The Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction office, facing employee engagement scores near the bottom of the federal government, is hoping to turn a corner in the coming years with the pending reauthorization of the office moving forward in Congress. DHS has consistently ranked near the bottom of the 17 “large” agencies in the “Best Places to Work in the Federal Government” rankings compiled by the Partnership for Public Service. Those low scores are largely driven by challenges at large DHS components like Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Transportation Security Administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Love 'em or have 'em, federal proposed rules have a habit of becoming final. For contracting officers in the Defense Department, the latest acquisition regulation means they're obligated to use the Supplier Performance Risk System in evaluating bids. For what it means to contractors, Federal Drive hotst Tom Temin spoke with Piliero-Mazza attorney Kevin Barnett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Given the long-running and intense illegal immigration drama on the U.S-Mexico border, you might expect low morale for employees of Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Now the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General has documented it. For details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Acting Deputy IG for Audits, Kristen Bernard and from Audit Manager David Lu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
You bet morale is sinking for Homeland Security employees on the southwest border.
Contracting officers have a new rule contractors should worry about.
The IRS CIO has definite plans in mind for its modernization funding.
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For the 2024 budget cycle, serious military recruiting problems appear to have put the House’s appropriations and authorization committees in a generous mood when it comes to personnel spending. Although all uniformed servicemembers are likely to see their biggest raise since the George W. Bush administration, the House’s legislation would give the military’s most junior members even larger increases, along with a host of other provisions meant to improve compensation and quality of life for lower-ranking enlistees. All military members are expected to get a 5.2 percent pay increase next year: President Biden’s proposed budget and the House appropriations and authorization bills each agree on that figure, and that raise alone would be the biggest percentage increase uniformed members have seen since 2002. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Veterans Benefits Administration is looking to accelerate its use of automation tools this summer to keep pace with its workload and break new records on the number of claims it can process in a year. VBA officials told members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee that increased automation stands out as a key part of the agency’s five-year modernization plan. Raymond Tellez, VA’s acting assistant deputy under secretary for automated benefits delivery, told lawmakers on Wednesday that VBA, as part of its five-year modernization plan, is piloting automation technology to help decrease the time it takes to process claims. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The push for ever-more productivity. The noodging to return to the office. the political comings and goings. The funding uncertainty. It's enough to convince some feds it's time to retire. But think about it first. There's an opportunity cost to retiring. For more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with retired federal manager and financial adviser Abe Grungold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Immersive technology has shown real promise in treating both physical and psychological illnesses. It is taking hold at the Veterans Health Administration, enabled by a special network called the Extended Reality Network. The leaders of the team that built the network are finalists in this year's Service to America Medals Program. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Anne Lord Bailey and Caitlin Rawlins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the view of one business group, the Federal Data Strategy needs a top-to-bottom rethinking. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation says the strategy simply doesn't serve the needs of a government trying to modernize and digitize. For more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Eric Egan, the foundation's policy fellow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
Is the Federal Data Strategy more than just a piece of paper?
For the Veterans Health Administration, virtual reality is more than fun and games.
Retirement might be more complicated than getting a job in the first place.
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You can’t tune into a webinar, go to a conference or listen to a speech by a federal technology executive these days without them slipping in a mention of generative artificial intelligence, particularly ChatGPT. Yes, it’s the latest buzzword to join the litany of past excitement over cloud computing, robotics process automation and most recently, zero trust. But unlike cloud or RPA or even zero trust, generative AI is striking apprehension in the hearts of federal officials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The State Department, facing a historic increase in passport applicants, is looking to ramp up hiring and modernize its IT systems to drive down wait times. The State Department set a record last year when it issued about 22 million passport books and cards last year. But the department is on track to break that record and issue about 25 million passport books and cards this year — about a 15% increase from last year. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the Bureau of Consular Affairs is seeing “historically high demand” for passport and visa services. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General, Joseph Cuffari, is hanging onto his job by a thread. He acknowledge in a hearing that he has deleted messages from his government cell phone, which at least two members of Congress say is a violation of federal records laws. They want him to resign. For the latest, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Mitchell Miller, WTOP's Capitol Hill correspondent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seems kind of new at a mere 20 years of age. But it has a lot of really old information technology, politely called, "legacy systems." The Government Accountability Office (GAO) gave DHS a list of recommendations for modernizing. But, as you might have guessed, there's still a lot of work to do. For more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Kevin Walsh, GAO's Director of Information Technology and Cybersecurity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The State Department's modernizing program includes a news emphasis on data, what is called, Data for Diplomacy. State gives annual awards to employees who advance the use of data to improve things. Federal Drive host Tom Temin's guest was recognized for how he identified challenges in collecting data about foreign assistance. Lenny Lantsman is the Program Advisor in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
He helped overcome a crucial data challenge for the State Department.
Newest federal department has some of the oldest information systems.
Swords are drawn for the Homeland Security Department's IG.
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The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will scan the networks of federal agencies to help them identify any web-connected “networked management interfaces” that have become a key vulnerability in recent cyber exploits. CISA laid out its plans under a binding operational directive issued today. It comes in the wake of a warning late last month from Microsoft — later amplified by CISA and other federal agencies — that an alleged Chinese state-sponsored hacking group, known as “Volt Typhoon,” has been using network administration tools to infiltrate critical infrastructure networks. CISA’s directive, called BOD 23-02 “Mitigating the Risk from Internet-Exposed Management Interfaces,” describes how “recent threat campaigns underscore the grave risk to the federal enterprise posed by improperly configured network devices.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Federal wild land firefighters who combat dangerous wildfires, like the ones responsible for currently hazardous air conditions on the east coast, are facing yet another crisis. Time is running out for a temporary pay raise for federal firefighters, officials at the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service warned senators on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The temporary pay raise, in an attempt to improve recruitment and retention, offered federal firefighters a boost of either $20,000 or 50% of their annual base salary, whichever number is lower. But the funding, part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), will run out by the end of September. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
At the Interior Department, back office systems running grants, real property, finance and acquisition aren’t just getting a burst of new technology. The entire office overseeing the IT is getting a new name. The Business Integration Office will soon change to the Business Integration and Innovation Office (BI2). Andrea Brandon, the deputy assistant secretary for budget, finance, grants and acquisition for the Interior Department, said both the name change and the new technology will accelerate Interior’s digital transformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Three contractor trade associations have banded together on the issue of foreign military sales. Last year they sent a long list of suggested changes to the Defense Department. This year they're focusing on the State Department. For a summary, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Stephanie Kostro, the Executive Vice President for Policy at the Professional Services Council. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Most discussions about federal modernizing, center on information technology. For the armed forces, modernizing is also about physical systems that require a solid manufacturing industry base. That is where the non-profit Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Integration Center comes in. It is working to support the Army's need for a half million skilled workers. For more details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the Center's program manager, Brian Schmidt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
GSA helps agencies choose just the right electric car
For the military, modernization goes way past information technology
Industry pushes hard for Congress to modernize foreign military sales
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It's not so easy picking out cars and light trucks for your federal fleet. No more garages full of Chevy Luminas. Now the General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees these things, has issued an online tool to help fleet managers pick out electric vehicles. For more details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with GSA's Executive Director for GSA fleet management, Christina Kingsland, and the Assistant Commissioner for Travel, Transportation and Logistics, Crystal Philcox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Now back from space, three NASA astronauts have a new mission: to help recruit the next generation of federal employees. A group of current federal interns across government heard from NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, as well as Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, at a launch event for a new federal internship experience program. The program, a collaboration between the Office of Personnel Management and Department of Interior, will offer the short-term feds more professional development opportunities throughout the summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the aftermath of Typhoon Mawar, roughly half the residents of Guam, including military service members and civilian Defense Department employees, still have no power and water. Although progress is being made to restore utilities, homes sustained damage and residents lost food and possessions as a result of the typhoon’s high winds and heavy rain. Karen Fahland, the director of the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society and a nine-year resident of the island, said it was the worst storm she had ever seen. “The one thing that saved a lot of people here [near the naval base] is that many of the structures are concrete. Other places it’s total devastation. The northern part of the island unfortunately had houses that are now uninhabitable,” Fahland said. She said in her own home, a condo by the beach, typhoon shutters were torn off the building and the rain came in horizontally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Committees in the House will take up two important issues this week: Agency budgets for 2024 and the next National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) This will transpire as Congress recovers from its exertions over the debt ceiling. For a look ahead, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Loren Duggan, Bloomberg Government's Deputy News Director. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The National Nurses Organizing Committee and National Nurses United at Veterans Affairs have signed a three-year contract. It covers more than 14,000 RNs at 23 VA hospitals. Negotiations spanned nearly a decade and two president's administrations. For details, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to organizing committee chair Irma Westmoreland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Because cyber threats ceaselessly change, so do the protective measures agencies need to take. Cybersecurity guidelines from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) never stay static either. In fact, NIST is updating its guidelines in a crucial document known as special publication 800-171. Written help organizations protect sensitive, unclassified information. For the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with NIST fellow Ron Ross. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
NIST updates crucial guidelines for protecting sensitive information.
Years of negotiating, and now a VA nurses union has a new contract.
Regular business, like your agency's budget, is coming back to life in Congress.
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An independent agency created to fast-track the sale of excess federal properties is falling behind on its goals envisioned more than six years ago, and is running into many of the bureaucratic hurdles it was meant to bypass. The Public Buildings Reform Board, created under the 2016 Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act (FASTA). recommended in January 2020 that the General Services Administration sell a dozen “high-value,” but underutilized federal properties. GSA sold 10 of those properties for $194 million, well below the board’s sales target of $500-$700 million, according to reports from the Government Accountability Office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Not enough new entrants. A lack of accountability. Too many modifications to existing contracts and not enough new awards. The Veterans Affairs Department got an earful from House lawmakers last month over its IT contracting habits. The trends highlighted by the Government Accountability Office and House Veterans Affairs Committee members were not necessarily surprising to VA officials, but nonetheless worrisome. To that end, VA is changing the way it manages and works with contractors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin:
She helps ensure veterans receive equal care no matter who they are or where they live.
The SEC is cooking up a new rule for financial services cybersecurity.
Farmers.gov really launched USDA’s next generation of cloud services.
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The Securities and Exchange Commission is contemplating comments to a proposed rule on cybersecurity of financial services companies. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with someone who specializes in quantifying risks, and wonders whether the proposed rules will actually help. Saket Modi is Co-Founder and CEO of Safe Security, a global leader in cybersecurity and digital business risk quantification. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The population of the nation's veterans has steadily grown more diverse -- with respect to race and ethnic background -- over the decades. And there are more women than ever. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with a woman who has done yeoman's service to help the Veterans Health Administration not allow underserved and vulnerable veteran populations slip through the cracks. Dr. Donna Washington is the recipient of a recent VA secretary's research award, and she's a staff physician in the Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last year the federal government deputed a three-digit suicide prevention hotline phone number. 988. It replaced a 10-digit number. The new number is thanks to the work of a team at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Team members are now finalists in this year's Service to America Medals Program. Two of the finalists, James Wright and Dr. Richard McKeon joined the Federal Drive to tell their story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While the federal contracting world was worrying about a giant but slow-moving contractor cybersecurity requirement from the Defense Department, Veterans Affairs went ahead with a doozy of its own. Five months later, the Federal Drive checked in on how it's going with Holland and Knight partner Eric Crucius. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While the politicians debate how much money it should have, the IRS cranked dutifully away this past tax filing season. The agency says it operated on schedule for the first time since 2020, the advent of the pandemic. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration tracked the season closely. With what it found, the deputy IG for audit, Diana Tengesdal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You knew it would come to this. Thrift Savings Plan participants are suing the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board and its recordkeeping contractor Accenture Federal Services. Seven participants filed a class-action lawsuit claiming that the board and Accenture botched TSP’s major system update last summer, costing serious damage to hundreds, if not thousands, of participants. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman joined the Federal Drive with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is years behind its original schedule for modernizing the system it uses to manage billions of dollars in grants. But FEMA’s CIO says the agency has made progress recently. It now eyes next spring for consolidating the rest of its grants into a single IT platform. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday has more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you've got trouble breathing, a respiratory therapist can do you a world of good. Recognizing the importance of respiratory therapy and the people who provide it, Veterans Health Administration's Maryland Health Care System has given its respiratory therapists a career boost. Now they've got a pathway to add advanced practice to their titles. The Federal Drive's next guest spearheaded the effort. He's chief of respiratory therapy for VA in Maryland, Daniel Whitt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A new problem has emerged for the long-troubled F-35 joint strike fighter program. It concerns spare parts, and who accounts for them. Are they government-furnished parts or should they be accounted for under a contract. The Joint F-35 program office and its suppliers don't always agree, with the result that millions of dollars worth of parts seemingly vaporize. We get details from the director of financial management and assurance issues at the Government Accountability Office, Kristen Kociolek.
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106098 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For the second year, the State Department has recognized employees who enable better use of data in the art of diplomacy. Data for diplomacy is both an awards program and a part of the department's modernization plan. This year's group award went to people in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations for their work in a program called the Conflict Observatory. Eric White got the details from team lead Susan Wolfinbarger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Two-thirds of the Postal Service’s rural letter carriers are having their pay cut. A new pay system has been in the works between Postal management and union officials for more than a decade. But rural carriers say the Postal Service hasn’t given them or their managers adequate training on the new system, and that they stand to lose thousands of dollars a year in pay. Now Senators have joined in the questioning. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman joined the Federal Drive with the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Federal employees will be getting a nice raise now. But federal contractors aren't totally certain they'll be able to get inflation adjustments from their agency customers. That's despite the fact that the defense authorization law specifically mentioned contract modification for inflation relief. What's going on? Federal Drive host Tom Temin checked-in with the President and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau.
For every would-be immigrant to the United States, there is a government form. Or several forms. A recent count of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services forms shows astonishing growth in the number and length of forms. To get some more details on all this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the Cato Institute's associate director of immigration studies, David Bier.
The customer experience drive has not been lost on the Social Security Administration. Few if any agencies exceed the 180 million online visitors SSA receives every year. Now Social Security has made a significant upgrade to its public website to make it easier to use. To get the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with SSA's acting chief business officer, Eric Powers.
The Office of Personnel Management is ramping up work on IT modernization for both its main website and federal retirement services, but those aren’t the only changes coming from the agency’s Office of the Chief Information Officer. Aside from the technological changes, OPM is looking at ways to improve employee retention and satisfaction for its internal workforce. A lot of that effort involves adjusting to a hybrid workplace, something that’s become a more permanent part of OPM’s office structure.
The Department of Veterans Affairs expects to keep growing its benefits division’s workforce through the end of the fiscal year, now that it’s able to tackle a trove of veterans’ claims that’s been growing since the summer. The VA on Jan. 1 started processing all claims submitted under the PACT Act, which enables a historic expansion of eligibility for VA health care and benefits.
Besides the tragedy-comedy drama over selection of a House Speaker, there is a rather potent agenda for the 118th Congress. Authorizations. Appropriations are so far off. Debt ceiling. And the gambits Republicans in the house are hoping to launch. To cover it all in 10 minutes, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Bloomberg Government Deputy News Director Loren Duggan.
Should the government use its footprint in the mortgage market and disaster relief to force electrification of homes and schools? One froup called Rewiring America thinks so, and it has a long list of agenda items. To find out more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Rewiring America's research director Stephen Pantano.
The Forest Services, part of the Agriculture Department, is in the midst of a 10-year effort to better prevent wildfires, the kinds of seemingly out-of-control blazes that have charred millions of acres out west. With six months until the peak danger season, Federal Drive host Tom Temin checks-in with the strategy's program manager, Brian Ferebee.
Every five years, the Agriculture Department releases a census to gauge U.S. farms and ranches, as well as the people who operate them. The questionnaire is issued and catalogued by USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service. To find out what it entails, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to the head of NASS, Huber Hamer.
The board overseeing the federal Thrift Savings Plan has been working for six months to fix bugs in its brand new website launched last June. Many functions have been improved, but customers say there's still work to be done. For an update, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the board's external affairs director, Kim Weaver.
An enduring challenge for military IT people: getting just the right information securely to people who need it, especially in contested environments. Now researchers from the Air Force Research Laboratory's Information Directorate think they have a solution. It's called robust information provisioning layer, or RIPL. To find out more about it, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with program manager Brian Holmes.
Cybersecurity is the gift that keeps on giving, and 2023 promises to be as busy as ever for agencies and contractors across a range of cyber policy developments.The White House Office of the National Cyber Director is expected to issue a new national cyber strategy within the next couple of months. Mark Montgomery, the senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the strategy will likely map out a shift already underway toward more cybersecurity regulation.
A comprehensive spending bill for the rest of fiscal 2023 outlines a plan for federal buildings, including a way forward for the headquarters of two federal law enforcement agencies. The fiscal 2023 omnibus spending bill Congress released this week to fund federal operations and avert a government shutdown on Friday directs the General Services Administration to further consolidate office space for the federal workforce.
No one is looking back fondly on last year when it comes to the Thrift Savings Plan. The markets had a terrible year across the board. And the TSP board is still catching up from a difficult deployment of a new system for plan members to manage their accounts. To find out what to expect in 2023, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Abe Grungold, financial coach and retired federal executive.
So-called black swan events seem to be happening in flocks. The pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, earthquakes and floods. For government, it all adds up to the need for resilience and preparation. And, according to new research by the IBM Center for the Business of Government, a technological approach is also needed. For more on this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Syracuse University professor and Government Accountability Office managing director, Chris Mihm.
For long-serving federal executives, retirement from government is merely a gateway to a next phase. A case in point is Letitia Long, who retired back in 2014 as director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. She sits on several corporate boards and chairs one of the big trade associations. For some insight into her post-government life and a few other matters, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Letitia Long.
Contractors start the new calendar year with customers funded for the fiscal year. But some new rules and procedures will take some attention. To get an outlook for 2023, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
You might think chief financial officers count beans and leaf through spreadsheets. But their profession needs training, skills development, and innovation as much as anyone else. A project at the Office of Personnel Management sought to ensure financial people stay up to date. For more on the award-winning program, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with OPM's strategic foresight program analyst, Eric Popiel and the Commerce Department's deputy chief financial officer, Steve Kunze.
In doing economic analyses leading to changes in federal benefits, agencies are obligated to do them a certain way. During the pandemic, the Agriculture Department redid an index resulting in a big boost in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Government Accountability Office finds, USDA didn't quite proceed properly. To get more on this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Kathryn Larin, GAO's Director of Education, Workforce and Income Security.
The Office of Personnel Management is making big plans to pivot its main website to focus more on its usefulness from the user perspective. To accomplish that feat, it will require a nearly complete overhaul of how OPM.gov is currently organized.“[Currently], it’s really set up like a legacy government website, in that it’s structured around the actual organization and offices of OPM as an agency, versus what somebody would want to look for,” OPM Chief Information Officer Guy Cavallo said in an interview with Federal News Network.
The Republican-led House is looking at opportunities to eliminate duplicative federal agencies and programs, as well as rescind $80 billion that would help the IRS rebuild its workforce and its legacy IT systems.House Republican leaders are doubling down on a promise made before last year’s midterm elections to make defunding the IRS a top legislative priority at the start of the 118th Congress.
In what IRS officials call a groundbreaking event, the agency recently hosted a national virtual settlement event. In 59 meetings over four days, it settled 44 cases of less-than-rich taxpayers. To find out more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with attorney Gretchen Altenburger, from the IRS Office of the Chief Counsel.
In the relatively brief 21 years since its inception, the Transportation Security Administration has gone through a lot of change. Everything from its uniforms to its screening technology has been thought and re-thought. Now TSA has expanded its museum. For details, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to TSA's historian, Heather Farley.
Like much of the legislation enacted in the past couple of years, the National Defense Authorization Act has something for everybody. That includes the nation's federal and military firefighters. For more, the Federal Drive turned to the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, Edward Kelly.
It’s been a very long time coming, but looks like it’s finally smooth sailing for the Pentagon’s plan to overhaul its household goods moving system. The contract DoD plans to use to restructure its global household goods enterprise has been held up by bid protests for more than two and a half years now. This week, a deadline that could have prolonged the court battles came and went without incident – good news for DoD and its chosen contractor, Homesafe. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has been covering this contracting saga, He joined the Federal Drive with more on what just happened and what’s ahead over the coming years.
Customer experience emerged as a federal technology issue for for federal agencies this past year. An executive order from December 2021 kicked the effort into gear with a focus on data, systems and services. Federal News Executive Editor Jason Miller joins me now, to look back on how CX and other initiatives left their mark over the last 12 months.
We're not done digesting the biggest regular spending bill in history. Within that $1.7 trillion so-called omnibus spending package, Congress set a couple of new deadlines for federal agencies. For one, it wants the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget to figure out how to solve durable problems with federal hiring. Joining the Federal Drive with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
Members of the military special forces can do extraordinary things. But eventually they muster out, with little preparation for work in the private sector. That's where the Tampa, Florida based Star network comes in. Star stands for Special Operations Forces Transition Assistance Resource. It's a group of executives who volunteer to help SOF members while pledging to hire them. One new member of the Star network joins me now. She's the CEO of Naviga Recruiting and Executive Search, Kathleen Steffey.
Veterans Affairs has never been a static organization. In recent years, legislation has added external practitioners to augment health care available in VA's own facilities. For a review of how this has gone so far, and a look ahead to 2023, the Federal Drive turned to VA's undersecretary for health, Dr. Shereef Elnahal.
2022 was another busy year for federal chief information security officers and cybersecurity teams across government. It started with the clean-up from the Log4j mess, and continues with a flurry of new guidance, binding operational directives, and you-name-it. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joined the Federal Drive with more.
The omnibus budget package is a lot more than a bill to fund government operations. Congress stuffed its five thousand pages with tax and business provisions. Some have real impact. For what federal contractors have discovered so far, the Federal Drive turned to the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro.
Maybe it's lack of leadership. Or lack of attention. But the Justice Department has failed on a critical congressional mandate, that's according to the Government Accountability Office. Justice has been required to update a national strategy to deal with exploitation of children every two years. For what has actually happened, the Federal Drive turned to the GAO's director of Homeland Security and Justice issues, Gretta Goodwin.
A series of challenges in the new year, hosted by the Homeland Security Department's Science and Technology Directorate, will help measure the accuracy of tools meant to test the validity of someone's identity. The sessions will challenge industry to deliver secure, accurate, and easy-to-use remote identity validation technologies. This so agencies can prevent identity fraud when users apply for government services, open bank accounts, or verify social media accounts. For more, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to the head of S&T’s Biometric and Identity Technology Center, Arun Vemury.
The Veterans Affairs Department is getting ready for a big expansion of health care and benefits thanks to the PACT Act. It all gets underway at the start of the new year. The VA saw its fair share of challenges in 2022. Like the rocky rollout of its Electronic Health Record. And a thud, when plans to modernize its network of facilities fell flat. Joining me for a review of all things VA, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman.
Earmarks, appropriations as favors to individual members of Congress, have made a big comeback. More than 7,000 worth billions in the latest deal. The Federal Drive got details from Bloomberg Government Congress reporter Jack Fitzpatrick.
A late 19th century law called the Chinese Exclusion Act put a 10-year ban on Chinese laborers immigrating to the United States. Subsequent laws limited Chinese immigration until Congress condemned the Exclusion Act in 2012. Now the National Archives and Records Administration has digitized and put online some 2,200 Chinese Exclusion Act cases files. For how and why this came about, the director of archival operations at NARA's Denver center, Gwen Granados.
Taming the sometimes chaotic cloud computing arrangements and learning to love artificial intelligence, those are among the technology trends for 2023 identified by thinkers at Deloitte. For more on this and what else federal IT managers will have to deal with next year, the Federal Drive turned to Deloitte's public sector chief technology officer, Scott Buchholz.https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/tech-trends.html?id=us:2el:3dc:diUS175897:eng:di:120722:dghpg&pkid=1010964#eyes-to-the-sky
For federal employees and federal employment, 2022 was a year where change may have been the biggest constant. More agencies started reopening their office doors, while many feds were pressing for better telework options. There were also big changes in the Thrift Savings Plan and with the Merit Systems Protection Board. Joining the Federal Drive with a roundup, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
Thousands of federal employees will likely see bigger paychecks starting in 2024. The president’s pay agent approved four new pay locality areas that were recommended by the Federal Salary Council. And, once again, the pay agent is calling for “major legislative reforms” to the federal pay system. Joining the Federal Drive with the details, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
Recent guidance -- long and complicated guidance -- went to agency heads concerning the President's Management Agenda. The guidance concerned raising the job satisfaction scores of offices and bureaus. Federal Drive host spoke with a longtime observer of federal management topics, who said the guidance reflects a fundamental mistake. That observor is Bob Tobias, a professor in the Key Executive Leadership Program at American University.
During the worst of the pandemic, Florida officials were able to speed test results to resident thanks to automation. The Florida Department of Health signed up Healthy Together, a provider of online disease management software. The work recently received an award from the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center. For details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Healthy Together co-founder Jared Allgood.
From chemical safety to data security, the Environmental Protection Agency has a range of management and performance challenges in 2023. The list was developed, as legally required, by EPA's office of inspector general. To get the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with acting chief strategy officer Adam Seefeldt.
Transportation Security Administration employees are in line for a pay raise next July after lawmakers included funding in the omnibus spending bill to increase salaries and benefits for TSA’s workforce. The government funding bill includes $398 million to bring TSA salaries in line with the rest of the federal workforce and the General Schedule system. The legislation would give TSA 180 days to brief lawmakers on “a detailed plan to effectively measure the impact of these personnel system changes on TSO recruitment, hiring and retention.” The Senate passed the spending bill on Thursday, and it now awaits action in the House.
If at first you don’t succeed, try again would be one way of looking at Department of Defense’s effort to use a new mechanism for funding technology. The fiscal 2023 omnibus spending bill funds 10 programs for buying software that fall under the Software and Digital Technology Pilot Program. Last year, the Pentagon requested money for the program, but Congress didn’t include it in the final budget. This year, the proposed budget fully funds the 10 programs in order to test the concept in a pilot.
A few years back, Congress changed how the Small Business Administration would calculate whether a business qualified as small. It had been the average of three years of revenue. The new rule was five years. The question arose … when did the new calculus kick in. The question had real consequences for a company called Obsidian. To get the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Zach Prince.
The Air Force and the business school at the University of Maryland have teamed up. Their program helps Air Force and Space Force officers get their MBAs, specializing in technology management. The officers return as faculty members of the Air Force Academy. Ultimately they hope to speed up technology adoption by the armed services. Federal Drive host Tom Temin had an in-studio conversation with one member of the program, Space Force Captain Jared Bodgan.
The U.S. Agency for International Development recently re-established a group called the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid. It was chartered back in 1946, but it hasn't met in a couple of years. Now it's back to work. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about it with Nisha Biswal, the Senior Vice President at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Advisory Committee.
For federal employees, the most significant part of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package that Congress unveiled this week may not be contained in the text of the legislation itself, but rather found in what’s not said. The 4,155-page bill, which House and Senate lawmakers released in the early morning hours of Dec. 20, doesn’t make any reference to the 4.6% across-the-board federal pay raise, in effect silently endorsing the Biden administration’s proposal for 2023. The bill additionally supports a 4.6% pay raise for military members in 2023.
Congress many have shown little new love for the Technology Modernization Fund in its fiscal 2023 omnibus bill, but that doesn’t mean IT modernization will not reap what the Office of Management and Budget has been sowing for the past decade. Lawmakers seem to finally grasp there are specific policy changes and resources that agencies need to chip further away at the mounting billions of dollars in technical debt.
The government-wide Improper Payment Rate dropped by more than 2% in fiscal 2022. One of the biggest ways agencies can keep it headed downward is stronger identity management. Beryl Davis is the Managing Director of the Financial Management and Assurance team at the Government Accountability Office and Tim Persons is the GAO's Chief Scientist. They tell Federal News Network's Jason Miller about a new tool developed by the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program.
Federal law will raise the maximum amounts Americans can contribute to 401K plans next year, including the Thrift Savings Plan. Is it a good idea to just go ahead and plow in all you can? To get some insight, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with certified financial planner Art Stein.
The Coast Guard recently joined scores of other agencies in appointing a chief data officer. More than that, in August it set up what it calls a "technical domain," centered on data and how to handle it. For details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with that new Coast Guard CDO, Capt. Brian Erickson.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is in line for another budget boost under the fiscal 2023 spending agreement, while lawmakers are also reauthorizing CISA’s marquee cyber defense program for another year.The fiscal 2023 omnibus spending agreement includes $2.9 billion for CISA, a $313 million increase over its current budget. The funding includes $1.3 billion for the agency’s cybersecurity programs, about $230 million more than last year.
The Postal Service is expanding plans for electric delivery vehicles in its future fleet, a strategy that puts the agency ahead of the Biden administration’s net-zero emissions goals across the federal government. USPS plans to purchase 66,000 electric vehicles over the next five years, as part of a nearly $10 billion spending plan. In total, the agency expects to purchase 100,000 electric and gas-powered delivery vehicles through 2028. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said Tuesday that USPS will “continue to explore the financial and operational feasibility of achieving 100% electrification for the overall Postal Service delivery fleet.”
More of the same. Only more so. That might be the best way to characterize the cybersecurity trends for 2023. To hear more about what to expect on this crucial front in 2023, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the Director of Emerging Security Trends at the SANS Institute, John Pescatore. [SysAdmin, Audit, Network and Security]
Memory -- that part of computers you never seem to have enough of -- is a weak spot for cybersecurity. Attackers have exploited memory since, well, just about forever. Now the National Security Agency has published fresh guidance to help both software developers and users avoid memory exploits.To find out the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the Technical Director of the Cybersecurity Directorate, Neal Ziring.
The new normal this time of year is for those in the federal contracting community to wait and hope Congress enacts funding for the next fiscal year. Plus, there are always those changes in the federal acquisition regulations. So who's making the lives of the government's industry partners easier and who deserves a lump of coal from Santa this year? To find out, Federal News Network's Eric White talked with Larry Allen from Allen Federal Business Partners.
Now the government funding-lapse deadline is a couple of days before Christmas. This after the Senate sent a week-long extension of the continuing resolution to the White House last last week. To delved deeper into what to expect, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
NASA computing and data science people are collaborating to find mission-related applications for artificial intelligence. For their work, they recently received an award from ARTAC, the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center. To hear more about their work, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with NASA's David Na and Nikunj Oza.
One thing you can say about the cybersecurity threat situatio is that it has gotten worse in the past five years. That's why the Food and Drug Administration hired the Mitre Corporation to update a crucial document from 2018, namely the playbook for dealing with medical device cybersecurity. To delve into the whys and wherefores, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Food and Drug Administration Senior Special Adviser Aftin Ross, and Mitre IT and Cyber Integrator Penny Chase.
After about a month of testing, the Army is rolling out a new virtualized desktop capability across the force, providing soldiers and civilians with more options for accessing their work. Army Chief Information Officer Raj Iyer said the Army is ready to go live with Microsoft’s Azure Virtual Desktop. “It’s rolling out in two weeks,” Iyer said during a Dec. 14 interview on the sidelines of the Department of Defense Intelligence Information Systems conference in San Antonio, Texas. “The infrastructure is all set and ready to go.”
Maybe they should call it Schedule Z. It keeps coming up like a Zombie. The idea that a certain level of career civil servant should be more easily dismissible. It was proposed by the Trump administration, rescinded by the Biden administration, and now Congress is debating killing it legislatively. With more on the case for the ban, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Joe Spielberget, the policy counsel at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO).
You've seen the maps on TV ads: 5G wireless covers the nation. Yet the technology and what it can do are just in their infancy. A National Science Foundation funding program has been channeling millions in grants to academic and other non-profit groups doing research in next generation wireless. One project is known as Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research. It's run by Northeastern University and a group called U.S. Ignite. For more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Mari Silbey, U.S. Ignite program director.
The Commerce Department has launched a new economic initiative as called for in the 2020 Cares Act. It dispatches what the program calls development fellows to needy places throughout the country. To find out more about the the Economic Recovery Corps program, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Craig Buerstatte, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development.
Cybersecurity is, once again, the prime focus of the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act scorecard.The 15th version of FITARA debuts a new category for federal cybersecurity progress, while also reconfiguring the current IT security metric. The House Oversight and Reform Committee used agency inspectors general assessments based on the committee’s determined weighted average instead of the traditional average.Federal Chief Information Security Officer Chris DeRusha told the subcommittee that the Office of Management and Budget released new cyber metrics on the Performance.gov site on Dec. 14.
Just over a year in the making, the President’s Management Agenda has reached some significant milestones, according to Biden administration officials. But the work is far from over — agencies have a lot to do ahead to make the long-term management changes included in the PMA, said Jason Miller, deputy director of management at the Office of Management and Budget. “Transformational change, which is our objective, takes time. But to get there, you need to put some points on the board early and drive momentum and be clear about ultimately what success looks like. And that has been a big part of the work. A year in, we’ve made some great strides,” Miller said at a Dec. 13 event marking the one-year anniversary of the PMA.
Foreign intelligence officers, the nation's secret agents , often witness violence. Sometimes they face the threat or reality of violence themselves. They're also sworn to secrecy, even with their families. And they must remain neutral when discussing morally changing topics with politicians and their minions. It all adds up to the potential for mental health problems. To take a look at this issue that the intelligence community needs to do more to mitigate , Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Heather Williams, a former intelligence official with several agencies and now a senior policy researcher at the Rand Corporation.
A collegiate-level course in national security is about to expand the number of colleges where it's taught. Hacking for Defense started at Stanford University back in 2016. It brings student brainpower to bear on difficult national security and defense challenges. Since then it's spread to 50 other universities. Now it's set to double that. Here with details, the managing partner of the consultancy B-M-N-T.
Suicide prevention remains a top priority of the Veterans Health Administration. Now it's working upstream with the Marine Corps to enhance suicide prevention for individuals in or near bases and stations. To discuss the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with the Veterans Health Administration's chief readjustment counseling officer, Michael Fisher.
The first group under the “technologist hiring initiative” is about ready to take on the challenge of accelerating the Department of Homeland Security’s drive to improve customer experience.A senior DHS official said the agency is in the final stages of evaluating almost 1,000 applicants and plans to make job offers before the end of 2022. The official, who requested anonymity to discuss the agency’s initiatives, said DHS hopes to have these new hires in place in January at headquarters and within the component agencies.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is developing a plan to expand its network of healthcare facilities across the country and improve the infrastructure of some of its existing facilities. The VA expects to submit a new infrastructure plan to lawmakers in the first half of the new year, focused on expanding its footprint of facilities as it prepares for a historic expansion of veteran health care and benefits under the PACT Act.
The Combined Federal Campaign had a successful giving season earlier this month. Now it's trying to keep the momentum going. For what's happening locally, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the chairman of the CFC for the National Capital Region, Vince Micone.
Judges are suppose to be above the law. But even in the federal judicial branch, ethical and legal transgressions occur. The Government Accountability Office has found that the judiciary doesn't follow best practices for addressing waste, fraud and abuse. To get the details, Federal News Networks Eric White spoke with GAO's director of information and cybersecurity, Carol Harris.
Cloud computing became a major technology strategy for the government more than 10 years ago. To help agencies ensure cloud security, the GSA set up a program called FedRAMP, Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program. The basic idea was, a vendor with FedRAMP certification for one agency could be trusted by other agencies for a given product. The program has come a long way. For an update, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the acting FedRAMP director, Brian Conrad.
As time runs low before the current continuing resolution (CR) expires on Dec. 16, the Social Security Administration heightened calls to Congress to receive its entire budget request from the Biden administration for fiscal 2023. SSA received $400 million in the CR, but agency officials said that won’t be enough to tackle years-long challenges for the agency’s workforce. The agency is pushing Congress to approve the Biden administration’s budget request of $14.8 billion for 2023 — a $1.4 billion increase over the enacted level for 2022.
The Department of Veterans Affairs says it’s ready to start moving away from the multibillion dollar IT platform it had intended to use to manage its massive health care logistics enterprise, and will now use its own contract vehicle to replace its troubled implementation of the Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support system (DMLSS). Officials said Tuesday they are now reducing the scope and funding of their previous $2.6 billion interagency agreement with DoD to use the DMLSS system, whose implementation at VA has not gone well. In its place, VA is planning a new, more expansive supply chain modernization effort that will be managed by a single vendor or team of vendors over the next ten years.
It’s been six months since Thrift Savings Plan participants saw major changes in the online My Account platform, when the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board transitioned to a new TSP recordkeeping system. It may be an understatement to say that the final launch of TSP’s multi-year modernization project, known as “Converge,” was bumpy. Many TSP participants voiced their frustrations and concerns with both the board’s handling of the transition, as well as the interface itself, after the rollout.
One of the biggest themes for Air Force war stories over the past couple of years has involved trying to make the computers work. Go to social media, and tales of hour-long waits to open email or download a PDF file proliferate. Now, the Department of the Air Force is scaling up its program to try and address the problem. So far, it’s making progress.
From inflation adjustment to procurement leadtimes, the National Defense Authorization bill the Senate takes up today will address a few issues that have been nagging contractors for years. For highlights, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with the President and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau.
The name Barbara A. Ringer has deep meaning to the U.S. Copyright Office. The late Ringer worked there for more than 30 years, and served as its first woman director in the 1970s, after winning a discrimination lawsuit. She helped modernize copyright law, and was recognized internationally. Today the Copyright Office runs a two-year honors program for young lawyers named after Ms. Ringer. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with one of the current fellows: Keyana Pusey.
The name Barbara A. Ringer has deep meaning to the U.S. Copyright Office. The late Ringer worked there for more than 30 years, and served as its first woman director in the 1970s, after winning a discrimination lawsuit. She helped modernize copyright law, and was recognized internationally. Today the Copyright Office runs a two-year honors program for young lawyers named after Ms. Ringer. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with one of the current fellows: Keyana Pusey.
U.S. armed forces operate at sea, on land, and in the air. The one place they ALL operate in: cyberspace. Now the Navy has issued what it called a cyberspace superiority vision. It has three principles: secure, survive, and strike.Federal Drive host Tom Temin was joined by someone to go in-depth on the principles, the Navy's principal cyber adviser, Chris Cleary.
It’s been six months since Thrift Savings Plan participants saw major changes in the online My Account platform, when the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board transitioned to a new TSP recordkeeping system.It may be an understatement to say that the final launch of TSP’s multi-year modernization project, known as “Converge,” was bumpy. Many TSP participants voiced their frustrations and concerns with both the board’s handling of the transition, as well as the interface itself, after the rollout.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), part of the Transportation Department, must oversee spending of some $350 billion from the infrastructure bill. Now the FHWA has a new executive director. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the 20-year veteran of the agency, Gloria Shepherd.
It will have things to love and hate, but it looks like the National Defense Authorization Bill will make it to passage in the remainder of the 117th Congress. But what about Friday's government funding deadline? Federal Drive host Tom Temin gets the latest from Loren Duggan, Bloomberg Government deputy news director.
Environmental Protection Agency employees, implementing major climate and green government legislation championed by the Biden administration, are calling for higher wages and more opportunities for promotions. More than 600 EPA employees represented by the American Federation of Government Employees are calling on the agency to extend career ladder pay scales and merit promotions for lawyers, inspectors and engineers. Their Dec. 8 letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan states federal pay for STEM positions is far outpaced by the private sector, and that prospective hires are declining about 25% of EPA’s job offers.
After a drawn-out contracting saga that lasted more than five years, the Pentagon is eager to finally implement its first-ever contracts to provide enterprise cloud computing services for the entire Defense Department. Officials said they’ll be ready to start accepting orders under the multibillion dollar Joint Warfighter Cloud Computing contracts within the next 15 days.
You might not be familiar with a company called DJI. It's a large, Chinese drone manufacturer. The Army and Interior Department have banned DJI products, because the company -- which is closely associated with the Chinese Communist Party -- is a security threat. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with someone, policy and technology researcher at the Lincoln Network, Lars Schonander, who is concerned that other federal agencies continue to buy DJI drones.
The administration, prompted by Congress, has banned sales of telecommunications gear from Chinese companies. Now the question is: Should anything come next, when it comes to Chinese products that might have national security implications? Federal Drive host Tom Temin has spoken on the matter with FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. In this interview, his guest is Matt Turpin, visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and former China director at the National Security Council.
It’s no secret that it takes a long time to get hired by an intelligence agency. But Congress is now looking for details from agencies on exactly how long it takes to bring in new employees, as well as a plan for improving those timelines.The compromise fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act released this week would require the director of national intelligence to send lawmakers a report on the time it takes onboard personnel in the intelligence community.
Just a few days remain before Open Season closes. If you don't act, you may be missing out on a chance to improve your health care coverage for 2023. Or you might get the same thing for less money. To get some last-minute advice, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the director of marketing for the Consumer's Checkbook, Kevin Moss.
Congress has been unwilling to go along with a national minimum wage of $15 an hour. The Biden administration imposed one for the federal workforce and for contractors. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with someone who thinks such a mandated wage could result in reduced services and flexibility for the government itself: Rachel Greszler is a research fellow in economics at the conservative Heritage Foundation.
The General Services Administration buys many things. Since 1972, it has commissioned some 500 works of art to hang in -- or otherwise adorn -- federal buildings. To find out the latest in the 50-year-old Art in Architecture program, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with the director of GSA's Center for Fine Arts, Jennifer Gibson.
The General Services Administration buys many things. Since 1972, it has commissioned some 500 works of art to hang in -- or otherwise adorn -- federal buildings. To find out the latest in the 50-year-old Art in Architecture program, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with the director of GSA's Center for Fine Arts, Jennifer Gibson.
The Defense Intelligence Agency is hoping to stem attrition among its support staff by carving out more telework and remote work options for those positions. The spy agency offered more telework flexibility than ever before during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when its headquarters was operating at 40% capacity to allow for social distancing. But going forward, DIA Chief of Staff John Kirchhofer said personnel who operate in a “mission space” at the agency can still expect to do the majority of their work in a classified facility.
It may seem like the Fourth of July weekend was just a couple of months ago, but now 2023 is only three weeks away. It's the season of lists! Make 'em once and check 'em twice!! While you're making lists, be sure you've got a year-end financial checklist. To get an idea of what should be on that list, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Abe Grungold, financial adviser and retired federal Senior Executive.
It may seem like the Fourth of July weekend was just a couple of months ago, but now 2023 is only three weeks away. It's the season of lists! Make 'em once and check 'em twice!! While you're making lists, be sure you've got a year-end financial checklist. To get an idea of what should be on that list, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Abe Grungold, financial adviser and retired federal Senior Executive.
A lot more accidents and near misses occur on the nation's railroads than you might realize. The Federal Railroad Administration tracks incidents using what's known as the Confidential Close Call Reporting System or C3RS. But the Government Accountability Office found that only a handful of railroads participate, so there's a big gap in safety data. To get more on this, Federal Drive host Tome Temin spoke with GAO's Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues, Elizabeth Repko.
A normally divided Federal Communications Commission recently voted unanimously to ban sales of Chinese-made telecommunications equipment in the United States. Specifically, gear made by the Huawai and ZTE. To get more on what went into that decision, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr.
Federal employees at the National Science Foundation may soon see more opportunities for telework and remote work, but it’s not the only upcoming change for the agency’s workforce. One of many new provisions under NSF’s collective bargaining agreement with the American Federation of Government Employees now lets eligible federal employees officially telework up to four days per week. The two parties signed off on the four-year agreement on Nov. 17, after negotiating for more telework, flexible work hours, learning and development opportunities and much more.
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy has been banging this particular drum for years now. Not only are agencies allowed to engage in discussions with industry before they craft procurements, doing so is usually a good thing. Now that principle is enshrined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation via a new rule issued just last week. To go a little deeper, Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu talked with Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners.
A federal appeals court ruled last week that feds who work without pay during government shutdowns are not entitled to monetary damages. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found the government is not actually in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act in government shutdown situations. That’s because another law, the Antideficiency Act, effectively makes it illegal to pay employees when their agencies don’t have appropriations. Or so the court majority’s reasoning went. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Heidi Burakiewicz, an attorney for some of the federal plaintiffs who have been fighting for damages ever since the 2013 government shutdown.
In a workforce of about two million, the federal government has only about 8,000 members in the senior executive service. A small number, but crucial, they are the main buffers and translators between the political appointees and the rank-and-file who actually do the work of government. Now the Senior Executives Association has a new board chairman. He retired last year as senior executive advisor to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. Federal Drive host has a chance to talk with Marcus Hill.
If they can avert a rail strike, can they get a federal budget? To get the answer to that big question, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
For nearly a quarter century, the government has been coaxing industry to report cyber security incidents. Now it's the law, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has the task of writing the rules and making it happen. For one industry view of how it's going, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the Information Technology Industry Council's Senior Director of Policy, Courtney Lang.
About one in four federal employees are veterans, spouses of veterans, or reservists. The Interagency Veterans Advisory Council, with 125 agencies participating, tracks veteran federal employee issues. Its most recent annual report had a couple of recommendations. With more on that, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with the the Council Chairman and a Senior Business Opportunity Specialist with the Small Business Administration, Lloyd Calderon.
Although employee engagement steadied in the 2022 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), details of the survey’s results revealed where federal employees may be looking for more workforce improvements. One of those areas looked at how employees felt about their agencies’ telework policies. About three-quarters of FEVS respondents said they wouldn’t consider leaving their position based on their current telework or remote work options.
A group of leading federal security officials is exploring ways agencies can break old paradigms for how employees log-in to federal networks and citizens access government services, driven by a whole-of-government mandate to adopt modern authentication practices. Multifactor authentication is a major issue in front of the federal chief information security officer council, according to Steven Hernandez, CISO at the Department of Education and co-chairman of the council. For federal employees, agencies are considering additional options beyond the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card. But Hernandez said the PIV card will continue to be a leading authenticator well into the future.
Two former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office directors -- one from the Obama administration and one from the Trump administration -- recently formed a coalition. Its aim is to protect U.S. intellectual property, particularly from theft by China. They've got ideas for what Congress ought to do. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with the one of the co-chairmen of the Council for Innovation Promotion and former USPTO director Andrei Iancu.
Congress has been on a spending spree for three years: Appropriations, the American Rescue Plan, the Chips Act, the Infrastructure Bill, the inflation bill. It all means federal agencies have to hire somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 people. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with someone who thinks one department might offer clues to how to it effectively: Bob Tobias, professor in the key executive leadership program at American University.
The State Department promotes America’s diplomatic mission overseas, but the men and women of the Foreign Service — and the families they bring with them — put a face to that mission through off-the-clock acts of kindness. The department this year, in partnership with Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW), awarded the 32nd annual Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad to eligible family members for volunteer work that supported the war in Ukraine, the resettlement of Afghan refugees and ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns.
The Agriculture Department recently lost a contract award protest. It was attempting to purchase commercial style services for evictions and foreclosures for homes behind in their loan payments. It all hinged on what the department meant by "commercial services." Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about all this with Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo.
Customs and Border Protection has a diversity goal. The agency wants 30% of its workforce to be women by 2030. Federal Drive host Tom Temin took a look at he so-called, "30-by-30 initiative," with CBP's assistant commissioner for the office of human resources management, Andrea Bright.
One of the top goals of the climate crowd is development of a new jet fuel. Now a group of federal department and agencies has launched a public challenge to develop such a fuel and the infrastructure to support it. It's called the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about all this with Zia Haq, Energy Department chemical engineer.
One of the top goals of the climate crowd is development of a new jet fuel. Now a group of federal department and agencies has launched a public challenge to develop such a fuel and the infrastructure to support it. It's called the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about all this with Zia Haq, Energy Department chemical engineer.
Those looking to enroll in the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) will soon have to wait a couple of years before applying. The Office of Personnel Management said it will suspend all new applications to the program starting on Dec. 19. The suspension will last for the next two years, but those who apply ahead of the start date may still see their applications go through. During that time, current FLTCIP enrollees cannot apply to increase their coverage. The suspension will otherwise not affect the coverage of current enrollees.
Sachin Pavithran, the executive director of the U.S. Access Board, said ever since the Biden administration placed a heavier emphasis on accessibility, the interest for training and help among agencies has spiked.
The Veterans Health Administration is hiding the fact that veterans, under Mission Act programs, can go to private sector health care providers, if they choose. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about this with whistleblower Paula Pedene, a former VHA employee.
Can robots teach themselves new tricks? In theory they can, according to researchers at the U. S. Naval Research Laboratory. In a new white paper, they lay out how robots, like people, can learn by using a curriculum and a learning agenda. To learn how they will test that theory, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with research scientists Laura Hiatt and Mark Roberts from the U. S. Naval Research Laboratory.
From zero trust roadmaps to carbon reduction, federal agencies are moving under a lot of agendas. They all end up being contractors' concerns, too. To get some details on those agendas, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Stephanie Kostro, Executive Vice President for Policy at the Professional Services Council.
Like most of the public, federal employees stand by and watch as presidential administrations come and go. Every president is flawed, but they have varying degrees of success in office. Success is highly influenced by how carefully presidents prepare for their transitions to office. This interview by Federal Drive host Tom Temin is with the co-author of what might be the first definitive study of modern transitions, which includes interviews with transition planners themselves. That co-author is David Marchick, currently the Dean of the Kogod School of Business at American University.
Recruiting challenges for the Army and Air Force mean they have trouble meeting end-strength goals. But what about the Coast Guard? It has also been having trouble meeting yearly goals. To find out how the Coast Guard is responding, Federal Drive host Tom Temin checked in the Commander of the Coast Guard Recruiting Command, Capt. Richter Tipton.
There are a range of viewpoints on how the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency should craft forthcoming cyber incident reporting regulations. But one common refrain amid the debates over who should be required to report and what exactly constitutes a reportable incident: CISA should develop a simple mechanism that makes it easy for organizations across 16 critical infrastructure sectors to report cyber incidents within the 72-hour window required under the law.
Lawmakers have until Dec. 16, when the current continuing resolution expires, to pass the rest of the appropriations bills and fund the government next year, but it’s not the only item on the congressional to-do list with big implications for the federal workforce. Many of those additional items are included as amendments under the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2023. There are more than 1,000 amendments to the NDAA, and at least a handful of them have the potential to change the federal hiring process, federal benefits, retirement and much more.
The remaining days of the 117th Congress leave both chambers with a bit of an agenda. Perhaps topping the list for the Senate is keeping its record of passing Defense authorization bills by the end of the calendar year. To get an update on all this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
Americans old enough to remember when many cities had thriving Chinatown neighborhoods may wonder what happened to them. Now the Library of Congress has launched a program to recreate lost Chintatowns as immersive 3-D models. To learn more about the project, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with the Library's 2023 Innovator in Residence, Jeffrey Yoo Warren.
From eliminating rats and mold in housing, to managing the agency's human capital, the Housing and Urban Development inspector general has issued a list of priority open recommendations. It is the first report of its kind from the HUD OIG. To inquire about the highlights, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is embarking on a year-end push to implement all the workforce provisions of the recently passed PACT Act as the agency prepares for a historic expansion of VA benefits and care.The agency is looking to bring on more health care workers in anticipation of a major expansion of VA health care under the PACT Act. The VA begins to adjudicate those health care and benefits claims at the start of the New Year. Undersecretary for Health Shereef Elnahal told the Senate VA Committee on Nov. 17 that the agency expects to complete all PACT Act policy changes around hiring by the end of the calendar year.
The clock is ticking on open season, the time when federal employees choose next year's health insurance. Choosing can require a lot of research and calculation. To offer a platform for some good advice, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with insurance expert consultant, Walt Francis.
That sniffing dog at the airport? It's one of 5,000 pooches federal agencies put to work to detect explosives and drugs or aid law enforcement and anti-terror work worldwide. But, unfortuately, the dogs don't always get the humane treatment they deserve. That's according to the Government Accountability Office. To learn more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Steve Morris, Director of Natural Resource and Environmental Issues at the Government Accountability Office.
Administrative procedures -- how government agencies go about their business when dealing with the public -- was codified just after World War II. Since then, the Administrative Procedures Act has been only lightly modified. Is it time for significant reform? For one view, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with American University administrative law professor Jeffrey Lubbers.
The Defense Department officially unveiled a zero trust strategy and roadmap today laying out how DoD components should direct their cybersecurity investments and efforts in the coming years to reach a “target” level of zero trust maturity over the next five years. The release of DoD’s zero trust strategy follows on the heels of the White House Office of Management and Budget’s federal zero trust strategy published earlier this year. DoD’s strategy lays out a detailed and ambitious plan for defense components to attain specific zero trust capabilities by 2027.
An immigration judges union is making its case before a federal appeals court to regain full recognition, after losing its collective bargaining status under the Trump administration. The National Association of Immigration Judges is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to overturn a two decisions by the Federal Labor Relations Authority to eliminate union’s status. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with NAIJ President Mimi Tsankov.
At the Institute of Critical Infrastructre Technology Awards Dinner and Gala on 11/10/22, Federal Drive host Tom Temin caught up with Jen Easterly, the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
At the Institute of Critical Infrastructre Technology Awards Dinner and Gala on 11/10/22, Federal Drive host Tom Temin caught up with two honorees: Kemba Walden, the Principal Deputy National Cyber Director and Candice Frost, the JIOC Commander at United States Cyber Command.
Lots of functions in government need more people. Acquisition is no exception. Getting in the people they need is a top priority of chief acquisition officers. And they've got lots of options to do so. For more on this topic, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
They say an Army moves on its stomach. And, perhaps its vehicles on fossil fuel. But it would appear those vehicles are getting less dependent on gasoline and diesel, and more dependent on batteries. General Motors is developing battery pack prototypes for the Defense Innovation Unit, as a matter of fact. To go further down the road on this topic, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with JD Johnson, VP of Business Development for GM Defense and retired Army three-star general.
Although low pay is the challenge most commonly discussed for federal wildland firefighters, it’s not the only factor leading to retention issues with the frontline workforce. Other challenges, such as poor work-life balance and limited workforce diversity, pile onto the difficulties in retaining these federal employees.
DoD and its contractors are still struggling to share timely, accurate information about cyber incidents peppering their networks.
With millennial and Generation Z employees projected to comprise a large portion of the U.S. workforce by 2025, the Office of Personnel Management is pushing forward on more incentives to recruit and retain early-career federal employees. It’s particularly important right now, said OPM Director Kiran Ahuja, because of the current imbalance in how many early-career employees there are in the federal workforce, versus the nationwide workforce.
Whether you think House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leaving on a wave of glory or on a broomstick, things are shifting in Congress. In the meantime, she's still speaker for the remainder of the 117th Congress, affectionately known as the lame duck. Federal Drive host finds out what the lame duck will do, as he spoke with WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller.
The Biden administration has proposed a new rule for federal contractors. It wants them to report their greenhouse gas emission levels, financial risks, and what the proposals calls "science-based emissions reduction targets." To get one industry view on the proposed rule, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the federal counsel for the Associated General Contractors of America, Jordan Howard.
In 2019, when Congress and the Trump administration enacted the U.S. Space Force, they left out something: A space national guard. After all, there are Army and Air Force civilian auxiliaries. There's even a Navy Militia. Last month, a Biden administration policy statement came out against a space national guard. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with someone who makes the argument in favor: Col. Michael Bruno, the Chief of Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters in Colorado.
When the Pentagon released its latest four-year national defense strategy, it became must reading for contractors and their associations. To find out more about how it is being received in one region with a substantial defense economy, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Mark Faulkner, who is now President of the Institute of Defense and Business.
The U.S. National Ice Center. It sounds like a hockey rink. But actually it's an agency, operating under the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Actually a collaboration of several agencies: the Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Coast Guard. To find out more about the National Ice Center, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke, in studio, with the center's director and commanding officer, Navy Commander Casey Gon.
The Defense Department closed out its fifth year of full-scale financial audits with a failing grade — a result that’s not surprising in and of itself, considering that officials have previously predicted that getting a clean opinion would take a decade or more from the time the audits started.
If past is prologue, the CIO-SP4 services contract vehicle is in danger of being crushed by protests. It's supposed to be the next big offering from NITAAC, the NIH Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center. Unsuccessful vendors filed at least 117 complaints with the Government Accountability Office over the last two weeks. Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins Tom Temin with the latest.
A fixed-price contract. It is a common strategy for the government. Contractors need to understand that every word in that three-word phrase is there for a reason. If inflation, COVID, and/or supply-chain problems drive up your costs, tough luck. That point was reinforced in a recent lawsuit, about which Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke about with Zach Prince, Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney.
If the IRS gets all the money Congress promised it over the next ten years, its enforcement powers will grow a lot. One school of thought is that protections for taxpayers should also get a plus-up. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Dean Zerbe, who is a proponent of Congress passing a taxpayers rights bill. Zerbe worked on the IRS reform commission in the late 1990s, and is an attorney working for tax whistleblowers.
The Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General is using the weight of a dozen audits to prod a major HHS into action. At issue are overpayments made to hospitals by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The IG has done repeated audits of the payment process and found problems, but isn't convinced it's getting through to CMS. For the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Truman Mayfield, the Assistant Regional Inspector General.
The best antidote to the current stock market might be Dramamine. The swooping ups and downs are enough to give anyone motion sickness. For some strategic advice, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with certified financial adviser Art Stein.
For the 5th year in a row, the number of bid protests presented for adjudication by the Government Accountability Office has dropped. In 2018, GAO heard more then 2,600 cases. Last year, that number was only 1,600. To find out what might be going on, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Edward Goldstein, GAO's associate general counsel.
If the nation learned anything in the last couple of weeks, it's that the process of voting is anything but simple. People overseas and people with disabilities can encounter logistics barriers to voting. The operations of elections is where the Election Assistance Commission comes in. To learn more about that operation, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with commission chairman Thomas Hicks, who also just became a fellow at NAPA: the National Academy of Public Administration.
What does this mean for us? That's what federal contractors are asking themselves in the aftermath of the mid-term elections. Government will apparently end up divided, at least that's the best prediction at the moment. For a dive into this topic, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with David Berteau, the President and CEO of the Professional Services Council.
Patent applications are on the rise. Successful ones require knowing what else is out there in an inventors field. That's called prior art, which is also growing. To help inventors navigate and understand prior art, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has enlisted artificial intelligence technology from IBM in a project called the Intellectual Property Advisor with Watson Demonstration System. For the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Graham Katz, from IBM's expert labs team.
When disaster occurs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is often the most visible presence. Behind the visible efforts, FEMA has a mission- support function that ensures the right money, equipment and people are in place. Against that backdrop, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Eric Leckey, who supervises the work just described. He's the Associate FEMA Administrator for Mission Support and a newly named fellow of NAPA, the National Academy of Administration.
Improving retention of federal employees is a long-standing challenge for agencies, but the way to incentivize feds to stay in public service may differ, depending on their age. Although federal employees in Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, and those in Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, both value flexibility in a workplace, they seek it out for different reasons. Many Gen Z employees entered the workforce after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, making remote work flexibilities practically essential to them, according to Paul Pietsch, senior manager for federal workforce research at the Partnership for Public Service.
The Labor Department has always required citizens to fill out forms by hand, sign them with a pen and send them back by mail or possibly scan them in and email them back. But the Office of Workers’ Compensation Program decided in early 2022 to take the plunge into digital signatures. Robin Crisp, an IT officer in the Office of the Chief Information Officer’s Business Application Services at the Labor Department, said in less than six months his office helped Labor make the break from wet signatures.
The Labor Department has always required citizens to fill out forms by hand, sign them with a pen and send them back by mail or possibly scan them in and email them back. But the Office of Workers’ Compensation Program decided in early 2022 to take the plunge into digital signatures. Robin Crisp, an IT officer in the Office of the Chief Information Officer’s Business Application Services at the Labor Department, said in less than six months his office helped Labor make the break from wet signatures.
The duck is officially lame, with apologies to our real-life feathered friends. The 117th Congress, at least the House, will be back in session this week and casting votes. For a look into what remains before the arrival of the 118th Congress, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Bloomberg Government Deputy News Director Loren Duggan.
The Air Force tests airplanes before it buys them. Now it's testing software programming tools before buying them. It's goal is to obtain the best tools for its modernization efforts, both for Air Force programmers and for contractors. To take a closer look at the "Digital Tools for All initiative," Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the lead program manager in the Air Force Digital Transformation Office, Vince Pecoraro.
Can it be? Scientists from China work on sensitive projects at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, then go back to help China with what they've learned. A study by Strider Technologies said this has happened in 162 cases, giving the Chinese government a short cut to hypersonics, submarine detection, and autonomous vehicles. To get the study details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Greg Levesque, Strider co-founder and CEO.
There are a lot of ideas for how the White House National Cyber Director’s forthcoming workforce strategy could help address a nationwide cyber talent shortage. The office issued a request for information on cyber workforce, training and education last month. The window for submitting a response closed Nov. 3. For federal agencies, the challenge is especially acute as they struggle to compete with private sector salaries and job flexibilities.
The IRS, setting course on a decade-long push to rebuild its workforce and modernize its legacy IT, may soon be led by a figure who previously steered the agency through difficult times. The White House announced Thursday that President Joe Biden intends to nominate Danny Werfel to lead the IRS for a five-year term. Werfel holds more than 15 years of federal experience across the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, and previously served as an acting IRS commissioner.
The Army wants industry to help it change the way it structures its data. A newly-released request for information is a key first step in building a federated, decentralized model the Army calls the Unified Data Reference Architecture.
Like Mad Max movie from the 1980s, DISA’s choice will focus on survival — in their case from cyber attacks. Federal News Network’s executive editor Jason Miller joins Tom Temin to discuss what factors DISA is weighing about whether to move forward with this zero trust prototype.
So who's watching the watchdogs? - Inspectors general occasionally fail in the exercise of good conduct or exemplary leadership. When they do, there is a special committee of the Council of Inspectors General that is supposed to take action. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with someone -- Joanna Derman, policy analyst at the Project on Government Oversight --who argues that the committee, known as the Integrity Committee, has fallen short of is responsibilities.
The nation's veterans have served the country. But life after the military often comes with special financial challenges. Today's inflation is making some of those challenges a little tougher. As Veterans Day approaches, we check in with the president of the American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association, Mike Meese.
A federal attorney steeped in administrative law now has a chance to influence it. He's general counsel at AmericCorps. He has also spent years developing and teaching courses on administrative law and government oversight. Now he's just been appointed a member of the council of the Administrative Conference of the United States. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Fernando Laguarda.
The Freedom of Information Act community is developing new technology standards to help improve FOIA processes and standardize common services like case management tools across government. The Justice Department’s Office of Information Policy and the Office of Government Information Services at the National Archives are working with the General Services Administration’s Office of Shared Services and Performance Improvement to advance shared FOIA business standards, according to Lindsay Steel, chief of FOIA compliance staff at OIP.
The Action Plan from the Biden Administration seeks to ensure projects across the nation get done on time and on budget. They've already hired 25,000 people to help state and local governments. But the plan has a 10-year horizon. That could spell trouble. For analysis, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with American University Professor Bob Tobias.
The Veterans Affairs Department is in the midst of a five-year pilot program. It's called VET-TEC or Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses. The Government Accountability Office found that the program has some problems, including that a third of the veterans enrolled drop out. For more on this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Dawn Locke, GAO's Acting Director for Education, Workforce and Income Security.
President Biden recently appointed four new members to the 10-member Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States. The Council is not an agency widely known to the public. For an update, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Chairman Andrew Fois.
Agencies have made progress on closing skills gaps for a couple of federal jobs, but there’s still work ahead for other critical roles, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Based on agencies’ progress so far, OPM identified which of five different governmentwide positions should be kept on its high risk list, and which can be removed based on federal agencies’ progress.
Figures from the Government Accountability Office show a 12% drop in the number of contracting protests in fiscal 22. Protests are down 40% since 2018. What does it all mean? Federal Drive host Tom Temin's guest thinks the protests that do happen, have a lot of impact. This conversation is with Federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
Digital services and modernization are pillars of the Biden administration's management agenda. These efforts don't just matter to federal agencies though. Business is thoroughly behind efforts to streamline government services. The Chamber of Commerce has put some numbers on what paperwork costs the economy each year, and how many hours it eats up. Federal Drive host Tom Temin gets the details from Chamber VP Jordan Crenshaw.
The Veterans Health Administration has been working on a deal with the ride service Uber to help rural veterans get to their appointments. A test has been running since July at the VA medical center in Memphis, Tennessee. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about this with in-studio guest Dr. Indra Sandal, from the VHA innovation fellowships program.
Long wait times for certain types of treatment continue to occur at the Veterans Health Administration. Pain management is among the conditions for which veterans have to wait. Federal Drive host Tom Temin's guest said that in California, the wait for pain care can last 78 days. Temin talked about the reasons this is so, and how it can be fixed, with Former Mississippi Senator Trent Lott.
The continuous diagnostics and mitigation program turned 10 years old last month. And what a long strange trip it's been for C-D-M.
As agencies move toward zero trust and face an ever changing cyber threat landscape, CDM has hit stride. In his weekly Reporter’s Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about where the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is taking the program next.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband is recovering. But the attack at the Pelosi home in San Francisco has Congress rattled once again about security. More anxiety comes from the possibility of a party switch in the House or Senate or both. To take a look at all of this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Mitchell Miller, Capitol Hill Correspondent for WTOP.
We are all familiar with that ubiquitous fast-food-chain sign: "Billions and Billions Served." The same could be said of federal disaster spending. Millions and millions of awards, billions and billions of dollars. The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, made up of inspectors general, recently launched a group of dashboards to help people see which agencies got how much money and where all that money went. To explore the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Michael Horowitz, Justice Department IG and PRAC chairman.
No one knows what the F-35 aircraft can do in a war, say, over Taiwan. One thing we do know is the fifth-generation fighter, now something like 20 years in development, has economic significance. Something like $72 billion F-35 dollars is spread throughout the U.S. economy every year. For more details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Kevin Michaels, the managing director of AeroDymanic Advisory.
Registered nurses working for the Veterans Health Administration in Las Vegas recently got a 12% raise. This after promising to hold a big rally. That got management to sit down with the Title 38 employees. For the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Linda Ward-Smith, president of Local 1224 of the American Federation of Government Employees.
They're operating under a continuing resolution, but agency information technology staffs are working hard on modernizing. Recently the office of the Federal Chief Information Officer came out with what it called a governmentwide operating plan. CIO Clare Martorana said the plan should not be confused with a strategy. At the recent ACT-IAC executive leadership conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin caught up with Martorana and asked what the difference is between a plan and a strategy.
Federal employees’ wages are falling further behind those in the private sector, according to new data from the Federal Salary Council.The council reported that in 2022, federal workers earned 24.09% less in wages alone than their private sector counterparts. In 2021, the pay gap by the same measurement was 22.47%. In comparison, the Biden administration’s federal pay raise request is 4.6% for next year, composed of a 4.1% overall increase and a 0.5% pay locality increase. The National Treasury Employees Union, in light of the council’s report, reemphasized its push for an even larger federal pay increase in 2023.
Elliott Johnson Jr. is a senior management analyst in the HUD's Office of the Chief Risk Officer. He tells executive editor Jason Miller about a new tool that will help mature the agency’s processes, and reduce fraud.
As long as the government has had competitive procurement, one rule has stood firm. If a bid comes in late, tough luck for that bidder. But the rule got harder to interpret when email replaced hand-delivered envelopes or faxes. What if a server crashed? What if a bid got stopped by a spam filter? Now a new case has muddied the rule. For the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Zach Prince, Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney.
If the Senate or the House (or both) switch to Republican control come January, you can expect a different approach to government oversight. To explore specifics and possibilities, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Molly Reynolds, the senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution.
No agency can operate effectively without a solid financial framework. That's where chief financial officers come in. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with someone who has operated as a CFO at large federal agencies and at two major universities. At the moment Gwendolyn Sykes is the CFO of the Secret Service and a new follow at the National Academy of Public Administration or NAPA.
As agencies pivot their thinking about the role of hybrid work — a mix of in-person and telework opportunities — for the federal workforce, some federal employees are raising questions about the reasons behind working in the office at all. Close to two-thirds — about 64% — of respondents in an exclusive Federal News Network online survey said they were satisfied with their current work situation. But at the same time, the requirement of working in the office at least once a week was a pain point for some.
In a recent speech, OPM Director Kiran Ahuja pledged to improve the tangle around submitting retirement applications and getting annuities figured out. As year-end approaches and people think about retirement plans, Federal Drive host Tom Temin welcomed to his show, a new regular guest to discuss benefits, investment and retirement: Abraham Grungold spent 36 years as a working for the federal government and is the owner of AG Financial Services, which specialized in federal employees.
A survey back in 2019 showed nearly one-third of employees at FEMA had experienced discrimination or harassment. Since then, the agency has taken a number of steps to reduce the incidence of these problems. A new check by the Government Accountability Office shows FEMA could do more. For the latest, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with GAO's director of homeland security and justice issues, Chris Currie.
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations Energy and Environment have formed a partnership. Together they want to establish a new entit called, "The Sustainable Infrastructure, Resilience and Climate Consortium." Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke about it with West Point assistant professor of mechanical engineering and deputy director of the center for innovation and engineering, Todd Davidson.
The Army is exploring how to use Software Bills of Material requirements in contracts, potentially putting the military department at the leading edge of federal organizations looking to use “SBOMs” to secure their software supply chains. In an Oct. 21 request for information, the Army’s acquisition directorate is seeking feedback on “effective, streamlined, and innovative ways” to improve software supply chain security, specifically through the use of SBOMs.
It’s now November, and the General Services Administration still hasn’t fixed the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) transition to the new validation service that began in April. And as many as 50,000 companies and grantees still are waiting to fix validation issues that is causing delays in awards and in getting paid. The almost six-month old problem continues to cause broad concern across industry and on Capitol Hill.
China, data, campaigning, modernizing are just some of the key words in two just-out documents. The National Defense Strategy and the DoD's Strategic Management Plan -- not surprisingly -- emphasize rivalry with China and the need to protect space and cyber assets. For what industry sees initially in these documents, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau.
The infrastructure spending bill enacted earlier this year includes $7.5 billion to install chargers for electric cars. In response, the Energy and Transportation Departments set up a joint office. For what the office will do and how it'll do it, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with its newly appointed director, Gabe Klein.
Thousands of career and political federal employees own stock in companies their agencies regulate, according to a recent analysis by the Wall Street Journal. If so, it's largely in violation of federal ethics rules. For what they found, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the Journal, James Grimaldi.
New military weapons platforms are quite expensive — and nearly always more expensive than they were supposed to be. But almost no matter what the up-front price tag is, it’s just a shadow of the all-in cost to keep that ground vehicle, aircraft carrier or fighter jet outfitted with parts and available for its mission until it’s eventually retired.
Congress continues on its recess, as House members and a third of the Senators focus on the mid-term elections. But there's plenty going on, including that yearly bugaboo, the debt limit. The Federal Drive got more from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave a new task to the Defense Innovation Board, to establish a National Defense Science and Technology Strategy. It covers 14 critical topics such as quantum science, hypersonics and artificial intelligence. Turns out, spending on these technologies has been rising, according to analysis by Govini. Joining the Federal Drive with more, Govini's vice president of strategy, Billy Fabian.
Certain migrants to the United States are allowed to stay pending immigration court proceedings. That means Homeland Security must keep track of their family status and where they end up. But it doesn't do such a great job. The Federal Drive got more now from principal deputy inspector general Glenn Sklar, and the assistant counsel to the inspector general Natalia Segermeister.
You may have heard of the PIL, the Procurement Innovation Lab, at the Homeland Security Department.
Well get ready for the NAIL, the NASA Acquisition Innovation Lab. Karla Smith-Jackson is the senior procurement executive and deputy chief acquisition officer at NASA. At the ACT-IAC ELC event in Hershey, Pennsylvania last week, Smith-Jackson told Federal News Network's Jason Miller about how NASA is modeling its newest effort after DHS’s highly successful initiative.
A group Social Security Administration employees rallied outside SSA’s headquarters in Baltimore earlier this week. They're frustrated. SSA staffing is at its lowest in decades. Large numbers say they plan to leave next year. Bosses from the American Federation of Government Employees urge the agency to improve telework opportunities and raise pay. They're also pressing Congress to give the agency more funding and staff. More now from Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released long-awaited cybersecurity performance goals this week. The measures promise to help critical infrastructure companies and other firms prioritize the adoption of key security measures. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joined the Federal Drive with the latest.
The Postal Service, like nearly every federal entity, has strict legal limits on how much executives can get paid. There are a few exceptions though. Each year the Postal Office of Inspector General does and audit to make sure the agency stays in compliance. Here with this year's findings, the deputy assistant inspector general for finance and pricing, Alan MacMullin.
The Defense Department's Cyber Crime Center, known as DC3, has a new executive director. Joining the Federal Drive with what's news at the DC3 and what he plans for this crucial office, Jude Sunderbruch.
The Biden administration has made customer experience offered by agencies a management imperative. Yet satisfaction scores keep trending down. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation has analyzed the situation and found one thing the government needs to strengthen is how it measures digital services effectiveness. The ITIF's policy fellow Eric Egan joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
The vaccine mandate for government contractors has been in limbo ever since an appeals court decision limited the scope of a nationwide injunction on the mandate made by a lower court. Now the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force has finally updated its website regarding enforcement of the mandate. The main takeaway? There's more guidance to come. For what that means, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with attorney Matthew Haws, a partner at Jenner and Block.
Cybersecurity poses a never-ending challenge to federal information technology people. Now supply chain security has jumped into the pile of concerns. One chief information officer has put cyber defense at the center of her efforts. At the ACT-IAC executive leadership conference earlier this week in Hershey Pennsylvania, I caught up with Energy Department CIO Ann Dunkin. I asked her about whether all those Energy Labs make up a special supply chain risk.
When it comes to technology, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has always been a unicorn. The agency has about 95% of its online applications in the cloud. It was on the zero trust journey well before there was a bandwagon. Rob Brown is USCIS chief technology officer. At the ACT-IAC Conference earlier this week in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Brown told Federal News Network's Jason Miller about plans to break new technology ground by hiring a director of user experience.
The Navy spent $18.4 billion on small business prime contracts last year. Navy officials want to create even more opportunities for small businesses in fiscal 2023, and hold large contractors accountable for their subcontracting commitments. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
The COVID-19 pandemic stretched the healthcare community to the limits, underscoring the need to further enhance public health resources across the country. In a move towards that goal, AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have launched the new Public Health AmeriCorps (PHA) to support the recruitment, training and development of the next generation of public health leaders. The Federal Drive had the chance to speak with Michael Smith, CEO of AmeriCorps to find out how this new facet of his agency will work.
Contractors trying to develop artificial intelligence applications for the government face a challenge. Namely, a good data set for training the algorithms. Now a big, new, federally-oriented dataset is coming from an unlikely source. The Federal Drive got the details from Bloomberg Government reporter Josh Axlerod.
Reliance on the U.S. military's special forces has increased steadily over the past 20 years. More operations using more people in more trouble spots. Auditors have found that the Special Operations Command has trouble with oversight of its command and control, or C2, structures. Partly this is a data problem. For details, the Federal Drive turns to the director of defense capabilities and management issues at the Government Accountability Office, Cary Russell.
The Education Department's Public Service Loan Forgiveness program has had some ongoing issues with public servants meeting relatively strict eligibility requirements. The department has tried to fix the problem with a limited-time waiver, but it leaves a few questions unanswered about the future of the program. With less than a week before the temporary waiver expires, the Office of Personnel Management is also sharing how agencies can help federal employees with their PSLF applications. Joining the Federal Drive with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
A union seeks emergency funding for the Social Security Administration to rebuild its depleted workforce. The American Federation of Government Employees Council 220 is asking Congress for $16.5 billion to support SSA for the rest of fiscal 2023. More than half the funding would go toward hiring more employees. The SSA workforce is at its lowest headcount in decades. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman joined the Federal Drive with more.
Alliant 3. To those in the know, this is the name of a promising new governmentwide acquisition contract for technology services. The request for proposals is now out, and open for comments. One move by the General Services Administration threatens the whole deal, in the view of our next guest. The Federal Drive's Tom Temin spoke with Federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
Last month the European Commission drafted a law called the Cyber Resilience Act. Its an extensive framework aimed at improving cybersecurity in the E-. For the implications on this side of the Atlantic, the Federal Drive turned to the senior policy analyst at the ITIF Center for Data Innovation, Kir Nuthi.
The Defense Department is now offering two online courses that provide support and guidance for those affected by suicide.? The courses cover things such as communication techniques, ways to connect or stay connected to a support system, and reminders for how to maintain physical and mental health during a very difficult time. To learn more about them, the Federal Drive spoke with Dr. Andrew Moon, Acting Director for Research, Evaluation, and Data/Surveillance for the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, along with Lisa Valentine, who you'll hear from first. She's the Program Manager, Casualty, Mortuary Affairs & Military Funeral Honors for the Defense Department.
The General Services Administration is offering agencies a glimpse of what the future of work could look like.
Starting in early November, GSA will open up its shared work spaces in three cities as well as its future of work headquarters laboratory.
Robin Carnahan is the administrator of GSA. She tells executive editor Jason Miller at the 2022 ELC conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania about how GSA is helping agencies envision how their employees will work differently in the coming years.
It might be the great deliberative body, but much of what the Senate Deliberates on is pretty mundane. Such as, the nomination for undersecretary of Agriculture for marketing and regulatory programs. What do Senators think about this? The Federal Drive got some insight from WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
The Defense Department has been working under a leadership diversity plan since the Obama administration. A special commission issued a long list of recommendations back in 2011. And that stemmed from a mandate in the Defense authorization law from 2009. For how the department has done, the Federal Drive turned to the program director for diversity and inclusion evaluations in the DOD office of inspector general, Dana Johnson.
The State Department has several annual fellowship programs designed to bring in new talent. We've been bringing you their stories here on the Federal Drive. Today we're talking about the William D. Clarke, Senior Diplomatic Security Fellowships. Joining the Federal Drive with the details, the assistant secretary of State for Diplomatic Security, Gentry Smith.
Agencies are carrying out a lot of business these days using cloud computing technology, and now they have some new guidance for securing those applications. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released minimum security configurations for eight Microsoft 365 services last week. For more on how this could help agencies improve their cybersecurity, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday, spoke with the security chief technology officer at Microsoft Federal, Steve Faehl.
Results are out for the 2022 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey – or FEVS. The annual survey from the Office of Personnel Management produced a couple of ups and downs in the two years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, federal employee attitudes seem to have calmed down a bit. Joining the Federal Drive with the details, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
In today's Federal Newscast, you can add the treasury department to the list of agencies whose workload may significantly increase due to climate change.
Among this year's fellows added to the National Academy of Public Administration are several still-working, senior federal employees. One of them is prominent on Capitol Hill and Federal Drive host had a chance to conduct this extended 17-minute interview with her. She's Wendy Ginsberg, staff director for the Subcommittee on Government Operations of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
The Department of Veterans Affairs hired more employees in fiscal 2022 than at any point in recent history. But top VA officials say more action is needed to build up the agency’s workforce, given a high rate of attrition and increasing healthcare demand from veterans. VA Undersecretary for Health Shereef Elnahal told reporters Wednesday that the agency needs to hire about 52,000 employees per year just to keep up with the rate of health care workers leaving the agency, as well as an increase in veterans entering the VA health care system.
The Agriculture Department is making a big push for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. It just established a six-step strategic plan for DEIA. This as the agency also tries to rebuild its workforce after attrition during the Trump administration. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman got the details from USDA Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh.
The effort to overhaul federal cyber defenses has “momentum” behind it, most notably in helping agencies distill broad cybersecurity objectives into specific technology investments as part of the annual budgeting process, according to White House leaders. Federal Chief Information Security Officer Chris DeRusha said the White House’s zero trust strategy gives cybersecurity leaders the ability to “disaggregate and do strategy-based budgeting all the way down to a technology investment.”
Congress recently agreed to throw tens of billions of dollars at the semiconductor industry. The idea was to expand production of vital circuits in the United States. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with someone who has done extensive analysis of the chip industry and says there should be more to policy than national security. He's assistant professor of management at Radford University, Zach Collier.
Call centers, those invisible nests of operators that purport to help citizens with questions about government services, are a bane to agency after agency. Calls don't get picked up. Or people make a pot of coffee while on hold. Questions aren't answered. Callers get bounced from operator to operator. Worst of all, those badly-designed automatic call routers. There's gotta be a better way. Federal Drive host Tom Temin looked into how to make call centers more empathetic, with Deloitte Consulting's Marc Mancher.
The Department of Defense Education Activity, or DODEA, employs 500 teacher for the children of service members stationed in Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Bahrain. The teachers, part of a bargaining unit called the Overseas Federation of Teachers, haven't had a new contract in 28 years. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with someone who knows what the teacher want: President of the Overseas Federation of Teachers, Linda Hogan.
Federal employees have family and professional lives. They also have financial lives. Today we're inaugurating a monthly talk with a man who has long experience in federal financial management and investment strategies. He was a regular on our Federal News Network show, "Your Turn," hosted by the late Mike Causey. Now he'll be a monthly guest here on the Federal Drive. For his inaugural interview in this space, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talks with financial planner Arthur Stein.
The General Services Administration has completed two rounds of a three-round plan to sell off unneeded federal buildings. It hasn't gone well, according to Congressional auditors. Sales took too long, and a special recommendation board said it therefore didn't have the money to discover other buildings to sell. Can this program get on track? For details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the acting director of physical infrastructure issues at the Government Accountability Office, Jill Naamane.
The Office of Special Counsel, which handles whistleblower and Hatch Act Cases, is something of an enigma to many federal managers. The law firm Shaw Bransford and Roth, which produces the weekly FEDTalk Show here on Federal News Network, has organized what federal managers need to know to better handle OSC investigations. For the highlights, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Shaw Bransford senior counsel James Heelan.
Victims of one of the largest data breaches to ever hit the federal government are one step closer to a payout, more than seven years later.
A federal judge on Friday finalized the Office of Personnel Management’s settlement agreement with current and former federal employees, as well as federal job applicants, impacted by a major data breach in 2015.District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, in a fairness hearing at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said the $63 million settlement for breach victims was “fair, reasonable and adequate.”
Federal retirees and Social Security recipients are about to get the largest increase in their cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in over four decades.The COLA will increase 8.7% for 2023, the Social Security Administration announced on Oct. 13. But not all federal retirees will see that amount added to their checks. Those in the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) will receive a 7.7% COLA starting in January.
The 24-year-old law requiring agencies to ensure technology is accessible by people with disabilities isn't not exactly being ignored. But there is a lack of data about just how well agencies are complying. In his weekly reporter's notebook, executive editor Jason Miller covers what the Biden administration can do to make sure its diversity, equity inclusion and accessibility efforts don't ring hallow. Jason joins me now to discuss.
Contractors face the prospect of higher mandatory wages and treating independent subcontractors like employees. And that's not all. The vaccine mandate might be coming back. How are companies reacting? To find out, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Stephanie Kostro, Executive VP for policy at the Professional Services Council.
Directed energy -- lasers -- somehow always seem to be the weapon of the future. Military grade lasers are too heavy or require too much power to be practical. Booz Allen Hamilton thinks its engineers have answers for high-energy lasers. The company has a new unit called HELworks to bring it all together. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about all that (and more) with Booz Allen VP Joe Shepherd.
Among this year's class of new fellows of the National Academy of Public Administration, are a few people from the legislative branch. Among them, Zina Merritt, the chief diversity management officer at the Government Accountability Office. She talked with Federal Drive host Tom Temin.
With the final paroxysm of the January 6 hearings over, Congress is on an extended recess. Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin knows he won't have to deal with budgetary matters until after the November elections. So to examine what to expect then, he spoke with Loren Duggan, Bloomberg Government deputy news director.
Telehealth -- on the rise at Veterans Affairs and in the private sector -- has one thing in common with every other digital service: It's a cybersecurity risk. Now the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is planning a healthcare project to establish best practices for security and privacy in telehealth situations. To find out more about the project, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Ron Pulivarti, senior cyber engineer.
Recently, the White House released a document called the Comprehensive Framework for Responsible Development of Digital Assets. It summarizes Treasury Department studies of potential crypto policies and regulations. For what it could mean for federal regulators and the digital asset industry, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to Dennis Kelleher, Co-founder and President of Better Markets. Kelleher is also a former member of the Federal Reserve's Banking and Securities Agency Review Team.
The White House and agencies are moving forward with new cyber rules for critical infrastructure, as the Biden administration looks to take advantage of existing laws to address digital threats on a sector-by-sector basis in the absence of Congressional action on cybersecurity regulations.
Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service acts like a hub for the government's payments and collections. Now the bureau is looking to make more payments digitally and to prevent improper payments. It's is also creating a Chief Customer Office to oversee all of this modernizing. For more on all of this, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke Tim Gribben, the bureau’s commissioner.
EIS, CIO-SP4, Oasis-Plus and Ascend, the alphabet soup of contracts on the horizon will keep vendors busy over the next six months. The General Services Administration and others are pushing forward to set up and otherwise nurture these multi-billion dollar vehicles. Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller has some new detail about where many of these contracts are heading.
Every military service, and just about every Defense organization of any significant size, has its own chief information officer. Until now, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) was a bit of an outlier, with no single official responsible for overseeing the technology its 18,000 people use. That’s now changing. In a Sept. 30 memo, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks granted new CIO authorities — covering all of OSD — to the department’s directorate of administration and management (DA&M). Danielle Metz, formerly the DoD CIO for information enterprise, will now serve within that office as the OSD CIO.
Documents obtained by the Project on Government Oversight or POGO, show the Small Business Administration forgave millions of loans it knew might be fraudulent. SBA issued the loans under the Payroll Protection Plan, a big element of federal pandemic relief. To get into some details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with POGO senior investigator Nick Schwellenbach.
The Army Corps of Engineers is all about infrastructure, in particular the nation's waterways. When the infrastructure bill was signed into law, the Corps got a good chunk to get after some overdue work. At this week's Association of the U. S. Army conference, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the Corps's deputy commander, Maj. Gen. Richard Heitkamp. They began their discussion addressing the Corps' work in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Whether forces at peace or actively engaged, the business of keeping the Army equipped, fed and fueled never really ends. At the Association of the U.S. Army conference earlier this week, Federal Drive host Tom Temin caught up with the commander of the Army Sustainment Command, Maj. Gen. David Wilson.
The Army may operate primarily on the ground. But it relies on space communications to maintain freedom of movement and situational awareness, as well as to guard against known and emerging missile threats. At the Association of the U.S. Army Conference, AUSA, Federal Drive host Tom Temin got an update from the commander of the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command, Lt. Gen. Daniel Karbler.
Federal employees and their office buildings are facing an increase in threats at a time when the agency sworn to protect them is running into challenges to fill law enforcement vacancies. The Federal Protective Service secures 9,500 federal buildings across the country. But FPS Principal Deputy Director Kris Cline said last month that about 21% of its authorized positions remain vacant, and that filling them is a “continued challenge.”
Federal employees and their office buildings are facing an increase in threats at a time when the agency sworn to protect them is running into challenges to fill law enforcement vacancies. The Federal Protective Service secures 9,500 federal buildings across the country. But FPS Principal Deputy Director Kris Cline said last month that about 21% of its authorized positions remain vacant, and that filling them is a “continued challenge.”
Can the simple misspelling of your own company's name turn a simple contract award protest into a full-blown court case. We're talking federal contracting. So of course it can. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about this strange case, of the added two letters with Joe Petrillo, Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney.
Thousands of current and former NASA employees saw a major step forward in a racial discrimination case that’s nearly a decade old. The case can now proceed as a class action lawsuit after Supervisory Administrative Judge Stephanie Herrera at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission certified two classes of employees on Sept. 30. The employees who originally filed the case will represent more than 2,000 agency workers.
Increasing collaboration among federal employees and expanding benefits are a couple top priorities for the advocacy group, Federally Employed Women, or "Few." But the newly elected president of the organization said along with those initiatives, closing the generational gap in the federal workforce is another goal high on her to-do list. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman sat down with "Few" President Pamela Richards to discuss the details of her plans for the organization in her new leadership position.
Not much can happen in the Army without the products and services that clothe, feed and equip the soldiers. Responsibility for acquiring most of what the Army needs falls to the Army Contracting Command. For an update, at the Association of the U.S. Army conference in Washington, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin caught up with the Contracting Command’s commander, Brig. Gen. Christine Beeler.
It’s the world’s premier expeditionary force, yet every U.S. Army soldier has a home or a home base. Often that home is in housing provided by the Army itself. Army housing has been a sore subject for residents, Army leadership and Congress. But there’s been progress. For an update on that and other matters, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked at the Association of the U.S. Army conference, with Lt. Gen. Omar Jones, the Commander of the Installation Management Command.
As the biggest civilian agency, the Veterans Affairs Department buys lots of stuff every year, from building construction to aspirin. Yet, according to Government Accountability Office auditors, VA falls short in planning and managing its crucial acquisition workforce. To discuss the comprehensive survey of that workforce, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Shelby Oakley, GAO's director for contracting and national security acquisitions.
Both Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration continue to expand the use of facial recognition technology to verify traveler identity, with both agencies touting both the security and customer experience benefits of using biometrics, while pledging to safeguard privacy and security. CBP has processed 223 million travelers since introducing the biometric entry-exit program at airports and other locations since 2018, confirming about 175,000 overstays with non-citizens leaving the country, as well as more than 1,600 imposters at ports of entry, according to Diane Sabatino, deputy executive assistant commissioner for the Office of Field Operations at CBP.
The Senate is back in session today from recess, mainly to work on the annual Defense Authorization Act. Traditionally Congress sends this bill to the president before the end of the calendar year. For more on this and what else is happening in Congress, we turn to WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
Two weeks into the continuing resolution, agencies hoping to start new initiatives are looking towards December 16. That's when Congress promised to establish a 2023 budget. History shows, that's a pretty thin reed to lean on. My next guest isn't ruling out the possibility of a full-year continuing resolution. Larry Allen is president of Allen Federal Business Partners.
A new guide from the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, is full of information for potential partners to take part in collaborative research. And develop long-term partnership opportunities. To learn more, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Megan Mahle, Director of Industry Partnerships in DHS' Office of Innovation and Collaboration.
The long-standing debate over whether prices on the GSA Schedule contract are fair and reasonable has reached a new level of, DIScord.
GSA's inspector general makes what to some will be a shocking series of recommendations about schedule prices. And GSA's Federal Acquisition Service responds with contempt for those suggestions. In his reporter's notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about the latest episode in this long-running squabble over schedule prices.
Among other things, initiatives aim to incentivize large prime contractors to incorporate innovations from small businesses into their bid proposals and give contracting officers better tools to manage intellectual property rights.
The Senate back from recess and in session today, mainly to work on the annual Defense Authorization Act. Traditionally, Congress sends this bill to the president before the end of the calendar year. To discuss that possibility and what else is happening in Congress, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
Two weeks into the continuing resolution, agencies hoping to start new initiatives are looking toward December 16. That's when Congress promised to establish a 2023 budget. History shows, that's a pretty thin reed to lean on. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with an expert who is not ruling out the possibility of a full-year continuing resolution. Larry Allen is president of Allen Federal Business Partners.
A new guide from the A new guide from the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate … is full of information for potential partners to take part in collaborative research. And develop long-term partnership opportunities. To learn more, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Megan Mahle (MAIL), Director of Industry Partnerships in DHS' Office of Innovation and Collaboration. is full of information for potential partners to take part in collaborative research and develop long-term partnership opportunities. To learn more, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Megan Mahle, Director of Industry Partnerships in the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Innovation and Collaboration.
The Army is about to begin its first large-scale deployment of a technology that will let soldiers use their own phones and tablets to connect to government networks — a notion that, as recently as a few years ago, would have seemed like a pipe dream because of various legal, policy and cybersecurity concerns. On October 11, the Army will start rolling out the bring your own device (BYOD) program to 20,000 new users. While that number is extremely small compared to the total force of military members, civilians and contractors, it’s massive by comparison to the limited tests it’s conducted during pilot efforts so far.
The Army is about to begin its first large-scale deployment of a technology that will let soldiers use their own phones and tablets to connect to government networks — a notion that, as recently as a few years ago, would have seemed like a pipe dream because of various legal, policy and cybersecurity concerns. On October 11, the Army will start rolling out the bring your own device (BYOD) program to 20,000 new users. While that number is extremely small compared to the total force of military members, civilians and contractors, it’s massive by comparison to the limited tests it’s conducted during pilot efforts so far.
The IRS is telling temporarily reassigned “surge team” employees that they will need to continue their work cutting down the agency’s pandemic-era backlog of tax returns through the end of the year. But to thank employees for their efforts, which have cut the backlog by more than half since the start of the year, the IRS is giving these frontline workers a onetime $1,000 bonus.
Rule-making is one of the most widespread activities in the federal government. And while there are extensive rules for rule-making itself, the extent of annual rule-making is impressive when you add it all up. Federal Drive host Tom Temin, talked wit a man who has been keeping a tally for years and has a few ideas for reform. Wayne Crews is the vice president for policy and senior fellow at the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Rule-making is one of the most widespread activities in the federal government. And while there are extensive rules for rule-making itself, the extent of annual rule-making is impressive when you add it all up. Federal Drive host Tom Temin, talked wit a man who has been keeping a tally for years and has a few ideas for reform. Wayne Crews is the vice president for policy and senior fellow at the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Federal spending on contracts for goods and services continues to grow in many categories. But, according to research by Deltek, there is increasing consolidation of contracting vehicles by the government. That means companies, more than ever, need to understand what Deltek calls "best-fit opportunities." To talk about this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Kevin Plexico, Deltek's Senior VP.
Federal spending on contracts for goods and services continues to grow in many categories. But, according to research by Deltek, there is increasing consolidation of contracting vehicles by the government. That means companies, more than ever, need to understand what Deltek calls "best-fit opportunities." To talk about this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Kevin Plexico, Deltek's Senior VP.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the National Weather Service, is trying to upgrade its ability to analyze water resources. It wants its forecasters to have better insight into flooding potential or water quality. Now it's asking for help from the information technology industry. For details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Fred Ogden, the chief scientist for water prediction at NOAA and with scientist Fernando Salas.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the National Weather Service, is trying to upgrade its ability to analyze water resources. It wants its forecasters to have better insight into flooding potential or water quality. Now it's asking for help from the information technology industry. For details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Fred Ogden, the chief scientist for water prediction at NOAA and with scientist Fernando Salas.
The IRS has been making progress toward eliminating a longstanding problem. Namely, companies who are delinquent in their federal taxes, but that nevertheless receive federal contracts. For the most recent figures, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with LaToya George, the director of the Office of Audits at the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
The 2022 Combined Federal Campaign hosted its virtual kickoff earlier this week, which means federal employees can now start donating their time and money to causes of their choice. To learn what's in store for this season, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Vince Micone, the chairperson of the Combined Federal Campaign in the National Capital Region.
Agencies are starting out Cybersecurity Awareness Month with a new directive to routinely scan their networks for new devices and potential cyber vulnerabilities after recent high-profile cyber incidents exposed a lack of real-time visibility into federal networks.The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a binding operational directive on Monday for “improving asset visibility and vulnerability detection on federal networks.” The goal of the mandate, it states, is to “make measurable progress toward enhancing visibility into agency assets and associated vulnerabilities.”
Donning a sea of orange T-shirts, federal employees walked down the National Mall last week, but it wasn’t just for a morning stroll through the city.The group of roughly 150 feds, from agencies including the departments of Energy, and Housing and Urban Development, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), showed up to the culmination of an interagency effort to collect food donations across the federal workforce. The Feds Feed Families (FFF) initiative, a governmentwide program aiming to help end hunger, boost engagement and promote healthier lifestyles, finished with a 30-minute walk downtown on Sept. 29. Called Feds Walk in Support of Health and Hunger Relief (FedsWISH), the event celebrated a total of 7.2 million pounds of food donations, and counting, to the FFF initiative this year.
Cars, planes and boats will be stronger and longer lasting thanks to a new metal alloy. It was developed by scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. To hear more about how they did it, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with program manager Allen Haynes and research and development staff member Alex Plotkowski.
Industry groups seem to support the Biden administration's September 14 memo on secure software development. It lays out a detailed way for agencies to acquire software so they're, in theory, assured of the security of the software supply chain. To discuss this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Gordon Bitko, the senior vice president of policy at the Information Technology Industry Council.
The State Department, once a relative stranger to telework for most functions prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, is taking steps to allow Foreign Service candidates to participate in some assessments virtually. Don Bauer, the chief technology officer of the department’s Global Talent Management Bureau, said the bureau is “virtualizing everything” it does to assess Foreign Service candidates, in an effort to diversify its pool of applicants.
Tom Temin almost never interviews Public Affairs Officers on the Federal Drive. In fact, Temin said, "I never have. They're never the story." Federal Drive host Tom Temin did make an exception recently. One of the most enduring Public Affairs Specialists -- and someone Federal News Network has worked with steadily for many years -- retired. So Temin wanted him to tell his story. He's Fuller O. Griffith, better known as Ned, from the Government Accountability Office.
Where once risk management was just a matter for the chief financial officer, now the bureau's entire senior leadership cadre is involved. Nicole Puri is the bureau's chief risk office and the past president of the Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management. She tells executive editor Jason Miller about how enterprise risk management has spread into a range of agency functions, even budgeting.
The Inspector General community is taking a closer look at diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility trends in their own offices. The Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, CIGIE, created a DEIA working group in 2020. Many IGs have expressed interest. For what the working group is looking at to advance diversity. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman spoke with Education IG and working group chairwoman Sandra Bruce, and FDIC IG Jay Lerner, who's the groups' vice chairman. You'll hear Bruce first.
Contractors are nervous about the Continuing Resolution the government has been operating under since Saturday. Perhaps more troubling is the expiration of the research and development tax credit of 100%. Now it's back to 20% and that has big ramifications, according to Federal Drive host Tom Temin's guest for this interview: David Berteau, President and CEO of the Professional Services Council.
Federal employees on the front lines of national security and law enforcement sometimes need a bit more care and attention than others. This interview guest of Federal Drive host Tom Temin is Catherine Emerson, who has a had a long career in this branch of human resources. The former chief human capital officer of the Homeland Security Department is now deputy attorney general and chief human capital officer at the Justice Department. She and Tom discussed what it takes to provide good employee experience.
After several years of vacancy, the Merit Systems Protection Board has a full complement of three members who, after their Senate confirmations, faced a backlog of thousands of appeals to decisions that had been made by administrative law judges. What's it been like? To find out, Federal Drive host was joined in studio by MSPB member Tristan Leavitt.
You're at work today. That's the good news. It went down to the wire, but Congress managed to get that continuing resolution passed. It lasts until December 16. For what comes next, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Jack Fitzpatrick, Bloomberg Government Congress reporter.
Lots of people were unhappy, when, during the Trump administration, the Bureau of Land Management headquarters moved from Washington D.C. to Grand Junction, Colorado. The idea was to put management near the lands they oversee. At least one support group, the Public Lands Foundation, is happy BLM is moving back to D.C. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the foundation's president, Mary Jo Rugwell.
Mentor-protégé arrangements between large and small contractors have proven effective in helping primes -- and the government itself -- reach their annual small business goals. The yearly Nunn-Perry Awards honor Defense Department mentor-protégé setups that have been notably effective. One of this year's three awards went to the Naval Supply Systems Command. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with NAVSUP's director of small business, Chris Espenshade.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is rolling out a new service to help defend a wider range of agency systems from cyber attacks, and CISA is looking to potentially expand the tool beyond federal systems, according to an agency official leading the effort. CISA is rolling out a Protective Domain Name System (DNS) service to all federal agencies after spending the last year beta testing the tool.
Participants in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) will see a significantly larger increase to their health premium costs in 2023, compared with the last few years. Federal employees and retirees, on average, will pay 8.7% more in health premiums, the Office of Personnel Management announced on Sept. 30.
The Army is taking steps to put data analytics and artificial intelligence at the heart of decision-making. It’s already had success doing that with predictive maintenance of vehicles and in cyber operations. But the Army faces challenges getting get the right data to people on the battlefield. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke David Markowitz, the Army’s chief data officer.
The Army is taking steps to put data analytics and artificial intelligence at the heart of decision-making. It’s already had success doing that with predictive maintenance of vehicles and in cyber operations. But the Army faces challenges getting get the right data to people on the battlefield. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke David Markowitz, the Army’s chief data officer.
The Homeland Security Department has issued new guidance to operators of the National Public Warning System, who are distributed throughout the U.S. The guidance is how to protect the system from electromagnetic pulses or EMP, whether caused by sunspots or a nuclear detonation. The guidance was a joint effort of several DHS components. For details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke to Brent Talbot, Science and Technology Directorate program manager Brent Talbot. They first discuss: Why EMP and why now?
The name Fat Leonard has become synonymous with corruption. Leonard Glenn Francis operated the biggest bribery scheme the Navy has ever experienced. Under house arrest for years awaiting final sentencing, Leonard slipped away last month after cutting off his ankle bracelet. Now -- caught in Venezuela -- what will happen to him now? For analysis, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with attorney Anthony Kuhn, managing partner of Tully Rinckey.
The name Fat Leonard has become synonymous with corruption. Leonard Glenn Francis operated the biggest bribery scheme the Navy has ever experienced. Under house arrest for years awaiting final sentencing, Leonard slipped away last month after cutting off his ankle bracelet. Now -- caught in Venezuela -- what will happen to him now? For analysis, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with attorney Anthony Kuhn, managing partner of Tully Rinckey.
Major regulatory changes and new rules -- which one agency or another deal with almost daily -- require that affected parties be notified. But a notice in the Federal Register is not enough, and agencies need to do more or they risk losing in court. That's according to a recently completed analysis done on behalf of the Administrative Conference of the United States. To find out the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with study co-authors E. Donald Elliot, a professor at Yale Law School and Josh Galperin, a law professor at Pace University.
Contractors have long urged agencies to expand the debriefings they give to losing bidders after making an award. In one recent case, an enhanced debriefing lead to a turnover in the award. The new award turned out to be protest proof. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about the project, worth tens of millions of dollars, with Joe Petrillo, Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney.
Manned and unmanned aircraft operating safely together is still an air traffic control challenge. It's a step closer to a solution thanks to an award-winning project at a federally funded research and development center know as FFRDC. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked to someone who shed light project, Wes Olson, a retired Air Force officer, who is now a group leader at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory.
The federal community lost a peerless reporter and friend this week. Longtime Federal News Network columnist Mike Causey died on Monday at 82. Before joining the Federal News Network team in the early 2000s, Mike wrote his daily Federal Diary column in The Washington Post for 40 years. Since joining our newsroom in the early 2000s, Causey wrote and went on the air about matters crucial to federal employees, including salary and benefits issues, investing, health care and retirement planning.
Whether it was used during the height of the pandemic -- or if it is used now -- because of its convenience, telehealth has become a mainstay in the healthcare field. The Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the Health and Human Services Department, is trying to spread the word about its resources available to help people understand telehealth and the implications of using it. For more, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with the Director for the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth at HRSA Heather Dimeris.
5G, the latest wireless communication technology, has started to change how agencies think about networks, both from a physical infrastructure standpoint and for how it can enhance service to employees and constituents. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about this with a man at the forefront of this thinking at the Veterans Affairs Department. He is Dr. Tom Osborne, Director of VA's National Center for Collaborative Healthcare Innovation.
The pandemic changed federal banking regulations. Mainly because auditors could not go to banks in person to check the books and the procedures. Regulators figured out a way to do remote bank supervision, but they all did not update their risk profiles, according to the Government Accountability Office. To find out more about what GAO uncovered, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Michael Clements, GAO's director of financial markets and community investment.
The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board highlighted its efforts to remove barriers to better understanding Thrift Savings Plan services for some underserved groups. The board aimed to find out how participants’ salaries affected their understanding of TSP, as well as their likelihood to make changes to their TSP contributions, in a recent study.
The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board highlighted its efforts to remove barriers to better understanding Thrift Savings Plan services for some underserved groups. The board aimed to find out how participants’ salaries affected their understanding of TSP, as well as their likelihood to make changes to their TSP contributions, in a recent study.
The Department of Navy has more than a dozen reference architectures ranging from zero trust to cybersecurity to the Joint All Domain Command and Control or JADC2 program. The problem is very few people who are developing systems in these areas reads or understands these often complex and dry documents. In his weekly feature, the Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about how the Department of Navy is trying something new to drive standardization around application development.
It's a bit of a nerve wracking time for contractors. Congress is currently flirting with the possibility of a government shutdown, as well as the potential yearlong Continuing Resolution no one wants. Add to that the fact that inflation is making it harder to conduct business and getting permission to increase prices remains difficult. For an idea of how to handle these obstacles, the Federal Drive's Eric White with Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners.
Union arbitrators routinely reinstate fired federal employees who grieve their dismissals, according to an analysis of cases conducted by a think tank. The conservative-leaning America First Policy Institute said the arbitrators' rate of reinstatement is way higher than that of the Merit Systems Protection Board. For details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with director of the Institute's Center for American Freedom, James Sherk.
The Million Veteran Program of the Veterans Affairs Department doesn't quite have a million participants. Not quite yet. But it did recently reach 900,000, when a retired reservist and purple heart recipient joined up. For an update on what VA calls its largest research project ever, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with program director Suma Muralidhar.
The continuing resolution to keep the government's lights on next week. It's hitting some last minute political hurdles related to, of all things, the so-called inflation reduction act. For details on this and other critical matters in Congress, WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
Management of new information technology: It's always been a challenge in the federal government. Now a new course at the University of Maryland's business school aims to fix that. Many federal career mangers have voiced a need for such a course. Joining me with more about it, professor and assistant dean Joe Bailey.
Management of new information technology: It's always been a challenge in the federal government. Now a new course at the University of Maryland's business school aims to fix that. Many federal career mangers have voiced a need for such a course. Joining me with more about it, professor and assistant dean Joe Bailey.
The United States is not as sharp at diplomacy as it needs to be. That's the chief finding of the American Academy of Diplomacy. Earlier this year it published a series of policy and practice recommendations for the State Department. They focus on the idea of multilateral diplomacy. For highlights, we turn to two long-serving former ambassadors. Marc Grossman is vice chairman of the Cohen Group. Marcie Reis is now a national security consultant.
The 10th annual survey of inspectors general changed in two major ways. First, the Association of Government Accountants focused entirely on the impact of the pandemic on the oversight community. Second, AGA brought in more state and local oversight executives because of how closely they worked with federal officials over the last two years. Ann Ebberts, the CEO of the Association of Government Accountants, said the biggest challenge that emerged from the survey was about data sharing across the different organizations. She said the recognition that federal, state and local auditors could work faster and smarter if agencies and Congress removed some of the major roadblocks to sharing data.
The Office of Management and Budget last week released what it called a learning agenda for federal agencies. It's the research they need to do to answer big questions. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with someone who wonders whether the learning agenda actually gets to the root challenge of agency performance: Bob Tobias, professor in the Key Executive Leadership Program at American University.
For several years, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress has been developing ideas for just that: Updating a whole branch of government. Recently it held its final hearing. Earlier in September it introduced a resolution to advance 32 recommendations the committee itself endorsed. For a summary and what comes next, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with committee chairman Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) and vice chair Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.).
In 2022, recruiting has been a very tough business for all the military services, and the Department of the Air Force is no exception. It met its goals for the active duty force this fiscal year, but it had to pull out all the stops to do so. The Air National Guard and Reserve, meanwhile, are thousands of troops short, and officials say 2023 looks to be at least as difficult as this year was.
If the widely touted fifth generation communications network is to fulfill its promise, it needs a better antenna. Now researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed an antenna they call a game changer for 5G and military communications. Federal Drive host Tom Temin found out some more about it with John Singleton, an electrical engineer and fellow at Los Alamos.
If the widely touted fifth generation communications network is to fulfill its promise, it needs a better antenna. Now researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed an antenna they call a game changer for 5G and military communications. Federal Drive host Tom Temin found out some more about it with John Singleton, an electrical engineer and fellow at Los Alamos.
We know telehealth expanded a lot during the pandemic. Now we know how much. The Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has pulled together data showing that in the first year (2020) more than 28 million Medicare beneficiaries received telehealth services. To find out more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Andrew VanLandingham, the IG's senior counselor for Medicaid policy.
Inflation has seeped into every area of the economy, both goods and labor. For federal contractors, operating under fixed-priced contractors, and for the Defense Department, the pressure is real. Now the National Defense Industrial Association has completed a detailed look at just how inflation has affected budgets. Federal Drive host got the highlights from the association's chairman, retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro.
The Preventing a Patronage System Act cleared the full House in a vote of 225-204, showcasing an effort to prevent the possible return of the Trump-era Schedule F executive order. The bill would prohibit future White House administrations from creating any new federal job classification without congressional approval, but the timing on the Senate’s version of the legislation remains uncertain. Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), introduced a companion bill in August and applauded the passage of the bill in the House on Sept. 15. The lawmakers added that they will be pushing to follow suit in the Senate.
The Federal Acquisition Regulation is clear, fixed-price contracts are just that: Fixed price. There's no provision for adjustments because of inflation. Or is there? A memo last week from the Defense Pricing and Contracting office offers some hope. Federal Drive host spoke with someone who has studied the memo closely: Zach Prince, a partner at Smith Pachter McWhorter.
The Federal Acquisition Regulation is clear, fixed-price contracts are just that: Fixed price. There's no provision for adjustments because of inflation. Or is there? A memo last week from the Defense Pricing and Contracting office offers some hope. Federal Drive host spoke with someone who has studied the memo closely: Zach Prince, a partner at Smith Pachter McWhorter.
Twice postponed launches of its big new rocket may indicate deep problems with NASA's Artemis program, as it makes plans to get back to the moon and eventually to Mars. The basic guidance the agency uses to manage Artemis may not be suited to such a complex enterprise, at least according to the Government Accountability Office. For more on this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Bill Russell, the GAO's director of contracting and national security acquisitions.
The Federal Labor Relations Authority has to hear an unprecedented case, in for review. Normally, once a federal union is certified, no decertification vote can occur for at least a year. The question is: Can a decertification vote take place within a year, if the original certification occurred without a vote in the first place? Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about that with Mark Mix, the President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
The Federal Labor Relations Authority has to hear an unprecedented case, in for review. Normally, once a federal union is certified, no decertification vote can occur for at least a year. The question is: Can a decertification vote take place within a year, if the original certification occurred without a vote in the first place? Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about that with Mark Mix, the President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
The Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program has been struggling with a number of challenges for years. Two plans to create an updated case management system have failed since 2015, with a total cost of $26 million, and the contract for the third attempt isn’t expected until March. VR&E counselors are understaffed and undertrained. The program lacks data on outcomes for veterans, especially those who leave the program unfinished. Too few veterans are being educated on the benefits available to them, and some of those benefits are too difficult to qualify for. That’s why some members of Congress and Veterans Support Organizations think a fourth administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs is necessary to add focus on transition, employment and education.
Federal Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana’s time before the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations on September 16 lacked many of the trite lines of questioning that have usually come with federal IT hearings. There were no complaints about the definition of a data center. Lawmakers did a nice job of keeping big “P” politics to a minimum. And concerns about specific constituent issues were mostly left out during questioning.
Contractors working in buildings controlled by the General Services Administration, might get buttonholed by a union organizer. That's allowed now under a rule the GSA just finalized. What do contractor executives think about that? Federal Drive host Tom Temin talk about that with Stephanie Kostro, the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council.
Congress has hundreds of members, thousands of employees, and a collection of monumental buildings. Now it has an application programming interface, or API. For more about APIs and how this one will help spread information about the legislative branch, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with product owner Andrew Weber and the director of IT design and development, Jim Karamanis, both from the Library of Congress.
You have heard their interviews for months here on the Federal Drive. This evening -- September 20, 2022 -- this year's Service to America Medals recipients will be honored in D.C. at the Kennedy Center. Federal Drive host Tom Temin, who interviewed 20 Sammies finalists, had one more interview in him: This one with Max Stier, the President and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service.
The Air Force is setting up a new management structure to ride herd over its Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), the Air Force’s contribution to the Pentagon’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) project. Officials say ABMS has demonstrated progress in some key technical areas, but those advancements haven’t always been coordinated with one another. At the top of the new management structure for what Air Force officials have previously termed the “internet of military things” will be a brand new program executive office: The Air Force calls it the PEO for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management, or PEO-C3BM.
The fifth and final memo from the Office of Management and Budget to meet the goals outlined in the May 2021 cybersecurity executive order maybe its most daring. OMB is initiating a change to how agencies buy and vendors develop commercial software that may set the tone for decades to come. Chris DeRusha, the federal chief information security officer in OMB, said this memo is more than just another cyber mandate.
The Continuing Resolution that Congress is debating, is sort of like COVID. You know it's coming, but how bad will it be. CRs can go for days or they can go for months. Last year's went nearly halfway through the fiscal year. To find out how this one is shaping up, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Loren Duggan, Bloomberg Government deputy news director.
For many people who contract the COVID virus, the illness comes and goes. Others develop what's known as long covid. Symptoms last weeks or months. The Veterans Affairs Department has developed what it calls a whole health approach to long covid. With how VA practitioners are dealing with long covid, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Dr.Elizabeth Brill, the deputy assistant undersecretary for health.
The Army might be the nation's primary ground combat force, but it has lots of assets that fly, like missiles and helicopters. For an update on what is ahead for these platforms, Federal Drive host Tom Temin travelled to the Deep South to speak with Dr. James Kirsch, the acting director of the Aviation and Missile Center, within the Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command in Huntsville, Alabama.
For a lot of would-be defense contractors, the world of classified contracts is a bit of a Catch-22. You can’t get classified work without a security clearance, and you can’t get a security clearance without a contract that demands classified work. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is looking to solve that problem with a new initiative it calls “BRIDGES.” The basic idea is to give small firms a chance to show they’ve got the technical acumen or creativity to solve the sorts of problems DARPA’s working on in the classified arena. If it looks like the answer is yes, the agency itself will sponsor them for a security clearance.
The Office of Management and Budget released its final version of the first-ever governmentwide learning agenda, to help implement the Biden administration’s broad management goals.The learning agenda, which OMB finalized on Sept. 15, created research questions to help advance the priorities specifically outlined in the President’s Management Agenda.
Lots of federal scientists are connected to ongoing research on the atmosphere, energy, and the question of climate change. Federal Drive host Tom Temin recently got a sort of survey of these topics with an earth scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a delegate to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Dr. Claudia Tibaldi. First question addressed weather versus climate.
Maybe you've seen the lawyer ads on TV. For a period of some 35 years, a million people were potentially exposed to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune, the Marines' base camp in North Carolina. Since 2017, veterans from that era are presumed to have service-related illnesses from drinking that water. Now the Veterans Affairs Department inspector general has found, the Veterans Benefits Administration hasn't done a great job processing the claims. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about this with deputy IG for audits and inspections, Brent Arronte.
Government managers are supposed to use data-driven approaches in decision-making. That's what the Army is doing in trying to recruit more candidates to ROTC and to boost a flagging effort at regular soldier enlistment. Federal Drive host talked about this with Brigadier General Alex Fink, chief of Army Enterprise Marketing, a relatively new unit the Army placed in Chicago.
The delays have gotten so bad with the transition to the new unique entity identifier (UEI) on SAM.gov that the Defense Department isn’t requiring contractors to have a new number to do business with them for the next six weeks. The Defense Pricing and Contracting office issued a deviation to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) on Sept. 8 that allows the services and defense agencies to do business with companies who aren’t fully registered in the governmentwide acquisition system.
Agencies will require software vendors to self-certify that they’re following secure development practices under new White House guidance, but it leaves the door open for departments to mandate third-party security assessments as well. The new guidance from the Office of Management and Budget, “Enhancing the Security of the Software Supply Chain through Secure Software Development Practices,” stems from last year’s cybersecurity executive order.
When it tragically hit the scene, some 40 years ago, HIV/AIDS was a fearsome scourge. Today it's manageable. Many people with it can lead normal lives. Much of the lifesaving research into the virus and the disease has been conducted at the National Institutes of Health. Federal Drive host talks to someone who was NIH all those years ago, Dr. Clifford Land, the clinical director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as well as afinalist in this year's Service to America Medals Program: THE SAMMIES.
The prices of spare parts have long been a bugaboo for the military. Now the Senate version of the 2023 defense authorization bill (NDAA) contains something called a Progress-Payment Incentive Pilot program. For how it works and what the benefits would be, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Julia Gledhill, a defense analyst with the Project on Government Oversight or POGO.
The prices of spare parts have long been a bugaboo for the military. Now the Senate version of the 2023 defense authorization bill (NDAA) contains something called a Progress-Payment Incentive Pilot program. For how it works and what the benefits would be, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Julia Gledhill, a defense analyst with the Project on Government Oversight or POGO.
The pandemic has depressed blood and plasma donations to what the Department of Health and Human calls historic lows. So the department has launched a public campaign to get more people to donate. Federal Drive host Tom Temin got the details from B. Kaye Hayes, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Infectious Disease and the Director of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy.
Although many have said the youngest generation in the workforce heavily prefers more remote work and telework opportunities, the full picture is more complicated.The future of those remote flexibilities looks a little different, after factoring in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, said Khalilah Harris, the Office of Personnel Management’s new deputy chief of staff.
The Hatch Act prohibits political activities by federal employees on the job. It only applies to executive branch agencies. So when the head of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts enacted new rules for that agency's employees that went even further than the Hatch Act, not everyone was on board. Two employees filed a lawsuit. Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with one of the attorneys involved. He's legal director for the D.C. chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, Art Spitzer.
The Homeland Security Department's headquarters project might be one of the longest-running construction programs in government history. Planning started more than 17 years ago. The latest estimates peg the completion date at 2027, another five years. Now, the Government Accountability Office reports the latest cost and schedule estimates lack detail and, perhaps, reliability. Federal Drive host got some details on the mater from Chris Currie, GAO's director for Homeland Security and Justice issues.
As part of its drive to modernize and diversify its workforce, the State Department will add new fellowhips and internships to its roster. The Colin Powell Leadership Program will open to college students and recent graduates and, its planners hope, prepare them for long-term success at the State Department. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about the program with Beth Sheppard, deputy director of talent services at the State Department.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is taking the development of landmark cyber incident reporting regulations on an 11-stop roadshow, as it seeks feedback on a number of key questions about the forthcoming rules. CISA previewed a request for information today on the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022. Under that law, passed earlier this year, the agency is developing regulations that will require critical infrastructure entities to report cyber incidents to CISA within 72 hours and ransomware attacks within 24 hours.
Federal agencies are moving into the spend-it or lose-it stage of the fiscal year, with just two weeks to go. But it looks like when the books are closed, contract obligations for fiscal 2022 will have been bigger than last year. To get all the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
If wind and solar don't wreck the energy grid, emerging quantum computing sure could. Brownouts here and there could turn into a sudden national catastrophe. For how the federal government can help prevent it, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Duncan Jones, the head of cybersecurity at Cambridge Quantum.
Each generation brings new recruitment challenges for the Army. That's why the Army is constantly seeking fresh messages to deliver through its marketing channels. Maybe you remember "Be All You Can Be" or "The Army of One." Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about the latest recruiting challenges and the Army's newest marketing campaign, with Maj. Gen. Alex Fink, the Chief Marketing Officer for the U.S. Army.
The Navy is many things: sailors, ships, submarines, airplanes. In some sense, it's a science and technology enterprise. You know, STEM. Federal Drive host Tom Temin made a recent visit to the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dalhgren, Virginia and spoke with Joseph McGettigan, a former Navy captain (and Dalhgren commanding officer), who is now director of the STEM Center at the Naval Academy.
A government shutdown in three weeks is unlikely, but Congress still has to work out the details of a Continuing Resolution. Then there's the matter of the $47 billion in immediate spending the White House has requested for COVID relief and a few other things. For the latest , Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
A three-member panel of federal judges upheld an injunction that stopped the mandate that federal contractors have COVID vaccinations. It was not a unanimous decision. The same panel -- to which the Biden Administration had appealed the injunction -- agreed that the injunction should not be nationwide. Confusing? You bet. Federal Drive host Tom Temin tried to cut throught the confusion by talking with Jenner and Block partner Matthew Haws.
A program established by the National Academy of Public Administration just marked its first year of operation. The Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships has already contributed to NAPA's work on the grand challenges in public administration. For more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the center's director Nancy Augustine.
The White House is pulling together a new cybersecurity workforce strategy that promises to help the federal government grapple with longstanding cyber workforce challenges, including an emphasis on stronger implementation mechanisms to ensure agencies follow through on the plan’s goals and objectives. Agencies have long struggled to compete with the private sector for cyber talent. Mounting cyber threats combined with a tight labor market cast an especially acute focus on efforts to recruit and retain the technology workforce at this year’s Billington Cyber Summit in Washington.
Industry has lodged a pretty strong objection to the latest version of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, known as CMMC. The Defense Department has been working and reworking CMMC for several years. It's an attempt to make sure contractors have the controls in place to safeguard controlled unclassified information. The Coalition for Government Procurement has raised the latest objections. In this interview, Federal Drive host Tom Temin gets the latest from Rob Metzger, a coalition member and procurement attorney.
You've heard the stories. People receiving Social Security payouts after they've died. It all stems from whether the Social Security Administration has the latest and most complete death records. Problem is, those are administered by the states. Last year Congress asked the National Academy of Public Administration to examine the sources of data for Social Security and how well it can access them. To ask about what they found, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the study's co-author, Barbara Bovjberg.
The Defense Department is preparing new guidance that would give its contracting officers more flexibility to reimburse vendors whose costs have ballooned because of inflation, updating an earlier policy document that industry groups complained did too little to prevent contractors from bearing the full brunt of higher prices.The update is in the final review stages and should be published within the next week, said Dr. Bill LaPlante, the undersecretary of Defense for acquisition and sustainment. A key focus would be to offer relief to companies who signed firm fixed-price contracts with the government before inflation took hold.
The Defense Department is preparing new guidance that would give its contracting officers more flexibility to reimburse vendors whose costs have ballooned because of inflation, updating an earlier policy document that industry groups complained did too little to prevent contractors from bearing the full brunt of higher prices.The update is in the final review stages and should be published within the next week, said Dr. Bill LaPlante, the undersecretary of Defense for acquisition and sustainment. A key focus would be to offer relief to companies who signed firm fixed-price contracts with the government before inflation took hold.
Four years ago when the Office of Federal Procurement Policy set a deadline of 2022 to train acquisition workers to buy technology differently, it thought it was giving agencies plenty of time to accomplish this goal. The idea of the Digital IT Acquisition Professional Program (DITAP) came from a competition held in 2015 to improve the federal government’s approach to buying digital services. Joanie Newhart, the associate administrator for acquisition workforce programs at OFPP, said agencies will come close to meeting deadline set in 2018 to institutionalize the DITAP process.
You'd think the government would be the most skilled buyer of office supplies in the world. It has the most offices after all. But a recent attempt at a blanket purchase agreement landed the General Services Administration into a big fat protest with Office Depot. To learn more about this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo.
The National Institutes of Health could be called Clinical Trials - R - Us. It funds or conducts dozens of medical trials every year. Trials come with statutory requirements to report results. Now the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has found shortcomings in NIH reporting on clinical trials. For more on this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with HHS assistant regional inspector general Sylvie Witten.
The National Science Foundation has joined up with the Czech Science Foundation, the NSF's counterpart in the Czech Republic. The two agencies are funding research into an area you probably never thought of. Namely: How to produce gamma rays with high powered lasers. Somebody has to think about this and Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with one of them, the head of the NSF office of international science and engineering, Kendra Sharp.
In recent years, the Navy struggled with a handful of accidents that led to the death of sailors and damage to expensive warships.The collision between the USS Fitzgerald and a commercial ship in 2017, which killed 17, was an alarm bell for the Navy. Since then, after multiple reviews and Congressional investigations, the Navy is changing its approach to safety and in March elevated its Navy Safety Center to the 2-star-led Navy Safety Command.
The Biden administration, expecting Congress will need more time to pass a comprehensive spending package for fiscal 2023, is requesting $47 billion in emergency funds to last through the end of the calendar year. Nearly half the funding would go toward the federal government’s response to COVID-19. That includes the rollout of updated booster shots approved this week by the Food and Drug Administration and restarting a program to deliver free COVID-19 rapid tests to households. The administration is also seeking emergency funding for the first quarter of fiscal 2023 to support its response to the monkeypox outbreak, as well as supporting the war in Ukraine and providing domestic disaster relief.
Services contractors are wondering just what their options are now that the Biden administration lost an appeal of a federal court ruling. The ruling upheld an injunction against the contractor vaccine mandate. But the same three-judge panel also said the injunction should not be national. Now companies are wondering whether every contracting officer will have read the confusing advice from the White House. To learn more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau.
If the armed services didn't allow tattoos, they'd probably have to cut the forces in half. In recent years, they've relaxed rules on allowable tattoos, responding to the fact that ink has become a cultural norm. It's also become a recruitment and retention issue. The Government Accountability Office surveyed the armed forces' policies and came up with a few recommendations. For the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with GAO's director of defense capabilities and management issues, Brenda Farell.
Everything about the Defense Department is large. The budgets. The number of people. The number of vehicles, buildings, projects, offices, and programs. Also big is the list of management and operational improvement recommendations from the DOD inspector general. For an update, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the IG technical director for follow-up and quality assurance, Valerie McMichael.
Congress treks back to Washington this week with only a few legislative days left before the end of the fiscal year. They'll have to deal with government funding. To get the outlook, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Bloomberg Government Deputy News Director Loren Duggan.
The debate rolls on. Is remote and teleworking good for productivity and team performance? There's no clear answer, but some fresh research on how people feel about team performance gives a slight edge to, "Yes, things have improved in the last two years." Federal Drive host Tom Temin talk about this with the director of client solutions at Eagle Hill Consulting, Andrew Edelson.
Do you recall when the first COVID vaccines came out in early 2021. It turned from a scientific problem to a logistics problem. How would they distribute millions of doses to Americans clamoring to get them. It fell to FEMA's Robert Fenton to coordinate the set-up of 39 mass vaccination centers and 1,600 smaller ones across the country. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Fenton, a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program, the region 9 administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and recently named by President Biden to head up the country's efforts against monkeypox.
The National Archives and Records Administration is looking to expand a successful approach for managing email records to text messages and other digital communications as part of a bid to help agencies with an ever increasing deluge of electronic records.The issue has become only more prevalent after COVID-19 forced agencies to work more remotely and widely adopt video meetings, chat messaging apps and other digital tools to carry out official government business. “The virtual environment has impacted electronic records management,” Laurence Brewer, the U.S. chief records officer at NARA, said during an Aug. 23 event hosted by the Digital Government Institute in Washington. “I think we’re still learning what the implications are as new tools continue to be developed that allow agencies to connect and collaborate electronically.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs is setting up cybersecurity check points before an application can get on the network. The idea isn’t to replace the authority to operate (ATO) process, but it’s about becoming a great engineering organization like those in the private sector. Kurt DelBene, the assistant secretary for the Office of Information and Technology and chief information officer at VA, said these new cyber gates is part of how VA is embracing a more well-rounded approach to their ATOs.
A freedom of information act request by a reporter seeks four years worth of federal contractor reports. Companies would have filed the reports -- concerning their equal opportunity hiring records -- with the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs at the Labor Department. The information could be confidential. Contractors have just a few weeks to file an objection with OFPPC. To take a deeper look at all of this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Piliero Mazza attorney Kevin Barnett.
Armed services and Defense Department organizations range all over the place when it comes to the "Best Places To Work" rankings. The Army, for example, had a middling index of about 63 in the latest list, slightly below the governmentwide average. But the Army Space and Missile Defense Command had an index of 77.5, on par with some of the best-rated agencies. That score makes it the best place to work in the Army. For how the command went about working on its employee satisfaction issues, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with its Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Lead, Dana Henslee. She's a member of the command's Civilian Workforce Development Office.
The State Department is launching two new fellowships meant to bring on a diverse next generation of hires into the ranks of its Civil Service and Diplomatic Security Service. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the department will launch the Colin Powell Leadership Program, which will recruit college students and recent graduates to join the Civil Service.
The Defense Department is in the midst of implementing a series of Congressionally-mandated reforms meant to address sexual assault in the military. And the latest numbers show change can’t come soon enough.According to figures the Pentagon released Thursday, sexual assault is more common than at any time since DoD started keeping data. Reporting, meanwhile, is down, as is military members’ level of trust in the military justice system.
Agencies are finding out there's a lot more that goes into trusting the vendors that they work with besides what they can easily see. But new tools are giving agency acquisition and cybersecurity workers something equivalent to an MRI scan of companies. Federal News Network’s Jason Miller joins me with more on how agencies are using these technologies to better secure their supply chains.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leadership recently announced the agency will undergo an overhaul to address the causes of repeated missteps during the pandemic. For how that might look, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to Dr. Julie Swann, distinguished professor and department head in the department of industrial and systems engineering at NC State University. Dr. Swann specializes in health and humanitarian research.
The armed forces have all been pursuing better technology for directed energy like laser beams for weapons of the future. Lasers have been around for decades, but making them operational on ships, ground vehicles or aircraft is another matter. In the second of three interviews from the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Alabama, Federal Drive host Tom Temin caught up with the acting director of the command's technical center, Mike Krauss. It's where much of the directed energy work takes place and where Krauss said research focuses on several technology areas such as direct diode lasers.
The government showed how fast it could spend money when the Congress printed trillions for pandemic relief. Now it's the morning after. Roy Dotson led a nationwide criminal investigation that so far has clawed back more than a billion dollars that was awarded to fraudsters under the Paycheck Protection Program. His efforts also prevented maybe twice that much from going out. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Dotson, an assistant special agent in charge of the Secret Service and a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals Program.
The accreditation body behind the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is planning to revise a draft process document released last month after it was roundly criticized for being overly complex and prescriptive. During a Tuesday public meeting, Cyber Accreditation Body Chairman Matthew Travis emphasized that the “CMMC Assessment Process” document, referred to as “the CAP,” is a pre-decisional draft. The Cyber AB released the first public version of the document in late July. It lays out a procedural guide for how CMMC assessments of defense contractors should be run.
In the last several years, Congress has passed -- and three presidents have signed into law -- massive expansions of the federal government. Now the government has new programs to launch and thousands of people to hire. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about this and more with Bob Tobias, who cautioned that the public sector should avoid the mistake of trying to act like business, a piece of advice the government often gets. Tobias is a professor in the Key Executive Leadership Program at American University.
The larger the budgets and deficits grow, the more elusive auditable financial statements of federal finances seem to get. The Government Accountability Office reports that the Treasury Department has made good progress on some deficiencies. But new ones have popped up. Federal Drive host Tom Temin got the latest info from GAO's director of financial management and assurance issues, Dawn Simpson.
Thirty-some years after the end of the cold war, missiles remain a threat to United States. And now space, where most crucial military communications occur, has become a contested domain. For an update on how the military deals with these threats, Federal Drive host Tom Temin travelled to Huntsville, Alabama to speak with with the deputy to the commander of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) Richard De Fatta. The retired Army colonel is now the senior civilian executive at SMDC. The conversation began with where the command fits into the military organizational chart.
As the Defense Department keeps its eye on China and Russia, a new rival is also emerging for the military to contend with — heat.Extreme heat is becoming an increasingly prevalent challenge. A study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the number of extreme heat days have tripled since the 1980s and are likely to continue to increase.
The National Science Foundation is testing ways to streamline data sharing in and out of government. It's got two years to build a National Secure Data Service to standardize data access. It will then recommend to Congress whether to continue the program. For how the National Secure Data Service might function, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with former U-S Chief Statistician Nancy Potok.
In the last several years, Congress has passed and three presidents have signed into law massive expansions of the federal government. Now the government has new programs to launch and thousands of people to hire. But my next guest cautions the public sector should avoid the mistake of trying to act like business, a piece of advice the government often gets. Bob Tobias is a professor in the Key Executive Leadership Program at American University, and he joins me now.
The larger the budgets and deficits grow, the more elusive auditable financial statements of federal finances seem to get. The Government Accountability Office says the Treasury Department has made good progress on some deficiencies. But new ones have popped up. We get the latest from the GAO's director of financial management and assurance issues, Dawn Simpson.
Thirty some years after the end of the Cold War, missiles remain a threat to United States. And now space, where most crucial military communications occur, has become a contested domain. For an update on how the military deals with these threats, I spoke with the deputy to the commander of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command at his office within Redstone Arsenal at Huntsville, Alabama. Richard De Fatta is a retired Army colonel, now the senior civilian executive at SMDC. We started with where the command fits into the military org chart.
The Veterans Affairs Department was the only large agency to improve its employee satisfaction score last year. It raked number five in the large agency "Best Places to Work" listing. Gina Grosso, the VA’s Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, told Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman, that COVID-19 really changed how the VA, like many other agencies, is thinking about its own workforce.
In about 30 days, one of the longest running and most successful small business programs will expire. The House will have 14 days in September with votes scheduled to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program when it returns to Washington, D.C. after Labor Day. Meanwhile, the Senate reconvenes on Sept. 6 and doesn’t spell out how many days it plans to be in D.C. and voting on bills. To be sure, the fate of the SBIR program hangs in the balance of what Congress can do by Sept. 30.
The vacation season for federal contractors is over. Just a month remains in the fiscal year. Now they're working overtime to make numbers. But now's not the time to make mistakes that could cost you future business or draw a protest. Federal Drive host Tom Temin got a few year-end do's and don'ts from federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
If the nation is to have a so-called green future, many scientists and engineers believe more nuclear power generation will be part of the equation. Nukes are expensive to operate. But researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory think they've found a way to use artificial intelligence to drive down costs. For more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Roberto Ponciroli, Argonne's principal nuclear engineer.
The zeitgeist of the past two years could well be embodied by the video conference call. These virtual conference rooms have become the principal way groups communicate with so many people teleworking or still wary of COVID. Now a detailed academic study shows that the video meeting format limits creativity relative to how many ideas people come up with when they meet in person. Federal Drive host Tom Temin went in serach of the details by talking with the study's principal author Melanie Brucks, assistant professor of marketing at Columbia University.
With the planned launch of its new heavy rocket and a payload headed to orbit the moon, it's a red letter day for NASA. Lots of contractors are working-on and behind-the-scenes and will be doing so for the duration of the mission. On Friday, Federal Drive host Tom Temin caught up with Nate Apodaca of Leidos, a company that has several information technology support contracts to help NASA keep the lunar enterprise going. The conversation took place before Nate, a Leidos vice president and division manager, departed for Florida.
You might have heard, mid-term elections are only a few months off. Questions persist about the security and integrity of the ballot-casting and counting process. For what the threats actually are and what officials can to do mitigate them, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Mike Hamilton, chief information security officer at Critical Insight.
The latest tax-and-spending bill provides nearly $80 billion for the IRS. But that's over 10 years. More than half of the money is designated for enforcement, but there's also a few billion for what the bill calls taxpayer services. For with what they're anticipating, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Chad Hooper, the president of the IRS centered Professional Managers Association.
The Department of Homeland Security is preparing a rule to ensure contractors are meeting cybersecurity requirements, with DHS touting a process for evaluating its vendor base through self-assessments rather than relying on a third-party certification program like the Pentagon.DHS has spent the past year conducting multiple “pathfinders” to test out a method for ensuring companies are meeting cyber hygiene clauses in their contracts. DHS issued a self-assessment questionnaire to a subset of its contractors last fall. The questionnaire was geared at measuring whether the companies were complying with a 2015 Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation for safeguarding sensitive information.Ken Bible, DHS’ chief information security officer, says the work has convinced DHS it can use the approach more broadly.
After years of work and study, the Defense Department is finally releasing a cohesive action plan for all military services to follow regarding brain health and traumatic brain injuries.Medical professionals in the military have previously described the plan as a “paradigm shift” in the way the Pentagon approached brain health. The plan moves the military away from the old way of addressing dangerous impacts to the head as single, standalone incidents and instead considers those exposures in a broad spectrum over a service member’s career.
The Defense Department is ready to get serious about transitioning its network defenses to zero trust principles. The Pentagon expects to release a formal zero trust strategy by mid-September, wants to have an enterprise-wide zero trust implementation in place by 2027, and is already in talks with commercial providers about how to implement zero trust in the cloud. Last year’s White House executive order on cybersecurity told all federal agencies to draw up plans to move to a zero trust architecture. DoD published its first reference architecture shortly before the EO, and has since updated it to a 2.0 version. But Defense officials said the strategy set to be released next month will lay out the specific steps DoD components and their vendors will need to take to implement zero trust.
The debates continue over the abrupt departure of American forces from Afghanistan a year ago. It's a done deal, but it still rankles many veterans of the warns in Afghanistan and Iraq. Federal Drive host Tom Temin got one view about this from Cole Lyle, the executive director of the veteran advocacy group Mission Role Call.
Sometimes the key to what you want is right under that flowerpot on your windowsill. Many agencies are working to improve customer experience. An important element of that is convenience in identification and verification of those accessing digital services. Now the Veterans Affairs Department has expanded its use of login.gov. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke about all of this and more with John Rahagi, the VA's digital services expert.
Procurement power is a major pillar of the Biden administration’s Federal Sustainability Plan. As the country’s single biggest landlord and one of its largest energy consumers, the federal government’s purchasing power can either drive markets toward energy efficient innovation, or maintain the status quo. Dorothy Robyn has worked at the two largest real property holders in federal government, as a former commissioner of the Public Buildings Service at the General Services Administration, and as a former deputy undersecretary for Installations and the Environment at the Defense Department. When making federal facilities more energy efficient, she said the experiences differed in that, GSA sees buildings as its mission while DoD does not.
The Veterans Affairs Department has been concentrating on improving service to its veteran constituents. And its had some success. Surveys show a 24% jump in trust in VA over the past few years. One career manager who gets a lot of the credit is the VA's deputy chief veterans experience officer. For her work, Barbara Morton is a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program.
Federal inspectors general are a vital conduits to let Congress and the rest of us know when agencies or public officials have taken a wrong turn. But their work is quite a bit less useful when no one can read it. The House has included several measures intended to increase I-G transparency in its versions of the 2023 appropriations bills, many of them at the urging of the Project on Government Oversight. Joanna Derman is a policy analyst at POGO. She talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about some of those recommendations.
It’s probably going to be a while before you get on a commercial aircraft that runs on renewable energy instead of jet fuel. But getting the infrastructure in place to make that sort of thing happen takes a lot of planning, which is why we have organizations like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. N-REL has been working on a study that tries to map out the ways in which land-based aviation infrastructure will need to change to make concepts like electric-powered aircraft practical. Scott Cary is the lead program manager for the lab’s ports and airports program. He talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about what the study’s uncovered so far.
It’s probably going to be a while before you get on a commercial aircraft that runs on renewable energy instead of jet fuel. But getting the infrastructure in place to make that sort of thing happen takes a lot of planning, which is why we have organizations like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. N-REL has been working on a study that tries to map out the ways in which land-based aviation infrastructure will need to change to make concepts like electric-powered aircraft practical. Scott Cary is the lead program manager for the lab’s ports and airports program. He talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about what the study’s uncovered so far.
The Pentagon is rolling out new software that underpins the future of security clearance investigations and personnel vetting. The National Background Investigations Services, or NBIS, is expected to fully replace a suite of legacy systems by next year. For the latest, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday, spoke with the executive program manager for NBIS at the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, Jeff Smith.
Part of the Office of Personnel Management's work to improve diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, hinges on encouraging individuals from underserved communities to join the federal workforce. At a White House summit in Atlanta this week, OPM's new Deputy Chief of Staff Khalilah Harris highlighted the Biden administration's efforts to connect local community members directly with federal leaders and resources. Harris is calling on members of diverse communities to look and apply for federal job opportunities. But she tells Federal News Network's Drew Friedman, it's also crucial to travel to these underserved communities, to help spread the word.
The Defense Contract Audit Agency or DCAA, found something out the hard way. If it takes to long to audit cost reimbursement support documents held by contractors, tough. The government is still responsible for the costs. A recent Armed Services Contract Board of Appeals delivered that outcome in a case that Federal Drive host Tom Temin discussed with Zach Prince, a partner at Smith Pachter McWhorter.
The Defense Contract Audit Agency or DCAA, found something out the hard way. If it takes to long to audit cost reimbursement support documents held by contractors, tough. The government is still responsible for the costs. A recent Armed Services Contract Board of Appeals delivered that outcome in a case that Federal Drive host Tom Temin discussed with Zach Prince, a partner at Smith Pachter McWhorter.
Congress has managed to appropriate $6 trillion or $7 trillion for this and that in the past few years. But it's never been able to pass a regular federal budget on time. The upcoming September 30 deadline will bring another Continuing Resolution. CRs do not have to spoil agency planning. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about that with Jeff Arkin, the director of strategic issues at the Government Accountability Office.
The Mississippi River has two things most rivers lack: it's got its very own commission, established by Congress in 1879. And it has a sister river: the Mekong of Vietnam and Cambodia fame. The Mekong also has a four-nation Commission that also includes Laos and Thailand. Under the auspices of the State Department, since 2010 the two river commissions have had a memorandum of understanding to work together. The current president of the Mississippi River Commission is U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Maj. Gen. Diana Holland. She also leads the cooperative training and engineering activities of the two commissions. Federal Drive Host was joined, in studio, by Holland and Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs for this interview.
The Army National Guard is embarking on a new pilot program to provide service members with childcare for their weekend drill sessions.The program will start in September in six states: Massachusetts, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Washington State, Virginia and Ohio. The care will be free and take in children from six weeks to 12 years of age. The National Guard will pair with Child Care Aware of America, a not-for-profit organization focused on affordable childcare, to find available providers.
The number of contractors suspended and debarred hit a 12-year high in 2014 with 1,929 vendors or executives debarred and another 1,009 suspended from federal acquisition. Compare those numbers to what the Interagency Suspension and Debarment Committee reported in its fiscal 2020 report released earlier this year: 1,256 companies or executives debarred and 415 suspended. That’s a 34% drop in the number of debarments and a 59% reduction in the number of suspensions.
The Office of Personnel Management has offered some extra help to federal unions looking to add eligible employees to their membership rosters. Federal unions have tools available in FedScope, OPM’s online federal employee database, to identify which agencies have the largest amounts of unrepresented workers, said Tim Curry, OPM’s deputy associate director for accountability and workforce relations, in an email obtained by Federal News Network. “OPM is assessing ways to improve, consistent with applicable law, data transparency on bargaining unit eligibility in all agencies,” Curry wrote.
Services contractors see a lot of questionable policy coming: An executive order on a new contractor keeping the employees of the displaced incumbent. Project labor agreements on major construction is another. For the latest reaction on all this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Stephanie Kostro, the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council.
From federal policymakers to agency implementers, we’ve heard a ton of talk about artificial intelligence. But neither group has done nearly everything it’s said it wants to do to promote effective uses of AI. That’s one takeaway from a new AI report card from the Information Technology Innovation Foundation. Hodan Omaar is a policy analyst who developed the report card for ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation. She talked about some of the findings with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu.
You might have thought psychedelic drugs want away with the Woodstock generation. But Veterans Affairs researchers are studying the question of whether psychedelics can be effective treatments for certain mental disorders. For details Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke Dr. Rachel Yeduda, the mental health director at the James Peters medical center in the Bronx.
Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army is supposed to usher in a new era of benefits management for the service. However, its rollout has been plagued by delays over the last year. The Army recently decided to push back the latest release of the program again. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione is here to give us more.
WWW stands for worldwide web. But the internet as envisioned in the early 1990s has devolved into fragments. Foreign actors in many sections of the internet actively seek to deny the United States and its allies free use of the internet. They even try to foster civil unrest and violence. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with someone who said this reality ought to be more baked into U.S. foreign policy. He was part of a task force looking at this by the Council on Foreign Relations, former CIA officer Guillermo Christensen, now with the law firm K & L Gates.
The latest spending bill from Congress is not the regular appropriations for fiscal 2023. The so-called Inflation Reduction Act famously showers more than $80 billion on the IRS over 10 years. But there's more. To get a rundown, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Bloomberg Government congressional reporter Jack Fitzpatrick.
The infamous collapse of the Florida condominium tower made millions nervous about their own buildings. The case isn't over. Since the June, 2021 tragedy, a team from the National Construction Safety Team at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology has been on the case. It preserved critical parts of the building in a secure warehouse. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with a member of the NIST team, the director of disaster and failure studies, Tanya Brown-Giammanco.
Earlier this summer, the federal civilian contracting community all went back to zero. That is, zero hours of training. But don’t worry, that actually was a good thing because the Federal Acquisition Institute and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy shut down a legacy training system and placed the finishing touches on its new one. The move away from the Federal Acquisition Institute Training Application System (FAITAS) and to a commercial system from Cornerstone OnDemand, which started in June 2021, came to completion in May with the launch of the continuous learning module.
One big lesson from the COVID pandemic: you need solid data to mount an effective response. And that was one of the CDC’s biggest challenges in the early days of COVID-19. Things we know now – like the fact that minority communities were disproportionally impacted – were tough to nail down at the time. That’s because CDC had pretty limited demographic and socioeconomic data on the virus’s impacts. The Health and Human Services Inspector General found the CDC did manage to fill in some those data gaps over time, and some of what it did could help inform future public health responses. Adam Freeman is a deputy inspector general in the OIG’s Office of Evaluation and Inspections. He talked with Federal News Network’s Deputy Editor Jared Serbu.
A reskilled workforce and a continuing move toward a digital future are among the strategic imperatives laid out by the Government Publishing Office. GPO's new, five-year plan has a theme: America Informed. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talk about the details with GPO director Hugh Halpern.
The Army is just weeks away from finally letting a significant cadre of soldiers and employees use personal mobile devices to connect to government systems. It’s part of a much larger endeavor to create a “unified network” that relies much more heavily on cloud technologies, zero trust principles and commercial solutions.The Army has been engaged in serious testing of technologies to underpin a bring-your-own-device strategy (BYOD) since at least last year. Now, officials are ready to roll it out to an initial user base of potentially thousands of soldiers and Army civilians.The pilot project should be underway within the next 45 days, said Lt. Gen. John Morrison, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for command, control, communications, cyber operations and networks.
Halfway through an interagency goal to reduce food waste, the Department of Agriculture may have found the answer in a new way to keep food fresh. An investment from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is paving the way for a new type of ice cube to revolutionize how industries and individuals keep food cold and curb food waste. In 2015, the USDA, along with the Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration, set the country’s first-ever food loss and waste reduction goal, to cut food waste by 50% by 2030. Jelly ice is just one component to reducing food waste. Since 2017, NIFA has invested approximately $123 million across 527 projects
A top artificial intelligence expert in the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations is leaving government. Lynne Parker, the deputy U.S. chief technology officer and director of the White House’s National AI Initiative Office, is returning to academia after seven years of federal service. Parker helped stand up the National AI Initiative Office last year, meant to help put federal AI research and development resources in the hands of more industry and academic partners. She’s also led efforts to develop the first federal R&D strategic plan, as well as subsequent updates.
You might say Voice of America was in turmoil. Big disagreements between agency staff and the Trump administration meant people were leaving, put on leave, or under investigation. A series of leaders had come and gone for several years. A day after the Biden administration started, it appointed Yolanda Lopez -- who had been removed from her job as news director only a week earlier -- as acting VOA director. Since then, employee engagement scores rose 13 points from below average to above average. Now Lopez is a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked to her in-studio at Federal News Network HQ in the DMV.
Federal agencies’ electronic medical records are about to get a lot more interoperable with private sector health providers. Agencies like DoD and VA are already members of eHealth Exchange, the country’s biggest health information exchange network. But they’ve now reached legal agreements that will let them start using a much broader health interoperability framework. That’ll add another 20 networks to the federal interoperability picture. Alan Swenson is executive director of Carequality, the nonprofit that runs the framework. He talked with Federal News Network’s Deputy Editor Jared Serbu.
It’s been six years since DoD published its first-ever roadmap to build the “information environment” into its warfighting strategies. In the meantime, Congress has been pushing the department to add more details to what “operations in the information environment,” or OIE, really means. But in the meantime, the concept has had a real impact on DoD’s spending behavior. Robert Beuerlein is a recently-retired Army information warfare officer, now a principal consultant at Frost and Sullivan. He talked with Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu about the trends he’s seen in his research.
Agencies have a new deadline to ease some of their screening testing restrictions and COVID-19 protocols. As soon as possible, but no later than Aug. 22, agencies must stop certain screening testing programs that differentiate based on a visitor’s vaccination status, the Safer Federal Workforce task force said in updated guidance on Aug. 11. Agencies can still continue to conduct any screening testing that’s consistent regardless of an individual’s vaccination status. But agencies should wait for more guidance from the task force before revising or adding any screening program
Back in January, the union that represents immigration judges ceased to exist, at least for contract bargaining purposes. The Federal Labor Relations Authority, then dominated by a majority of Trump appointees, determined the judges are actually management employees, and not eligible for union representation. But the board’s leadership has turned over since then. The National Association of Immigration Judges is now trying to get re-recognized as a federal union. The effort has two tracks. One is before FLRA itself, which now has a majority of Biden appointees. The other is a case now pending before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. To take a deeper look into all of this, Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu spokw with Mimi Tsankov, the union’s president.
Back in the mid ‘90s, when the Education Department first started its current Direct Loan program for college students, the program was expected to turn a profit for the U.S. Treasury. The initial estimates were that it would bring in $114 billion over the next quarter century. Now that were here, that estimate turns out to be wrong...way wrong. The Government Accountability Office discovered the program has actually cost the government $197 billion. The reasons for that giant difference are pretty complex, so Federal Drive Deputy Editor Jared Serbu talked wit the lead author of a GAO report that examined the Direct Loan program: Melissa Emrey-Arras, GAO's Director of Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues.
A variety of local governments and non-profits recently received workforce training federal grants. The Economic Development Administration, part of the Commerce Department, awarded the grants under a program called, "The Good Jobs Challenge." The goal is to create job opportunities for 50,000 people. To find out how the program works, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Michele Chang, the deputy assistant secretary for policy at the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Innovation challenges were once a budding idea within the Defense Department, a fun way to listen to ideas within a community and award some cash for cool products that could help agencies. But now, after changes to sexual assault and harassment policies, an app that helps soldiers book ranges, aids for loading ammunition and gadgets to save energy, it seems like Shark Tank-like innovation challenges and the products they produce are here stay. There’s Spark Tank, STEAM Tank, the Maneuver Innovation Challenge, Dragon’s Lair, the Maintenance Innovation Challenge, Pitch Days, the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Innovation Challenge, Inventors Sprints, Innovation Discovery and plenty more.
You might not think of the Navy as being in the space business. Yet the Naval Research Laboratory has a mission that spans pretty much every domain from underwater to space. In fact, there's a new director of the Lab's Naval Center for Space Technology. Steven Meier talked with Federal Drive host Tom Temin.
Usually, when people make something creative – a book, a photograph, a website – the person who made it owns the copyright, and anyone who wants to use that work needs to negotiate the rights to use it. That’s the general rule. But general rules don’t apply all the time, which is why we have lawyers. The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board deals with a special part of copyright law where Congress has said rightsholders don’t actually have a choice over whether their works can be used, but they do need to be compensated. The board has a new chief judge. He’s David Shaw. He talk about this specific part of copyright law with Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu.
Everybody’s heard the term “space junk.” You’re probably aware there’s a bunch of it and that it’s a risk to satellites. The Space Force tracks tens of thousands of pieces of debris every day, but that’s only the big stuff. There are an estimated 100 million pieces of smaller bits – ten centimeters or less – that we can’t see from Earth with current technology. But just because they’re small doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous, Alexis Truitt, program manager at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency, told Federal News Network Deputy Director Jared Serbu.
You might not think of the Navy as being in the space business. Yet the Naval Research Laboratory has a mission that spans pretty much every domain from underwater to space. In fact, there's a new director of the Lab's Naval Center for Space Technology. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with that man: Steven Meier.
Concerns about organizational conflicts of interest among vendors providing, for instance, technology planning services and technology implementation services, is as old as federal acquisition itself. But over the last few weeks, OCI has received more attention and consideration among agencies, and it should be seen as a warning sign to batten down those OCI hatches. First, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee members introduced the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act and it passed out of the full Senate on Aug. 2. The bill is a direct response about a potential OCI between McKinsey and Associates, drug development companies and the Food and Drug Administration — more on that later.
The IRS is getting its shot to rebuild its workforce and bring its IT into the 21st century, after more than a decade of belt-tightening. The House on Friday passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk. The $740 billion spending bill allows a broad swath of federal agencies to staff up over the next decade, but none will go through the kind of transformation the IRS will face. The bill gives the IRS $80 billion over the next 10 years, with more than half that money going toward its tax enforcement operations. But the IRS expects the money will help it bring on the next generation of its workforce and make long-deferred investments in its IT that will improve taxpayer services.
A new law sets the stage for a larger health care workforce at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Honoring Our PACT Act gives VA the resources it needs to staff up its health care workforce to treat post-9/11 combat veterans exposed to toxic burn pits during their military service. President Joe Biden said VA will be able to move more quickly to determine a veteran’s illness and related military service. For a look at what this means for VA employees, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to talk more.
After months of back and forth, the legislation that eventually came to be known as the Inflation Reduction Act is a done deal. The House passed the huge reconciliation bill on Friday afternoon on a party line vote. And though it addresses a wide variety of Democrats’ spending priorities over the next decade, Congress still hasn’t dealt with the budget for next year – the fiscal year that starts just a little over six weeks from now. Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbut talked about the goings-on in Washington, D.C. with Mitchell Miller, WTOP’s Capitol Hill correspondent.
Public polling shows a continuing decline in Americans’ trust in government. There are obviously a lot of factors behind that – and a lot of noise in the data – but one indicator is the number of Americans who’d urge their kids to pursue a government career. It was 56% as recently as 2010. This year, it’s down to 39%. Federal Drive Deputy Editor Jared Serbu talked about this with Paul Light , a nonresident senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, and a professor of public service at NYU. For years, Light has tracked the data on what Americans want from government and how they feel about it.
The Office of Management and Budget wants next year’s federal agency budget submissions to be more data driven than they’ve been in past years. Larry Allen, the president of Allen Federal Business Partners, said that is a fine in principle, but the whole idea rests on the notion that agencies have high-quality data to support their programs in the first place. Mr. Allen talked about this with Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu.
For the past 30 years, Congress has continued to renew the Defense Department’s Mentor-Protégé Program — but only as a pilot. The program, which pairs up established defense companies with small businesses for mutually beneficial gains, has been continually saved from the chopping block by lawmakers since 1991. Now, after an in-depth look from outside business experts, the Defense Business Board is recommending Congress make the program permanent once DoD makes a few tweaks.
The Department of Homeland Security is planning to award up to four contracts as early as next month for vetted security researchers to find software bugs in DHS systems, including at live hacking events. DHS released the “Hack DHS: Crowdsourced Vulnerability Assessment Services” request for proposals Aug. 3. Companies have until Aug. 15 to submit “phase one” proposals so DHS can complete an “advisory down-select.” Companies that get through the first phase will have until Aug. 30 to submit phase-two proposals, which includes technical approach, past performance and price documentation.
Senate lawmakers are pushing the departments of Justice and Veterans Affairs, along with all agencies, to improve the accessibility of their online services. The Senate Special Committee on Aging looked into the accessibility of federal technology, specifically for seniors and individuals with disabilities, as well as older and disabled veterans.
The Postal Service’s two largest unions are weighing in, more than a year into Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year agency reform plan.The National Association of Letter Carriers and the American Postal Workers Union are calling for USPS to increase hiring, adding that long-term understaffing is taking a toll on employee morale.
The government's need for fresh technologies and innovation has rippled throughout its supply base. An emerging trend has prime contractors accelerating their investments in promising startups. A case in point: A $100 million fund established by Booz Allen Hamilton. For its aims and how it works, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Brian MacCarthy, Booz Allen's vice president for tech scouting and ventures.
What if you had a hundred colleges and universities focusing on your agency's top challenges? That's the idea behind a program called Hacking for, well, name your mission. Public administration challenges get translated into semester-long courses at various schools and the results are delivered back to the original agency. Now a bill in Congress would make it easier for all agencies to use the program, coordinated by a non-profit called Common Mission Project or CMP. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about all of this with CMP executive director Alex Gallo.
It's been 20 years since its creation and there are some aspects of the Department of Homeland Security that are still taking shape. In the latest change to its organizational chart, the department created a new Office of Health Security in its headquarters. In part, it’ll take the place of the former DHS Office of Health Security, but the new mission’s quite a bit broader. To find out more about this, Federal News Network's Deputy Editor Jared Serbu talked with Dr. Pritesh Gandhi, DHS’s chief medical officer.
Since the FDA got authority from Congress in 2009 to regulate tobacco marketing, smoking rates in the United States have dropped to 10% for adults and less than 3% for minors. Much of the credit does not go to a scientist, but a lawyer. Until his retirement this past spring, Mitchell Zeller was director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products and is a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals Program. Federal Drive host Tom Temin sat down with Mitch in the no-smoking-allowed Federal News Network studios for this in-person interview.
One sign that the world is sort of back to normal in the COVID epoch: More people than ever are signing up for the various Trusted Traveler Programs. For an overall update, as well as how they're dealing with an applications backlog, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Carlo Cortina, Customs and Border Protection field operations branch chief.
For many years the Veterans Affairs Department has worked to make it easier for veterans to access VA services. Now the department is two months into an effort to make it easier for vendors -- and what the department calls "innovators" -- to put their services and capabilities before VA program and contract people. It's a website called Pathfinder. For how it works, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Michael Parrish, the VA's chief acquisition officer.
A federal advisory committee is recommending Congress give a small office at the National Archives and Records Administration the ability to issue binding decisions over Freedom of Information Act request disputes. Proponents of the recommendation say it will help improve FOIA at a time when public records requests backlogs and denials are on the rise. But the idea also faces pushback, including from the office’s director. With just 10 employees and an annual budget of less than $2 million, the Office of Government Information Services, or OGIS, is charged with mediating disputes between the public and agencies over FOIA requests.
The military has a recruiting problem. That fact has been on display in the past couple months as all of the military services bolster enlistment bonuses and reevaluate their end strength goals for 2022 and 2023.The Navy is by no means exempt from the issue, and as of May was 1.5% below its authorized end strength. Now, in response, the service is taking the formal step of creating a new command to address at least some of its recruiting issues.
Salaries for federal employees fall significantly behind the private sector, the Federal Salary Council reported on August 5, 2022. The council reported the pay disparity between public and private sector employees, on average, was 22.47%. In late 2020, the council calculated the pay gap at 23.11%. The pay disparity is calculated based on wages only, and doesn’t include the value of benefits for the public and private sectors.
The Biden administration is setting a higher bar for customer experience across government. And it’s tapping the Veteran Affairs Department to help oversee those improvements under the President’s Management Agenda. The VA recently made it easier for veterans to track down benefits on its website. It’s now looking to integrate Login.gov as a single sign-on for all its online services. For an update on the state of VA’s customer experience, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke Barbara Morton, the VA’s deputy chief experience officer.
For the U.S. Army and one of its software contractors, the conflict in Afghanistan is still going on. An unresolved dispute over licensing of language translation software has entered a new phase, eight years after the company first claimed breach of contract. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talks about the case with Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo.
Polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known as PFAS, are suspected of affecting people's health. The chemicals last nearly forever. And, one environmental group says two out of three Defense Department sites have excessive levels of PFAS in their ground water. Federal Drive host Tom Temin discussed with Jared Hayes, policy analyst with the Environmental Working Group.
Emotions have been running high over some recent Supreme Court decisions. When the court curtailed the Environmental Protection Agency's claimed authority over electricity generation, from the reaction you might have thought Antarctica would melt next week. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about all of this with Devin Hartman, the energy policy director at the R-Street Institute.
It’s that time of year when activity on Capitol Hill usually falls into a lull. But this year’s the rare occurrence when big legislative activity is happening in August. The Senate passed a huge reconciliation bill over the weekend; the House is expected to do the same later this week. Meanwhile both houses have a lot of work waiting for them to reconcile their versions of the annual appropriations and authorization bills. To talk about at least some of those moving pieces, Federal News Network Deputy Editor Jared Serbu was joined by David Berteau, president of the Professional Services Council.
The select committee on the modernization of Congress has been at work for several years. It's found that nearly every function in the legislative branch is due for updating. Recently the committee held a hearing on whether artificial intelligence technology could help. And if so, where. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke about this with Joe Mariani,the research manager for Deloitte's Center for Government Insights.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has launched what it calls a green trade strategy. Among other things, it seeks to strengthen enforcement against what it calls environmental bad actors. And foster a greener worldwide supply chain. To find out what's happening in this area, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with AnnMarie Highsmith, CBP's executive assistant commissioner for Trade.
After four years of stability in the chief information officer’s role, the Small Business Administration is back to the CIO shuffle. Since Maria Roat left in 2020 to become the federal deputy CIO, SBA is on its third technology leader as Stephen Kucharski assumed the acting title in late June or early July.
By modern standards anyway, it’s been a frenzy of legislative activity on Capitol Hill. Besides the annual appropriation and authorization process, first we had the far-reaching CHIPS Act. Then, just yesterday afternoon, the Senate gave final passage to the Inflation Reduction Act, after a full weekend of votes on amendments. Federal News Netork's Deputy Editor Jared Serbu talked about all of this and more with Loren Duggan, deputy news director at Bloomberg Government.
A 2017 mass shooting incident in Texas is at least partly the fault of the Air Force. That's what a court ruled because the Air Force had not put the shooter's criminal history into the FBI's background-check system, allowing the shooter to purchase the rifle with which he murdered 25 people. Now the Justice Department has filed an appeal of the Air Force ruling. To discuss the victims' side of the tragedy, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke to plaintiff's attorney Jamal Alsaffar.
Kiosks are like robots that don't move. They replace people for high-volume, repetitive tasks like checking people in or issuing paperwork. Now the General Services Administration is looking for ideas for using kiosks to identify people or issue credentials, remotely. For more details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke to Darlene Gore, GSA's director of identity, credential and access management.
The United States declared monkeypox a national health emergency on Thursday and clinics across the nation are working to get vaccines to those most threatened by the disease. Now, the Air Force is getting the word out that it has vaccines available for its airmen on demand. The service announced it is providing vaccines to airmen who are at high-risk for monkeypox immediately if possible. If the shot is not at the clinic, the Air Force will ship the vaccine within 48 hours.
CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility is looking to hire hundreds of criminal investigators and other personnel over the next year. The hiring spree comes as OPR responds to a growing number of complaints and incidents at the nation’s largest law enforcement agency. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday spoke about this with Dan Altman, the executive director for investigative operations at OPR.
Army brass have been pursuing a modernizing strategy for some time now via the Army Futures Command. It has focused on doctrine and lethality and the systems to keep the Army out front. But the Futures Command is also looking at modernizing another component where the Army has historically innovated. Namely, its medical operations. For an update on that, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the chief of medical readiness and integration, Col.Mike Mansell.
Each year the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General looks at VA staffing. In particular, whether crucial medical staff jobs slots are filled or if VA has what are known as severe occupational staffing shortages. It's had mixed results recently. To find out more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke about a recent IG report with the deputy assistant IG for healthcare inspections Julie Kroviak.
Democrat Senate lawmakers proposed legislation that would prevent tens of thousands of federal workers from becoming at-will employees.The Preventing a Patronage System Act, which Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced on August 2, would stop agency heads from reclassifying any federal civil service position outside of a merit-based system.
When people get some sort of foodborne illness, you want the source off the market as soon as possible. At one time that took weeks or even months. A government doctor developed an application of a methodology called genomic epidemiology to foodborne heebee geebies. It greatly speeds up pinpointing the source. For his work, he's a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Dr. Steven Musser, deputy director for scientific operations in the F-D-A's center for food safety and applied nutrition.
For decades, the government -- mainly the Defense department -- has used organized consortia of companies to acquire advanced technologies. Now the Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University has urged the Pentagon to consider a list of ways to improve the consortium model. The find out more about this, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Center Senior Fellow Stephanie Halcrow.
It happened in the Obama administration and again during the Trump administration. The IRS appearing to engage in politically influenced activities. Earlier it was denying tax exemptions to conservative non-profits. Then it was audits of people not favored by the White House. For how audits are supposed to work, and mainly do, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the president of the Professional Managers Association, Chad Hooper.
The Coast Guard’s transition to a new Department of Homeland Security financial management system is under the microscope at the Senate Appropriations Committee, where lawmakers are seeking more information about delayed payments and cost increases.The committee, in the report on its fiscal 2023 spending bill, is directing DHS’s chief financial officer and chief information officer, along with the Coast Guard, to brief the committee on the delays once the annual spending bill becomes law.
The Coast Guard’s transition to a new Department of Homeland Security financial management system is under the microscope at the Senate Appropriations Committee, where lawmakers are seeking more information about delayed payments and cost increases.The committee, in the report on its fiscal 2023 spending bill, is directing DHS’s chief financial officer and chief information officer, along with the Coast Guard, to brief the committee on the delays once the annual spending bill becomes law.
Senate appropriators proposed last week an end to a four-decade-old provision that restricts the government from funding abortions and, in turn, could expand reproductive care for military service members and federal employees.The proposal is part of a set of bills to fund the government through fiscal 2023, which includes $850 billion for national security when taking into account the Defense appropriations bill, military construction spending and some military-related Energy Department funds. That number is well over the Biden administration’s $813 billion request for national security and outpaces the House Appropriations Committee and both Armed Services Committees’ bills on spending.
Text messages you send for official business on a government-issued phone are official records. Now the Secret Service has famously lost hundreds of thousands of texts, reportedly because of a phone system switchover. The January 6 hearings were mostly about former President Donald Trump. For what the Secret Service might face legally, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with federal legal eagle John Mahoney.
The Government Accountability Office looks at every agency at one time or another. Some more often than others. No one is exempt from this oversight, even the overseers within the executive branch. GAO has a continuing list of recommendations for the Office of Management and Budget, which it recently reiterated. Federal Drive host Tom Temin got all the details from the GAO's director of strategic issues, Michelle Sager.
If national security and national economic competitiveness are driven by new technology, then the U.S. is at risk for falling behind. That's according to the newest data analysis from Govini. It found that federal spending on a range of technologies is up. But in certain domains of research and development it's not keeping up with China. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about all of this with Govini CEO Tara Murphy Dougherty.
A group of former special agents at the Justice Department’s Drug Enforcement Administration will soon receive a settlement from a sex discrimination case, three decades after its original filing. The $12 million settlement, which the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission finalized on July 22, will go to 71 agents who filed claims in the class-action lawsuit. The case centered on a systemic discrimination practice at DEA, which denied qualified female special agents overseas positions, a type of experience that led to faster promotions and frequently went to male agents.
Military branches are taking a tougher stance to combat sexual assault to create safer environments for soldiers and encourage victims to come forward.The Army, Navy and Air Force are implementing new policies aimed at reducing assaults. The Defense Department has been battling sexual assault incidents for years and is in the process of implementing more than 80 recommendations from an independent review commission that finished its work last year.
House Oversight and Reform Committee members were more engaged this past Thursday on federal IT management issues than we have seen in some time. Not only were the questions relevant, but the lawmakers did not stray into the silly, non-sequitur or totally unrelated world that could’ve easily happened during the 14th iteration of the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) scorecard hearing on July 28.
Keep an eye on a Senate bill to remake federal acquisition. It's called the Agile Procurement Act and it has bipartisan sponsorship. Its stated purpose, among other things, is to make it easier for the government to buy commercial goods and services. Federal sales marketing consultant says the bill scratches an itch that comes up every 25 years or so. He spoke with Federal Drive host Tom Temin.
Among the 160 pages of the SF-86 form, are questions about your mental health. The form, which anyone with national security clearance has had to deal with, doesn't decide whether you get clearance. People do. And how they evaluate answers to mental health questions is about to undergo some revision. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke about all of this with the assistant director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, Mark Frownfelter.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineer Research and Development Center or ERDC, has a new commander. Following ERDC's first ever female commander, the first ever African-American commander is now at the helm. Federal News Network's spoke with the new man in charge: Lt. Col. Christian Patterson.
Congress did manage to get some big bills passed last week. But, it made little progress on normal appropriations for fiscal 2023. In fact, another continuing resolution come October 1 is looking inevitable. Federal Drive host Tom Temin gets the latest from WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
Not everything on Capitol Hill is totally partisan. Take the myriad of threats from China. Two senators from opposite parties recently urged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the phenomenon of TikTok. For more on this, and other topics, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Virginia Senator Mark Warner.
Not everything on Capitol Hill is totally partisan. Take the myriad of threats from China. Two senators from opposite parties recently urged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the phenomenon of TikTok. For more on this, and other topics, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Virginia Senator Mark Warner.
The Coast Guard is thinking ahead about how it will keep its ranks full in future years as all of the military services are feeling the crunch of a smaller talent pool and lower propensity to join the service. Testifying before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Wednesday, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan said the service needs to change its policies and tactics to become more attractive to potential recruit.
The Pentagon’s contractor cybersecurity certification program took a major step forward this week with confirmation that voluntary third-party assessments will kick off next month, while at the same time a newly released process document is causing consternation in industry. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is in the early stages of rulemaking after undergoing a major revision late last year, but voluntary CMMC assessments are scheduled to begin Aug. 22 and continue for several weeks, officials confirmed.
Civilian federal employees are one step closer to a 4.6% across-the-board pay raise in 2023, and for the first time since at least 2014, are inching toward a lift of the pay freeze for political appointees in the Senior Executive Service. Senate appropriators on the Financial Services and General Government subcommittee aligned with the White House’s federal pay raise request on July 28, after releasing the fiscal 2023 financial services and general government draft spending bill.
The IRS gets another shot at long-term investment in its enforcement and taxpayer services. The budget reconciliation package announced Wednesday night by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) would give the IRS $80 billion over the next 10 years, with a focus on tax enforcement.
Innovation is the word of the day. Every organization talks about innovating and hiring innovators. How to you find such people -- whether inside your agency or applying for jobs -- and make sure they're able to, well, innovate? For one view, innovation Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Entrepreneur-in-Residence at consultancy BMNT and former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency innovation hub chief, Sabra Horne.
The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents a couple of hundred thousand Veterans Affairs employees, is gleeful these days. It helped shoot down a plan for an independent review board to look at VA's proposals for rearranging its nationwide map of facilities. To find our why they oppose the planso much, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the First Executive President of AFGE's national VA council, Mary Jane Burke.
The Coast Guard Academy has reached a record for its incoming class, with 43% of the new swabs being women. To talk about this and other goings-on at the academy, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Superintendent, Rear Admiral Bill Kelly.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, it didn't take long for terrorist groups to take advantage of it. ISIS set up a website to ostensibly sell face masks, but really to get money peddling inferior products. But a team from the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, and Homeland Security Investigations stopped this activity by seizing 300 cryptocurrency accounts worth $2 million. That's not all. For their work, they're finalists in this year's Service to America Medals program. One team member, Chris Janczewski, formerly with the IRS, talked with Federal Drive host Tom Temin about how they caught the criminals.
Supercomputers keep getting faster. Just a few years ago it took teraflops -- or trillions of floating point operations per second -- to make the list of the world's fastest computers. Now it takes exaflops, quintillions of operations per second. And now the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has switched on a machine that makes 1.1 exaflops of performance. It's called Frontier. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about Frontier with Oak Ridge distinguished scientist and Frontier project officer, Scott Atchley.
The Navy's oceanography activities go wide and deep. They also include tracking and, if necessary, neutralizing things in the ocean that didn't get their naturally. Like explosive mines. That's where the Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center comes it. In Federal Drive host Tom Temin's final interview of this week's series on naval oceanography, he talks with the Mine Warfare Center's commanding officer, Commander Matthew Watts.
Agencies made history in fiscal 2021 by awarding more total prime contract dollars to small businesses than ever before. Data from the Small Business Administration shows not only did agencies surpass the governmentwide goal of 23%, but increased total spending with small firms by $8 billion.
Former intelligence leaders are trying to boost the role of open source intelligence at U.S. spy agencies through a new foundation that plans to develop community-wide standards and help professionalize the OSINT workforce. The unveiling of the OSINT Foundation comes at a time when social media feeds and other public analysis are providing unprecedented public insights into world events like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Congress and other advocates are calling on intelligence leaders to develop new open source strategies to better take advantage of publicly available information.
Long-time defense contractor Raytheon won in court when it sued the government over intellectual property. What the company thought was IP, the government assumed as merely technical data it could share with anyone. To find out what happened and why it's important, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Smith Pachter McWhorter partner Zach Prince.
Supply shortages, overpriced parts, questionable foreign sources; they all threaten the Defense supply chain. The Government Accountability Office found, though, that DOD's Industrial Base Policy Office doesn't have a fully developed strategy to mitigate those risks. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about this with GAO's director of contracting and national security acquisitions, Bill Russell.
DATELINE: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii -- Nobody likes typhoons or tropical storms in the western Pacific, least of all the U.S. Navy's fifth and seventh fleets. That's where the Joint Typhoon Warning Center comes in. Part of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, it's one of the activities THE FEDERAL DRIVE is exploring in this week's series on how the Navy keeps on top of the weather. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Commander Angela Francis, the commanding officer of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, base at Pearl Harbor.
Many participants in the Thrift Savings Plan started to see a drop in call wait times when trying to reach a representative at TSP’s customer service center, ThriftLine. There has been progress toward resolving issues with ThriftLine, said the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, the agency managing TSP, at a July 26 board meeting. But there is still room for improvement to return everything to normal.
The Justice Department has one of the most important and high profile cybersecurity missions in government, but like many other agencies, it struggles to attract and retain cyber specialists. The department’s “Comprehensive Cyber Review” released this week runs through DOJ’s recent work to investigate and prosecute cybercrime, including initiatives aimed at ransomware gangs, the illicit use of cryptocurrency, contractor fraud, and other digital forms of malfeasance.
Among efforts to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the federal workforce, women still fall significantly behind in representation for agencies’ science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) roles.
The Defense Department has issued a request for information on a study of finance. Three years in development, the study is supposed to take a comprehensive look at financing and the financial health of the defense industrial base. Many contractors think the study is too narrow in scope. Federal Drive host Tom Temin discussed what DoD needs to do to improve, with the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro.
Few agencies in recent years have grown in scope, people and dollars as much as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Now CISA is about to get its own procurement authority and not have to rely on Homeland Security headquarters. Could it be a case of: Be careful what you wish for? For analysis Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Alan Thomas, the former commissioner of the GSA's Federal Acquisition Service, now the chief operating officer of Intellibridge.
DATELINE: Yokosuka, Japan. - This week THE FEDERAL DRIVE is exploring the activities under the Naval Oceanography Operations Command. Among the most crucial mission is ensuring superiority of the fifth and seventh fleets in the submarine domain of the Pacific. For details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Naval Oceanography Antisubmarine Warfare Center's Commander Christopher Tuggle.
The Air Force is in the midst of a series of hackathons, but not the sort the federal government has started to get used to. Instead of trying to find and fix holes in the cybersecurity apparatus, they’re trying to figure out what’s possible if the security rules are relaxed.
The Postal Service is scaling back the number of next-generation delivery vehicles it’s committed to purchasing, but is setting a higher bar for the minimum number of electric vehicles it will buy. USPS announced Wednesday that it will, for now, only plan to buy the 50,000 next-generation delivery vehicles (NGDVs) it ordered in March, the minimum outlined in its contract with Oshkosh Defense. The agency, however, now ensures that no less than 50% of those custom-built vehicles will be electric vehicles.
The Senate this week will continue debating the so-called Chips Bill that would heavily subsidize the semiconductor industry. But thanks to a flurry of amendments, the bill has grown and grown. The National Science Foundation and the Commerce Department would get tens of billions of new dollars. To find out what to expect about that and other important happenings on Capitol Hill this week, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
Most people -- but not everyone -- might have forgotten about the COVID-vaccine-mandate for federal employees. Those against the mandate are still battling in court and the next appeal isn't until September. To sort out what's going on and what agency management might do, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with attorney Stephanie Rapp-Tully, a partner at Tully-Rinckey.
Large and heavy as they might be, the Navy's ships are affected by weather. Operations and planning depend on knowing what the weather will bring. Federal Drive host Tom Temin begins his first in a series of interviews exploring the mission of the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Captain His first guest: Erin Acosta, the center's commanding officer.
While the world of work struggles with in-person or on-line questions, consider this: Groups generate more and better quality ideas when they meet in person, then when they meet on a video conference platform. That's according to research by the Columbia Business School in an experiment with 1,500 engineers. Does that mean you've got to haul it back into the office every day? Not so fast, according to Bob Tobias, a professor in the Key Executive Leadership Program at American University. Tobias talked about the study, in studio, with Federal Drive host Tom Temin.
Love it or hate it, regulation is one of the most common activities federal agencies undertake. Rule-making itself is among the most rule-bound processes, both to keep it under control and to ensure everyone's voice is taken into account. Now a study, under the auspices of the National Academy of Public Administration, offers ways the regulatory process can become more agile. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about this with NAPA fellow Michael Fitzpatrick.
Recently, Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach hosted a graduation ceremony for eight interns who were part of Project SEARCH. It's the first year for this innovative program, which connects high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to internships and on-the-job training. To learn more, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Jan Varney, who is an Instructional Specialist for the Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ Office of Programs for Exceptional Children and coordinator for Project SEARCH.
The federal government collects myriad forms of demographic data, but it could do more around sexual orientation and gender identities. In line with his administration’s broader diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility goals President Joe Biden is directing agencies to see where they can expand collection of LGBTQ data.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is postponing the go-live for its new Electronic Health Record at yet another site, as Congress intensifies its scrutiny of the rollout. Secretary Denis McDonough told reporters in a press conference Wednesday that the agency will not go live with its Oracle-Cerner EHR in Boise, Idaho on July 23 as planned. There are no other scheduled EHR deployments for the rest of fiscal 2022.
The Office of Personnel Management has yet to release regulations that would encourage agencies to stop asking about job applicants' salary histories. Some advocacy groups say agencies don't need to wait for OPM. The idea behind not asking, is that it would help close the purported government-private pay gap, a goal of OPM’s strategic plan. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman is covering this story and talked about it with Federal Drive host Tom Temin.
Intelligence agencies are increasing telework options and other workplace flexibilities in some cases, as they look to better compete with the private sector for scarce talent. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said the intelligence community is looking at ways to make workplaces “more flexible and appealing.” During a keynote address at a July 14 summit hosted by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, Haines cast those efforts as part of a broader push to overcome diversity, equity and inclusion challenges within the intelligence community.
Federal employees, no less than people in other occupations, sometimes have to deal with pain resulting from injuries. In recent years, many of them have become addicted to opioids. Thanks to the work of my next guest, over the past five years the number of federal employees using opioids has dropped by 58%. For his work, he's a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program. Antonio Rios, the division director of Federal Employees', Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation at the Department of Labor, talked with Federal Drive host Tom Temin.
Even as the nation still digests the findings of the 2020 count of the U.S. population, the Census bureau is looking towards 2030 and modernizing the other products it produces more frequently. It recently released its strategic plan for now to 2026. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about some of the highlights with Census Bureau Director Robert Santos.
The Labor Department wants feedback on its first-ever Enterprise Data Strategy … a three-year effort to get more value from the data it generates. Labor officials hope to add staff with data talent and modernize systems that house data. For more, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with two people: Labor’s Chief Data Officer Scott Gibbons and Chief Innovation Officer Chike Aguh.
Tea leaves indicate a 4.6% pay raise for federal employees next year. House Democrats are pushing for 5.1%. At least one big union says that given inflation that's not enough. Is 4.6 or 5.1 only the starting point? Federal News Network's Drew Friedman put that question to the president of the National Treasury Employees Union, Tony Reardon.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection sometimes faces distrust, even antagonism, among citizens and non-citizens officers encounter. To help ease this problem, CBP created a new position called senior community relations manager. The person taking on that job is Nawar Shora. Tom Temin talked to Mr. Shora on THE FEDERAL DRIVE.
With small business federal spending goals on the rise, it seems like a good time for small and disadvantaged companies to take a shot at federal business. A self-styled incubator called Hutch, based in Baltimore, Maryland, seeks to develop minority- and women-owned technical services companies. Hutch founder Delali Dzirasa talked about it with Federal Drive Tom Temin.
The Office of Personnel Management doesn't hire people to work at federal agencies. But it has a lot of influence over how agencies hire people. And it provides crucial shared services to help agencies manage their workforces. This year the Government Accountability Office added three high priority recommendations for OPM to improve things. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about it with GAO's director of strategic issues, Michelle Sager.
The Office of Personnel Management doesn't hire people to work at federal agencies. But it has a lot of influence over how agencies hire people. And it provides crucial shared services to help agencies manage their workforces. This year the Government Accountability Office added three high priority recommendations for OPM to improve things. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about it with GAO's director of strategic issues, Michelle Sager.
The Homeland Security Science and Technology directorate works to develop new technologies and get them into commercial production. A lot of work has focused on technologies to speed up airport screening and make it more accurate. Now a unit of Science and Technology has won an interagency partnership award from the Federal Laboratory Consortium. Specifically, high definition advanced imaging and shoe scanner technology. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with the program manager John Fortune.
The intelligence community is updating training standards and reviewing historical data to ensure the process of obtaining a security clearance isn’t a barrier to hiring and retaining more women, minorities and other individuals from diverse backgrounds.
A high ranking military official recently cited acquisition and the Defense supply chain in predicting mathematical certainty of the U.S. losing out to China. That made contractors sit up and listen. Federal Drive host talked about this with federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
The government market is recession proof. But that doesn't mean contractors don't fight tooth-and-nail for federal business. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke about that with the leader at one of the major contractors: CEO of Peraton, Stu Shea.
A recent interview Tom Temin conducted with the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) suggested that agency inspectors general are not prepared to oversee the hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure spending coming their way. Federal Drive host Temin talked about this with the assistant inspector general for audits at the EPA, Katherine Trimble.
A recent interview with the Project on Government Oversight said agency inspectors general are not prepared to oversee the hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure spending coming their way. Assistant Inspector General for Audits at the Environmental Protection Agency Katherine Trimble disagrees. She explains why on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The government market is recession proof. But that doesn't mean contractors don't fight tooth-and-nail for federal business. For what the scene looks like from the standpoint of one of the majors, CEO of Peraton Stu Shea joins the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
A high ranking military official recently cited acquisition and the Defense supply chain in predicting mathematical certainty of the U.S. losing out to China. That made contractors sit up and listen. Federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen joins the Federal Drive with Tom Temin with more.
The Cyber Safety Review Board’s first ever report gives high marks to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency for leading the response to the Log4j vulnerability, while warning that the software bug will continue to haunt systems for many more years.
The General Services Administration is once again struggling with a major systems modernization project, causing an increasingly high level of frustration among vendors and grantees. Now, a powerful congressman is demanding answers about why three months into the transition to the new way for vendors to identify themselves for federal contract or grant awards, GSA hasn’t resolved serious issues with the system.
In a bit of progress for regular order, the House last week managed to pass its version of the National Defense Authorization Act. And, members will get down to the 2023 spending bills this week. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin got the latest from WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
As the government's lead agency on cybersecurity, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, keeps getting a higher budget, more people, and more programs. Although her role is administrative, even CISA's chief of staff has a long history in the cybersecurity field. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Kiersten Todt, in this in-depth interview.
The more compute-intensive manufacturing becomes, the more companies and their factories need cybersecurity protection. Now a new cyber roadmap is out from a group called the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute. The group is backed by the Energy Department. Joining the Federal Drive with more, the institute's CEO, Howard Grimes.
One of the biggest concerns among cybersecurity people is the advent of quantum computers. The theory is, quantum will be so powerful it will easily crack encryption algorithms conventional computers would take thousands of years to crack. Now, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued four cryptographic algorithms researchers believe are quantum resistant. Joining the Federal Drive with details, NIST mathematician Dustin Moody.
More analysis of the Best Places to Work in the federal government, those rankings having come out earlier this week. Many agencies saw their employee satisfaction scores go down. On average governmentwide, satisfaction fell of 4-point-5 points. But agencies that did well, had a few things in common. At the Partnership for Public Service's rankings ceremony this week, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman caught with officials of some of those high ranking agencies. General Services Administration Deputy Administrator Katy Kale shared her take about why GSA might have moved up a few slots in this year's list.
Over the last five years, agencies have increased their spending on cloud services, through the General Services Administration, by 60%. In 2016, agencies spent about $1 billion through the assorted GSA contract offerings. By 2021, that number grew to $1.6 billion. For what's behind that growth, Federal News Network's Jason Miller spoke with the GSA's deputy assistant commissioner for Category Management in the Federal Acquisition Service, Alan Hill.
Methane is a useful chemical, but not when it leaks into the atmosphere from production or transport of oil and natural gas. A team of scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology developed a technology for detecting methane leaks and thereby getting them cut off earlier. For their work, Nathan Newbury, Kavin Cossell, and Ian Coddington are finalists in this year's Service to America Medals Program. Ian Coddington joined the Federal Drive with more.
Some $339 million, set aside for small business, went to some of the largest defense contractors, in a single year. That's according to the Project on Government Oversight. POGO reviewed spending patterns of the Defense Logistics Agency, under its Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support program. The Federal Drive got details from POGO's senior investigator, Nick Schwellenbach.
Military readiness in some ways starts with what troops eat. The Air Force has launched an entertaining program to show its airmen and women, and their families, how to eat more healthy, and like it. Sort of like the Air Force version of the French Chef. Joining the Federal drive with more on the program and its aims, the chief of Air Force Medical Home, Col. Mary Anne Kiel.
They're out: the annual rankings of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government, compiled by the Partnership for Public Service and the Boston Consulting Group. NASA is number one for large agencies, for the 10th year in a row. But overall, the news ain't great. Employee satisfaction and engagement scores on average dropped quite a bit, for quite a lot of agencies. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman joined the Federal Drive to talk about it.
The State Department is accepting applications for a second wave of paid internships. They'll clock in next spring. The department is paying interns to boost diversity of its workforce … and to encourage people underrepresented groups to pursue State Department careers. It picked 200 students from 2,000 applicants for the first cohort of paid interns last year. It'll pay all student interns starting next year 2023. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the department’s talent acquisition senior advisor Jennifer Danover.
Defense and intelligence officials are trying to end the stigma that seeking mental health care could put your security clearance at risk. They're now looking to update the clearance process to encourage a more behavioral approach. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
For all of its talk about transparency and accountability, Congress itself has a ways to go on these matters. Lately, a group called the congressional data Task Force has expanded its own charter. This as the House moves to fund some overdue technology updates. For what's going on, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the Policy Director of Demand Progress Daniel Schuman.
When two Federal Aviation Administration-certified Boeing 737 Max jets crashed a few years back, it raised questions about the FAA certification process for new airplane designs. Members of Congress wanted to know if there was anything the U.S. could learn from the European Union's procedures. The Government Accountability Office compared the two. And for what it found Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with GAO's Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues Heather Krause.
Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos didn't get to where they are by acting timid. When it comes to federal contracts, Amazon seems to follow a simple three-word formula: protest, protest protest. And it works. That's according to an investigation by Bloomberg Government reporter Josh Axelrod, who joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
When the Biden Justice Department sued Booz Allen on antitrust grounds over Booz's acquisition of EverWatch, it sent a signal. The federal contracting class of companies isn't exempt from an aggressive anti-trust stance. Justice said the acquisition would combine the only two competitors in certain support services for national security. Joining the Federal Drive with the industry's reaction, the CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau.
The early days of the COVID pandemic were chaotic, you might say. Health and Human Services was as busy as any agency. Among its tasks, ensuring unaccompanied children taken in at U.S. borders were kept in environments safe from the disease. How did the agency do? To find out, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with HHS Assistant Regional Inspector General, Sylvie Witten.
Law clerks form an largely unseen network of support for the Judiciary branch of government. My next guest says clerks lack protection from, and the means to redress, harassment and discrimination. Sometimes it's judges that do the harassing and discriminating. For more, the president and co-founder of the Legal Accountability Project, Aliza Shatzman.
There's a new unwritten rule at the Homeland Security Department: Don’t use the word pilot or demonstration program in public or in official documents. This is because Congress inserted new language that requires DHS to report on nearly all pilot programs, before they kick off.
In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about this provision that seems to have surprised DHS. Jason joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
There's a new unwritten rule at the Homeland Security Department: Don’t use the word pilot or demonstration program in public or in official documents. This is because Congress inserted new language that requires DHS to report on nearly all pilot programs, before they kick off.
In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about this provision that seems to have surprised DHS. Jason joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
The idea for a Space National Guard has gone back and forth since before the conception of the Space Force itself. Now, once again, the National Guard is advocating for a new component to handle capabilities outside of the earth’s atmosphere. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive with the latest.
Gun regulations, inflation, and abortion may be at the forefront of talking points for members of Congress recently, but there is work to be done. Coming back from recess there are funding measures, nominations, and major legislation packages that will need to be dealt with. To give us a preview of what's in store, the Federal Drive spoke with Bloomberg Government Congressional Reporter Zach Cohen.
You've probably heard by now the Biden administration has made it an objective to decarbonize federal operations in the near future. One of the initiatives from the Energy Department to try and make that happen is a $6 million award to certain national laboratories to expand the use of geothermal heating and cooling at federal sites. To learn more about this plan and just how much this technology could help the White House reach its goal, the Federal Drive spoke to Dr. Alexis McKittrick, she's DOE's Geothermal Technology Office's Program Manager.
My next guest has what might be one of the most consequential federal jobs of all. No, not cabinet secretary or tax commissioner. He's the new director of the National Weather Service, and he came up through the ranks as a meteorologist and forecaster. Kenneth Graham joined Federal News Network Tom Temin to discuss his path to this new role.
The federal government has been meeting its overall goals for awarding contracts to small businesses, but it’s falling short with those qualifying for socioeconomic set-asides. It regularly misses its targets for women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and HUBzone small businesses. And it’s pool of small business contractors is shrinking. But the Small Business Administration told the House Small business committee in a recent hearing that it’s looking to turn that around.
Health care staffing shortages at the Veteran Affairs Department are back on the rise after years of progress. The VA’s inspector general finds more than 2,600 severe staffing shortages for 285 occupations across the Veterans Health Administration nationwide. It’s the first uptick in staffing shortages in recent years, and an indication that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a toll on its workforce. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.
Want to give your career a kick in the pants? Get with the movement toward expertise in artificial intelligence, data management and digital innovation? Carnegie Mellon University has developed a course just for federal employees who want to learn these fields and maybe switch or upgrade their careers. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talks about it with Carnegie associate dean Jackie Speedy.
The subject of disabilities can seem abstract to people who are fully abled. This interviewee was fully abled until one day...he wasn't. After a difficult, two-year process of reinvention, he's now on his way to becoming a commissioned foreign service officer at the State Department. Collin Walsh talked with Federal Drive host Tom Temin.
As backlogs for Freedom of Information Act requests grew during the pandemic, some agencies found success limiting processing times. Now, those agencies are offering best practices to improve the public information request process and make it easier for records custodians to calculate estimated dates of completion (EDCs).
As backlogs for Freedom of Information Act requests grew during the pandemic, some agencies found success limiting processing times. Now, those agencies are offering best practices to improve the public information request process and make it easier for records custodians to calculate estimated dates of completion (EDCs).
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is continuing its fast evolution as a standalone department, with CISA set to get its own procurement authority this month.
With the Supreme Court recently striking down Roe v Wade, military service members may need to think about abortion in different ways. The Defense Department is promising to protect abortion, but that still leaves some pregnant service members in the lurch. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione had more on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Issues with the Thrift Savings Plan member access system have persisted for more than a month now. Long wait times and dropped calls at the TSP's customer service center, lack of access to historical documents, beneficiary designations and financial information. All problems with the new My Account Platform. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board launched the system June 1. Now, many of the problems are getting more attention on Capitol Hill. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman spoke with Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), about why the TSP issues have been a recent priority for her, on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Members of Congress continue their interest in seeing the curtailment of animal testing for drugs and cosmetics. Now some members are urging the Food and Drug Administration to develop guidance for industry on how to avoid animal testing for products requiring FDA approval. For more, Nevada Rep. Dina Titus (D) joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
For the Taliban-overran Afghanistan following the American pull out, tens of thousand of Afghans who had helped American forces, they had to flee. They came here. Today's guests responded to a sudden need for transportation, housing and other aid. Their State Department team are now finalists in this year's Service to American Medals program. Two of them joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin in studio: Director of State's Refugee Processing Center Hilary Ingraham, and Domestic Resettlement Chief Holly Herrera.
Agencies across the board have been turning to innovation challenges to come up with fresh answers to old problems. Now the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, part of the Department of Health and Human Services has launched a challenge. SAMHSA is looking for new approaches to behavioral health recovery. With details, SAMHSA Administrator Miriam Delphin-Rittmon spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
For the federal government, thanks to Congress, the fiscal year rarely starts on time. But it always ends on time. And now, this first week in July, contractors are marking the start of the fiscal quarter in which the government spends the biggest portion of available dollars. For a yearly year-end prep talk, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
The principal overseer of government operations and budget execution also has to go to Congress each year for its own appropriation. The Government Accountability Office uses the savings its caused throughout government as its own justification. For 2023, GAO is asking for $810 million, a nearly 13% increase from what it received for the current fiscal year. For more, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the GAO's Chief Operating Officer Orice Williams Brown.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is the White House's quarterback for the zero trust drive. CISA is providing shared services and advising agencies on their zero trust and cybersecurity plans in general. At the recent Federal News Network Zero Trust Cyber Exchange, we heard from CISA senior technical advisor John Simms.
China can't do anything to prevent Congress from passing a budget on time for 2023. But the China competitiveness bill could do just that. With the year-end just three months away now, legislative arguments over the bill threaten budget talks. For how, the Federal Drive turns to WTOP capitol hill correspondent Mitchell Miller.
You might of heard. In nearly every locale in the nation, home prices have soared. Many houses get multiple offers, and sell for may more than the posted price. The Veterans Benefits Administration has been tinkering with the 75-year-old home loan program to ensure it gives veterans a shot at the house they want. Joining the Federal Drive with an update, VA's executive director of loan guaranty, John Bell.
If copyrights are a measure of women's long-term rise in economic participation, trends show progress but still a ways to go. A recent study by the U.S. Copyright Office shows that over a 40-year period, women's share of registrations rose from 28%, to 38% in 2020. Joining the Federal Drive with analysis, University of Minnesota business school professor Joel Waldfogel, and Copyright Office chief economist Brent Lutes.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is expanding its footprint in the cloud. And doing it in a slightly unusual way. FEMA is partnering with the Agriculture Department to develop a charge-back model to its program areas. Jim Rodd is FEMA’s cloud portfolio manager. He tells executive editor Jason Miller about how the cloud will impact FEMA’s mission.
The United States is helping Ukraine militarily, but only indirectly. When it comes to health care for the besieged Ukrainians, the aid and cooperation are more direct. Much of the work falls to the Health and Human Services Department. Joining the Federal Drive with an update, the H-H-S assistant secretary for global affairs, Loyce Pace.
In an agency as large as Veterans Affairs, with a third of a million employees, there's no shortage of things to go wrong. Often, it is whistleblowers that point them out, often to the office of inspector general. Now a bipartisan bill that passed the House would ensure continuance of a policy, that every VA employee receive training by the OIG, to learn how to report alleged wrongdoing. Here with more on the VA Office of Inspector General Training Act, one of its original sponsors, Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.).
A dozen senators reject the Veterans Affairs Department’s plans to reshape its health care real-estate. The senators say they won't proceed with the President’s nominees to serve on the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission. The commission, part of the 2018 MISSION Act, is supposed to review the VA’s recommendations on how it expects to right-size its real-estate portfolio of medical facilities across the country. But VA officials say their plan to close old facilities and build new ones won’t stop here. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman joins the Federal Drive with more.
The security clearance process can make it difficult to move personnel from one agency to another. That’s especially true for people who need the highest levels of clearance. Lie detector requirements and other issues can bog down an application for months. The Intelligence and National Security Alliance has some new suggestions for how to make it faster and easier. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday, spoke with INSA vice president for policy, Larry Hanauer.
It's become an unfunny joke. No matter what crucial intellectual property gets developed in the United States, it gets stolen by China or maybe Russia. A special team deep in the Defense Department has been working on one strategy to counteract this. It looks for investments in U.S. companies by suspicious foreigners. For his work collaborating with many other agencies, the team leader is a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program. The deputy director of the Office of Foreign Investment Review at DOD, David Rader.
Federal employee whistleblower complaints are often investigated by the agency itself, rather than by the Office of Special Counsel. This can speed resolutions, or end up with complaints going nowhere. Or suppressed. Bob Tobias, professor in the Key Executive Leadership Program at American University, has looked at this question. He joined the Federal Drive with some perspective.
Just because you apply, doesn't guarantee you'll get federal security clearance. Lots of people make basic errors in their clearance and suitability forms. That can make things take longer than they should. Joining the Federal Drive with some tried-and-true advice on the mistakes to avoid, Shaw Bransford Roth attorney James Heelan.
The House recently passed its 2023 Defense authorization bill. In it are some provisions relating to service member marijuana use and possession. In particular, asking the Military Justice Review Panel to come up with new sentencing guidelines. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione talked with the author of that provision, Maryland Congressman Anthony Brown (D-Mary.)
The Government Publishing Office, an arm of Congress, has issued its vision for a hybrid workforce. About a third of its workforce is still out on full-time telework or remote work. GPO is also offering 100% telework for white-collar employees in the D.C. area, unless they’re needed in the office on a specific day. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with GPO’s Chief of Workforce Development, Education and Training, Stewart Lane. First you’ll hear from GPO’s Chief Human Capital Officer, Dan Mielke
If you are among the millions that participate in the Thrift Savings Plan, you’ve probably heard about or maybe seen firsthand, some of the challenges as TSP rolled over to a new system earlier this month. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board says it's making some progress to resolve issues like customer service delays. By now, most TSP participants have successfully logged into the new My Account. But the problems don’t end there. Here with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is taking a big step to reduce cybersecurity risks from its employees, often the weakest cyber link. USPTO will be among the first agencies to implement a Secure Access Service Edge architecture, known as SASE. Jamie Holcombe is the chief information officer for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and Beau Hutto is the vice president of federal Netskope. They tell executive editor Jason Miller about why SASE will accelerate USPTO’s journey to zero trust.
It's an old question. An agency awards a services contract because of specific people the contractor promised would work on the project. Then one of them quits. In the ensuing protest cases, the Government Accountability Office and the federal courts seem to be of differing minds. We get more now from Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo.
Even as the armed forces develop hypersonic missiles, the Missile Defense Agency pursues a project to develop measures to counteract enemies' hypersonics. But the program is having significant oversight problems and technical risks. For details, we turn to the acting director for contracting and national security acquisitions issues at the Government Accountability Office, John Sawyer.
The House Armed Services committee spent time last week marking up the defense authorization bill for 2023. As always, the NDAA has a lot to say about procurement and contractors. But it doesn't say anything about whether they're compensated for inflation. Here with what the services contractor community is watching closely, Professional Services Council president David Berteau.
A clever idea to use magnetic nanoparticles to capture valuable materials from brine. Sounds arcane, but it's blossomed into new projects that could help make the U.S. a producer, and not just a consumer, of critical minerals used in electronics and energy production. One planned pilot project, funded co-funded with industry by the Energy Department's Office of Fossil Energy is in the works at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. For more, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with lab fellow Pete McGrail.
The American Federation of Government Employees returns to the negotiating table with Veterans Affairs officials for the largest union contract in the federal government. AFGE wants to resolve persistent points of disagreement. The union wants VA to put employees on performance improvement plans before imposing discipline. It's also wants to ensure Title 38 medical employees receive an equal share of performance-based awards and incentives. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the Supervisory Attorney for AFGE’s VA Council, Thomas Dargon.
Remember the CARES Act, enacted at the height of the pandemic? Among other things, it let agencies reimburse contractors to pay employees unable to work at an approved federal site or to telework. At the National Security Agency, lack of controls led to millions of dollars in improper payments under the CARES Act. That's according to an audit by the NSA's Office of Inspector General. Joining the Federal Drive with more, the assistant IG for audits, Jamal Hall.
Reeling from two highly controversial Supreme Court decisions and some revelatory hearings concerning the Capitol break-in, Congress is in recess this week. But not everything has stopped on the Hill. We get more from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
This year's Secretary of Defense Environmental Award winner in the Environmental Quality Individual, Team category went to the Air Force Radioactive Recycling and Disposal team. As part of the 88th Civil Engineer Group, AFRRAD handles low-level radioactive recycling and low-level mixed waste management in the Air Force and provides radioactive material recycling for the Department of Defense. For learn more about this mission, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Zach Olds, AFFRAD team supervisor, and Chris Anthony, Radioactive Material Program Manager. You'll hear Anthony first.
The Postal Service handed out millions of dollars in employee awards in a program that lacked solid controls. People nominated one another and then voted on whether they got the money. A few people even approved their own bonuses. For more, the Federal Drive spoke with the deputy assistant inspector general for audit, Wilvia Espinoza.
The Defense Department recently brought the chief data and artificial intelligence office into full operating capability. It'll focus on advanced technologies and working fast. Not just the technologies need to move fast. Acquisition and contracting also have to keep pace with the office’s needs. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione talked about this with with procurement analyst Bonnie Evangelista, and contracting chief Kathrine Crompton.
The ombudsman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has one central focus of this year’s annual report to Congress: Reducing the backlog of immigration cases. As of March, there were nearly 5.2 million cases in the backlog, meaning cases sitting for than the target processing time. Some eight and a half million cases are actually pending. Even after hiring freezes ended and USCIS avoided furloughs during the pandemic, the agency still struggles to hire and train enough adjudicators to get through the stack of cases. The ombudsman held a call for public feedback last week. Federal News Network’s Amelia Brust listened in.
June is PTSD awareness month. And according to our next guest, managing the risk factors stemming from military-connected PTSD isn’t just a job for the Defense Department and the VA. Dr. Ken Marfilius is a former Air Force clinical social worker and mental health therapist. He’s now an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Syracuse University. He talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about the it-takes-a-village” approach to mental wellness in the military and veteran population.
At least some members of Congress are pushing for telework to become a big and permanent feature of federal employment. The latest gambit is a bill that requires agencies to gather statistics about telework, and prevent them from restricting it. It's called the Telework Metrics and Cost Savings Act. We get more now from one of its sponsors, Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Mary.).
The Office of Personnel Management has reached a milestone it hasn't seen since 2015. OPM Director Kiran Ahuja just hit one year in office as agency head. Ahuja has made progress in her position -- for example, giving feds time off to vote and bringing back the Presidential Rank Awards after a year's hiatus. But the agency is hitting a few bumps in the road, too. Many feds, for example, shared in the 2021 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey that they're not happy with return to office plans. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman sat down with Ahuja at a press conference, where the director discussed OPM's priorities for telework.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency needs to move with more speed and urgency when it comes to talent management. That’s the conclusion of CISA’s Cybersecurity Advisory Committee. CISA is now considering a suite of recommendations from the committee on recruiting and hiring. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
Sometimes nations declare war on themselves. When a civil war broke out in Ethiopia back in 2020, my next guest worked overtime to ensure humanitarian aid got to those who we desperate for it, and to try and mitigate some of the human rights abuses. Now he's a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals Program. He's the director of the Office of East African Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development, Jonathan Dworken.
Holly Ridings, the first female chief of NASA’s flight directors, will now help lead the agency’s Gateway Program, an international partnership to establish humanity’s first space station around the Moon. In this new role, Ridings will serve as the deputy program manager. She will lead teams to build and launch NASA’s foundational infrastructure in deep space. Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Ridings about what that entails.
AmericaCorps is the government's premier agency for engaging volunteers of all ages to help with the nation's pressing problems. At the end of last year, it got an energetic new CEO when the Senate confirmed Michael Smith, who the Federal Drive had a chance to catch up with.
Looking to settle your debts to the IRS, without an endless wait over the phone? There’s a bot for that. The IRS is now automating more of its call volume through automation, giving its call-center employees more time to address complex requests from taxpayers. The IRS is also rounding the corner on its pandemic-era backlog of tax returns. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has the latest.
The Air Force has seen its fair share of curveballs when it comes to budget and acquisition. Between inflation, the war in Ukraine, and COVID, the service is trying to ensure the industry supply chains stays solid and that acquisition timelines don’t slip. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione discussed some of those issues with the service’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, Major General Cameron Holt.
The General Services Administration reach a critical milestone last week. It chose a name for its new services multiple award contract.
In his weekly reporter's notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about why the new name, OASIS-Plus, takes all the fun out of government contracting.
It's official, more or less. The General Services Administration is bending nearly all of its efforts towards the idea of customer experience. That's what Federal Acquisition Commissioner Tom Howder told the Coalition for Government Procurement the other day. What does that mean for contractors? We turn to federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
The Government Accountability Office is out with its latest assessment of the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons programs. It’s the 20th annual edition. GAO says it’s seen some improvement in DoD’s management of major acquisition programs during that time, but cost and schedule growth are still huge problems. And while every program’s unique, one common theme is that DoD tends to commit itself to big systems before it has enough information about technology risks and cost estimates. Shelby Oakley is Director of Contracting and National Security Acquisitions at GAO. She talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about some of the trends in this year’s report.
The federal government has world-class engineering expertise in its ranks. The same is true of public health expertise. What it doesn’t have is a standing capability to fuse those disciplines together with behavioral science to help inform agencies’ response to crises. At least, until now. A brand new organization called the Engineering for Public Health and Human Factors Center — or EPH — is now up and running within the Army Corps of Engineers.
Appropriators on Capitol Hill have a big week this week, the first official week of summer. For one thing, House members are marking up the 20-23 Defense budget and taking up the defense authorization bill. The Federal Drive got the latest from WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller.
The Freedom of Information Act might be best known as a way for journalists and public interest groups to get information about the operations of government. But it can also be a tool for companies to get confidential information about their competitors. Safeguarding that information has gotten more complicated in the last few years, because the state of the law around the FOIA exemption that applies to things like trade secrets is in flux. Nathan Castellano is special counsel in the government contracts group at Jenner and Block. He wrote a recent briefing paper about those complications, and talked about it with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu.
When it comes to directed energy technologies like lasers and microwave weapons, the Air Force doesn’t have anything that’s quite ready to deploy on a fighter jet. But a new modeling and simulation facility at Kirtland Air Force base is going to try to make sure pilots are ready to use them once they are. The Air Force Research Laboratory just awarded a 10-year, $80 million contract to build a new “virtual range” for directed energy weapons. To learn more, Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu talked with Christopher Hurlburt, deputy principal investigator for modeling and simulation at AFRL.
The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency is overhauling the security clearance process under an initiative called Trusted Workforce 2.0. The reform effort promises to streamline background investigations using automation and other new processes. For the latest, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday spoke with the assistant director of vetting risk operations at DCSA, Heather Green.
The Defense Department has several small innovation storefronts like the Defense Innovation Unit, SOFWERX and AFWERX. They partner with non-traditional vendors to find solutions to some of DoD’s toughest challenges. For years, DoD has focused on building the infrastructure to find these innovations, but now it’s turning its focus to the next step in this process: the so-called “Valley of Death.” Federal News Network's Daisy Thornton joins me with details.
The Technology Modernization Fund is making a big investment in better customer experience throughout government. The TMF will award $100 million to projects that cut wait times for public-facing federal services, as well as excessive paperwork and other barriers. These projects tie back to the Biden administration’s executive order on improving customer experience. For more on this announcement, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with TMF Executive Director Raylene Yung. But first, you’ll hear from TMF Chairwoman and Federal Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana.
In today's Federal Newscast: A federal pay raise appears to be on the horizon, but remains up in the air. Inflation might mean more money for the DoD and nuclear maintenance . And an $11 billion contract award survives a protest.
Federal agencies generally have a lot of discretion when it comes to their procurement decisions. But not explaining why they did what they did can be a recipe for bid protests. That’s exactly what happened when the Army awarded a major contract for communications support services in U.S. Central Command. The Court of Federal Claims has now ordered the Army to go back and fix problems with the 2019 award decision. To talk more about the case, FNN Deputy Editor Jared Serbu was joined by Joe Petrillo, a procurement attorney with Smith Pachter McWhorter.
A new report by the Cyberspace Solarium Commission bemoans the fact that the national cyber workforce shortage is still a major problem. But the commission thinks it’s a problem that can start to be solved with the help of the new National Cyber Director – and the director will need strategies that address both the federal workforce and the private sector. FNN Deputy Editor Jared Serbu talked about what the landscape looks like on the private side, with Tom Downs, the Head of Diversity Talent Acquisition and the Employee Referral Program at Booz Allen Hamilton.
The Department of the Navy has a new strategy for dealing with climate challenges. Like past plans, it addresses what the Navy and Marine Corps can do to make their operations more resilient to climate change. But this one also lays out some specific goals to reduce the services’ impacts to the climate. FNN Deputy Editor Jared Serbu talked about all of this with Deborah Loomis, Senior Advisor for Climate Change to the Secretary of the Navy.
Last month, the House passed a resolution that helps pave the way for its staff members to unionize. The measure essentially grants House staffers the same legal protections other federal employees have against retaliation if they try to formally organize a labor union. Backers say it’s needed, in part, because of low pay and high turnover on Capitol Hill. But not everyone thinks it’s a good idea, including our next guest. Suzanne Bates is a senior writer and researcher at Americans for Fair Treatment, a group that calls itself a “union watchdog.” She talked with the Federal Drive about what she sees as the downsides.
As we discussed yesterday with assistant secretary Alejandra Castillo from the Commerce Department, Congress is considering legislation that would designate economic development funding to new “tech hubs” located all around the country. And according to our next guest, that’s part of an emerging trend in how the federal government approaches innovation funding. The National Science Foundation and the Economic Development Administration have already created programs that focus their attention on specific places, rather than individual institutions or research topics. Mark Muro is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and policy director for the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. He joined the Federal Drive to talk more about it.
She's only in her mid-thirties, but she's already reduced paperwork and drudgery at the Labor Department. Now she's a finalist in the emerging leaders category of this year's Service to America Medals program. Labor's chief of emerging technology, Krista Kinnard, spoke earlier with Tom Temin.
The Pentagon is quickly bringing its top digital specialists together under one new organization. The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office reached full operational capability on June 1. It’s one of the bigger organizational mergers in recent Defense Department history. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
The Pentagon is quickly bringing its top digital specialists together under one new organization. The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office reached full operational capability on June 1. It’s one of the bigger organizational mergers in recent Defense Department history. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
The Army is preparing for the next budget cycle and that means thinking about how it’s going to buy weapons in the current economic environment. Workforce issues and inflation are dragging down some of the service’s buying power. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione is at the Government Contract Pricing Summit in San Diego. He spoke with Army Deputy Assistant Secretary for Procurement Megan Dake.
A longtime federal technology executive has a new private sector role. Dawn Meyerriecks retired last year as the deputy director of the CIA for science and technology. She served at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Defense Information Systems Agency before that. She’s now been appointed as a member of the board of directors at ColdQuanta. She talked with the Federal Drive with Tom Temin about the new role, and how it dovetails with her long experience in the federal government.
The Air Force’s decision to pick Huntsville, Alabama, as the new headquarters of U.S. Space Command has been controversial from the start. And a new review by the Government Accountability Office said the selection process had a lot of problems. GAO doesn’t opine on whether Huntsville was the right or wrong decision. But the office said the Air Force made some fundamental missteps when it deviated from its own base selection framework. Instead, the ad-hoc version it used for the Space Command selection had serious credibility and transparency problems. Elizabeth Field is director of Defense capability and management issues at GAO, and she joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to talk more about the findings.
After a four-year hiatus, the Commerce Department has decided to reestablish an outside advisory board focused on innovation. The National Advisory Council on Innovation & Entrepreneurship is back up and running, with 32 new board members picked from industry and academia across the country. Alejandra Castillo is assistant secretary of Commerce for economic development. She talked with Jared Serbu about what the department wants the board to achieve, on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The Biden administration, following a windfall of IT modernization dollars Congress approved through COVID-19 spending, is outlining its vision of how it will make the most of this money. The Office of Management and Budget released a plan last week detailing projects made possible through three governmentwide IT modernization funds, as well as upcoming spending plans. Meanwhile, congressional spending on IT modernization for fiscal 2023 is coming into focus. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman had more on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
If you’ve recently logged in to access the Thrift Savings Plan, you’ve seen a new look for the TSP “My Account” website. But the launch of the TSP board’s modernization project so far has been a bumpy road. In an exclusive Federal News Network survey, close to 2,000 respondents shared their experience with the rollout of the new system. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman shared what they had to say on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
New numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics are adding to concern that inflation is going to continue be with us for some time. The impacts to individual pocketbooks are pretty obvious. The impacts to federal agencies and their contractors are a bit more complex. To talk more about how inflation’s impacted the contracting marketplace and how the government’s responded so far, the Federal Drive was joined by Stephanie Kostro, executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council.
When a veteran passes away, it currently takes more than two months, on average for VA to process their survivors’ claims for dependency and indemnity compensation. But automation is helping to drastically shorten that timeline. Assuming the application’s complete, the department can now approve those claims within about four hours – without a claims processor ever having to see it. Kevin Friel is deputy director of VA’s Pension and Fiduciary Service. He joined the Federal Drive to talk more about how they’ve been using automation in his section of the department.
The Department of Veterans Affairs says it’s had some major successes in using automation to speed up its disability claims process. But if VA’s moving to a world of automation, Congress wants to help guide it. Legislation the House passed last month would require the department to adhere to a list of principles in future automation projects – and to lay out a five year plan for each major IT modernization project in the Veterans Benefits Administration. Congressman Mark Takano (D-Cali.) is chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He talked with the Federal Drive about some of the issues Congress wants to keep tabs on.
1,400 employees at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are working in the office more often, starting this week. But the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents those workers, is concerned about how EEOC is going about its reentry plans. Joining the Federal Drive with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
The Air Force's AFWerx is looking for new space in Washington DC metro area.
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security is taking a big leap to the cloud.
These are two story lines that emerged at the recent ACT-IAC Emerging Technology and Innovation Conference in Cambridge Maryland. Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller writes about this news that may have flown under your radar.
A lot of the national spotlight is on Capitol Hill’s public January 6th hearings – but a fair amount of legislative and budget work is getting done, too. The House has made some initial progress on 2023 federal spending levels. And various pieces of legislation are expected to make their way through votes on the House and Senate floors in the week ahead. For a preview, FNN deputy editor Jared Serbu, filling in for Tom Temin, talked with Loren Duggan, deputy news director at Bloomberg Government.
For the federal government’s trial attorneys, your flexibility to telework depends an awful lot on what part of the country you’re in. A new survey by the National Association of U-S Attorneys found a wide variety of telework policies across the 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices. But fewer than half have policies that the organization categories as “flexible.” Adam Hanna is an AUSA in the southern district of Illinois, and the vice president of the National Association of U-S Attorneys. He talked with FNN deputy editor Jared Serbu, who was filling in for Federal Drive host Tom Temin.
Despite a lot of uncertainty in the broader economy, contractors have at least a somewhat optimistic view about the federal market. That’s thanks, in part, to a big influx of federal spending initiatives since the start of the pandemic. But vendors still see big challenges on the horizon, including increased competition and new demands to comply with federal regulatory requirements. Those are some of the findings from Deltek’s annual “Clarity” study, which surveys hundreds of government contracting leaders each year. Dan Firrincili is Senior Product Marketing Manager at Deltek. He joined the Federal Drive to talk more about the findings.
When Congress created the Federal Employee Retirement System in the ‘80s, one of the most notable changes was that future retirees would get smaller cost of living adjustments than participants in the old Civil Service Retirement System. CSRS and Social Security beneficiaries get COLAs that match inflation; FERS retirees get a smaller adjustment. That hasn’t been a big deal over the past decade of low inflation, but obviously circumstances have changed. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) is urging Congress to pass the Equal COLA Act, which would get rid of the disparity between CSRS and FERS COLAs. To talk more about it, the Federal Drive was joined by John Hatton, Vice President for Policy and Programs at NARFE.
There’s yet another lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The latest class action targets the Air Force’s religious accommodation process, arguing that process is set up in such a way that getting a religious exemption to the vaccine is essentially impossible. The plaintiffs argue that violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment. Mike Berry is senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit legal group that focuses on religious liberty issues. He’s one of the attorneys representing the airmen challenging the mandate.
The Army is expecting fiscal 2023 to be big year for its digital transformation efforts. The question, as with most agency programs, is whether Congress will deliver on the Army’s budget request. Federal News Network’s Jason Miller joins me with an update on Army’s digital transformation priorities in 2023 and beyond, should the money come through.
An influential panel says a lack of quality data is the number one barrier to making up the cybersecurity workforce shortage. The Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0 is recommending Congress direct agencies to generate better estimates of how many cyber and IT personnel they need. It’s also suggesting the National Cyber Director take the lead on a whole-of-government cyber workforce strategy. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday, spoke with the director of the solarium commission, Mark Montgomery.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, known as BARDA, isn't a household name. But it was at the center of federal efforts to get COVID vaccines developed and into the market. A team of researchers are now finalists in this year's Service to America Medals program. They are Dr. Rodney Wallace, director of diagnostics and devices, Dr. Kimberly Armstrong, therapeutics branch chief, Dr. Robert Johnson, director of medical countermeasures, and the director of BARDA, Dr. Gary Disbrow, who spoke with Tom Temin..
We now know, with ever-mounting evidence, that pandemic relief spending resulted in hundreds of billions of dollars in wasted spending. The same could happen with infrastructure spending unless agencies tighten up their oversight. That's the view of Project on Government Oversight senior policy analyst Sean Moulton.
The Defense Department is still figuring out how to raise the cybersecurity waterline among its vendor community as part of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program. And some new research, based on privately-collected cyber risk intelligence, shows the problem’s as urgent as ever. According to a new report from Black Kite, almost three quarters of Defense contractors have had network credentials leaked in just the past 90 days. That’s a huge jump from the last time the firm measured that statistic. Jeffrey Wheatman is a senior vice president at Black Kite, and he joined the Federal Drive to talk more about the findings.
Fighting increasingly dangerous wildfires falls on federal, state and local government agencies -- each with their own fire mitigation projects and data. But the Federal Chief Data Officers Council is piloting ways to use this interagency data to reduce the spread and severity of wildfires. That includes removing some trees, shrubs and grasses before they have a chance to burn. For the latest on this pilot, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the Chief Data Officer for Wildland Fire, Roshelle Pederson.
The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board rolled out a major update for the Thrift Savings Plan on June 1. That includes a new interface for the online “My Account” website, a mobile app and new investment options for mutual funds. But some TSP participants are expressing their frustrations with technical issues, bugs in the system and much more. Joining the Federal Drive with the details, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
Work on the 2023 National Defense Authorization bill is underway in the House. A few of the House Armed Services subcommittees released their markups this week. Highlights include new oversight of the Joint Domain Command and Control program and a big pay raise for service members. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more.
When the government establishes a mandated source of supply, that means there's no way around it. That's what the Defense Logistics Agency found when it issued a solicitation for body armor parts. Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joseph Petrillo shared more about the case on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) has been doling out money to agencies for special projects since 2018. The first cohort of projects were supposed to show they would be able to produce enough savings to pay back the TMF. But will they? That's doubtful in many cases. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin heard more from the Acting Director for Information Technology and Cybersecurity at the Government Accountability Office, Dave Hinchman.
Studying nighttime images of the Earth taken from satellites could go a long way toward building policymakers understanding of disasters around the world, and how to manage risks. That’s according to the UN’s latest Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction. Eleanor Stokes is a contributing author to the report, and helps lead the science team for a project called Black Marble. The joint effort by NASA and the Universities Space Research Association captures nighttime data around the globe every single night. Stokes is a senior scientist at USRA’s Earth from Space Institute in Columbia, Maryland, and she joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss more.
The General Services Administration is still in the process of consolidating its Schedules program into a single procurement vehicle. And although it’s undoubtedly one of the biggest changes in the program’s history, there’s a lot else going on with the Schedules that vendors need to be paying attention to. To talk more about it, we’re joined by Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners.
The big fear in the data encryption community is the advent of quantum computing. Computers so powerful they can crack any algorithm. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is in the midst of choosing among algorithms those its experts deem most resistant to quantum, as it develops post-quantum cryptography standards. Here with some pointers for federal IT security practitioners who want to better understand this technology, Federal News Network's Tom Temin spoke with the head of quantum cybersecurity at a company called Quantinuum, Duncan Jones.
It's an eternal question. How to grow your business in a mature market with lots of established players. The Defense software market is as mature as any, and yet the DOD has a pervasive need to modernize its software to take into account cloud computing, the need to refresh the military strategic offset, and a host of other reasons. For the big picture of what's affecting the DOD software market, the Federal Drive turned to Frost and Sullivan industry analyst Brad Curran.
The General Services Administration is breaking new ground with two of its newest governmentwide acquisition contracts. Both the small business Polaris and the upcoming Services Multiple Award Contract will NOT have contract ceilings, meaning there will be no limit to much agencies can spend under the contract.
In his weekly feature, the Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about why this decision was surprising. Jason joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
Close to half of federal employees say agency leaders are not listening to their feedback on office reentry. In an exclusive Federal News Network survey, more than 3,000 respondents shared their latest thoughts and concerns about returning to the office. Joining the Federal Drive with some of what they had to say, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.
We get the latest about what's going on at Capitol Hill from WTOP's Congressional Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
An association of national security contractors has a $25,000 challenge grant on the street. The Homeland Security Technology Consortium seeks new federal applications for some specific technologies related to identity management. Here in studio with the details, the consortium executive director, Michael Dougherty.
The Justice Department houses several labs related to crime and forensics. Now it has a new lab, called the National Law Enforcement Knowledge Lab. It's aimed at public safety and that DOJ calls constitutional policing. For details, Justice's principal deputy director for the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Kristen Mahoney.
The State Department is making the first big change in decades to how it screens Foreign Service applicants. The agency says it will no longer use Foreign Service Officer Test scores as the sole criteria for who moves on to the next steps of the selection process. The agency will now also consider an applicant’s education, experience and personal narratives, in addition to the test scores. The agency says this change will start for applicants taking the test this month, and will provide a more holistic view of candidates. For more on these changes, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the director of the recruitment division of the State Department, Mica Schweitzer-Bluhm.
The Defense Department is reiterating some of its cost-related policies as the nation deals with decades-high inflation. The reminder is supposed to help businesses figure out when they can recoup funds due to price increases and when they can’t. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive to explain and to clear up some inflation myths.
A section in the 2023 Defense Department budget request would change how DOD manages its civilian workforce. The American Federation of Government Employees thinks it could lead to wholesale reductions of civilian ranks. For what's going on, the Federal Drive turned to AFGE's Defense Department legislative representative, John Anderson.
The Administrative Conference of the United States is concerned with how federal agencies carry out laws. Now it's launched a study to examine the laws governing disclosure of agency legal activities, and whether there's a way to streamline legal disclosure. It's an effort that potentially affects every agency. For more, the Federal Drive turned to one of the study group members, Ohio State University law professor Margaret Kwoka.
The Social Security Administration wants to hire more frontline employees, but with heavy workloads, low morale and one out of every eight workers leaving the agency, increasing staff seems nearly impossible. Joining the Federal Drive with more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.
The Transportation Security Administration is one of the more diverse agencies in government. But its senior management is a different story. TSA is looking to tackle those issues as lawmakers express frustration with the agency’s lack of diversity at the highest levels. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
She's young, she majored in a science and technology field at a good university, and she chose to work for the federal government. Exception to the rule? Maybe. But let's find out. Patent examiner Brooke LaBranche.
More than two decades after the 9/11 attacks, some victims have not been compensated. My next guest took over the Victim Compensation Fund when it was foundering a few years back. Now tens of thousands of people have received payments from the fund. Rupa Bhattacharyya is special master for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund at the Justice Department … and a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program.
The Defense Information Systems Agency beat its own deadline to turn off its milCloud platform, a service that had a lot of DOD customers. DISA accomplished this goal a week ahead of schedule.
Sharon Woods, the director of the Hosting and Compute Center at DISA, tells executive editor Jason Miller about what the end of milCloud means for the military services as they continue to move to cloud computing even without milCloud.
More than 25% of federal contracting dollars end up in one of six markets. That's according to analysis by Bloomberg Government. For details, and the opportunities they represent, the Federal Drive turned to the team lead for government contracting news and analysis, Amanda Allen.
What if cybersecurity didn’t have to look like lines of code to service members and, instead, looked like an interesting tableau of visualizations? The Navy is working on that now. It’s trying to gamify cybersecurity to make intrusions more noticeable through real-life visualizations of ships and other assets. The National Security Innovation Network held a hackathon last week looking for ideas on how to make cybersecurity most accessible. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione spoke with the technical director of cybersecurity at Navy Information War Systems, Rachel Bondi, on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Bringing employees with disabilities into the federal workforce is one thing, but getting them to stay is another. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found agencies are hiring more employees with disabilities but still fall short on governmentwide goals. The EEOC also found agencies need to do more to improve retention. For more on these findings, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke to EEOC research analyst Karen Drummond on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Federal employees who get into legal trouble can, under certain circumstances, accept financial help from legal expense funds. Now the Office of Government Ethics has proposed a revision to the rules for legal expense funds. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin got the jist of the new rule from the associate counsel in the Office of Government Ethics, Elizabeth Horton.
Exactly who is responsible for labor law enforcement when it comes to federal contractors? The short answer the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, part of the Labor Department. But that's not the full answer. An Federal Acquisition rule that was banned by Congress is rearing its ugly head agency-by-agency. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin got the latest from the president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau.
As part of its still-evolving Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, the Pentagon wants proof that its vendors are safeguarding sensitive information. A lot of vendors think the CMMC requirements are pretty onerous. As part of the 2021 Defense authorization bill, Congress asked DoD to show some evidence that the Pentagon is meeting the same cybersecurity standards it’s demanding from contractors. The short answer is no. For the longer answer, Joseph Kirshbaum, director for Defense Capability and Management Issues at the Government Accountability Office, spoke to Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Memorial Day sent Congress home for a week's recess. So the gun debates and other matters will have to wait a few more days. For what to expect next, Bloomberg Government congressional reporter Zach Cohen.
For hackers, internet-connected medical devices have become an attractive target. Compared to computers, they tend to have more vulnerabilities that stay unpatched. But Congress is now considering legislation that would give the FDA more authority to require medical device manufacturers to make them more secure. John Pescatore is director of emerging security trends at the SANS Institute. He talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about the vulnerabilities, and how to mitigate their risks in the meantime.
The State Department's new Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy started up just about eight weeks ago. For what it doing and what it's all about, the principal deputy assistant secretary, Jennifer Bachus.
https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/deputy-secretary-of-state/bureau-of-cyberspace-and-digital-policy/
The General Services Administration is trying, once again, to remove the complexities that agencies face when buying commercial cloud services. This has been a goal across multiple administrations.
The draft statement of work for the latest effort, called Ascend, which GSA released last week, is the culmination of months of research and discussion with agencies and industry experts.
Sonny Hashmi is the commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service in the GSA. At the recent ACT-IAC Emerging Technology and Innovation conference, Hashmi told Federal News Network's Jason Miller about why he believes Ascend will be different than previous attempts to create big cloud procurement vehicles.
The General Services Administration received some of the most positive feedback from employees in the latest White House pulse survey data. When it comes to equity, 75% of GSA respondents agree that employees with different backgrounds are given support they need to succeed. But, Deputy Administrator Katy Kale tells Federal News Network's Drew Friedman, advancing equity is a never-ending process.
Cybersecurity abides as a top concern for federal agencies. And at a growing number of agencies, you find political appointees in charge of cybersecurity. That's not a great idea according to my next guest. Bob Tobias is a professor in the key executive leadership program at American University.
Stop me if you've heard this, but the government has a continuing need for new talent. In that regard, it's like every other industry. For some new ideas on how the federal government can stay in the competition, the Federal Drive turned to the executive director of Deloitte's Center for Government Insights, Bill Eggers.
After a long stint as the deputy director of the Center for Information Technology at the NIH, Stacie Alboum is about to head to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. At the ACT-IAC emerging technology conference in Cambridge, Maryland earlier this week, I caught up with Alboum. The Federal Drive discussed what her new job will be all about.
Stalled Senate confirmations won’t stop the Veterans Affairs Department from consolidating its real estate. Federal employee unions are calling on senators not to advance the nominees to the Asset and Infrastructure Review, or AIR Commission. The commission is supposed to review VA’s recommendations to close some of its medical facilities and build others. But the VA says it can get somethings done without the commission. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.
Agencies looking to deploy 5G wireless technology have some new security guidance. The 5G Security Evaluation will help agencies think through the all-important “authority to operate” process. It was developed jointly by the Department of Defense and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday, spoke with the DoD 5G security program lead Dan Massey, and Vincent Sritapan, section chief of CISA’s cyber quality services management office.
If the State Department stands for human rights and dignity around the world, then my next guest stands at the center of the State Department. For his career seeing to defend human rights and protect refugees, he's a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals Program. The deputy assistant secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Scott Busby.
The Office of Special Counsel has had a busy season. It dealt with a landmark Hatch Act violation case that sent one federal employee home without pay for six months. And it found itself at the center of a federal employee lawsuit over the vaccine mandate. Here in studio with a review, Special Counsel Henry Kerner.
Incoming presidents must make thousands of nominations to fill out their administrations. In the past two decades, national security nominations have taken longer and longer to make it through Senate confirmation. Some slots stay vacant for years. A new study by the Partnership for Public Service looks into why. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione talked with the organization’s Presidential Transition Center Director, Valerie Smith Boyd.
If you do recruiting and hiring for your agency, here's a tip. Focus more on what job candidates know how to do, and not so much where they learned it. The Office of Personnel Management is out with guidance on this very strategy. Joining the Federal Drive with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
The Environmental Protection Agency is delaying plans to close a lab in Houston after shuttering other facilities. The EPA at first planned to relocate staff to another facility 400 miles away in Ada, Oklahoma, no later than 2023. Now the agency is pushing those plans back to 2027, citing higher costs than planned to consolidate its footprint. The EPA closed other regional labs over the past few years including in California, Michigan and Nevada. For more on this update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the president of AFGE Local 1003 Justin Chen on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The Energy Department has a backlog of nuclear waste clean up responsibilities, with material dating back to World War II. But continuing turnover in program leadership means things just aren't happening. For more, Government Accountability Office natural resources and environmental team Director Nathan Anderson spoke with the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The Postal Service is probably the biggest public face for the government’s efforts to supply Americans with at-home COVID tests. But behind the scenes, it’s actually the Defense Department that’s doing a lot of the heavy lifting, specifically the Defense Logistics Agency. The agency’s DLA Distribution arm has been in charge of storing and moving those test kits to their final destinations, and tracking the supplies all the way through the process. To talk more about DoD’s role, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke to four individuals from DLA Distribution: Commander Maj. Gen. Keith Reventlow, Deputy Commander Perry Knight, Col. Todd Walker, the director for current operations, and Steven Forster, a supply management specialist.
The fact that government spends more on services than it does on stuff isn’t exactly new. But even within that services portfolio, federal contracts are increasingly consolidated within a relative handful of market segments. According to a new analysis by Bloomberg Government, about a quarter of all federal contract spending goes toward just six categories. AI, Cloud Computing and operations and logistics lead the pack. Larry Allen is President of Allen Federal Business Partners. He joined the Federal Drive as he does often to discuss federal market trends
Young, top-notch scientists have a shot at recognition from the National Science Foundation. Each year the NSF names an early-career scientist to its Alan T. Waterman award. This year it named three. For what the award is all about and why the foundation has it, Tom spoke to program manager Gayle Pugh Lev.
Federal contracting comes with more rules, regulations and contract clauses than probably any activity on earth. Now the Labor Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs wants to make one of them a bit easier. It's launched a portal for contractors and subs to certify their affirmative action programs. The Federal Drive got details from the OFCCP deputy director for policy, Maya Raghu, who talked about it with Tom Temin.
The Army’s digital transformation strategy was initially about getting the service to a unity of vision.
Seven months later, it’s delivering new capabilities across cloud, data and network modernization.
Raj Iyer is the Army’s chief information officer. At the ACT-IAC Emerging Technology and Innovation Conference in Cambridge, Maryland, Iyer tells executive editor Jason Miller about the Army’s progress to bring new technology capabilities to soldiers and civilians.
The civilian and defense sides of the government have taken a big step together, to move the Defense Department's innovative, non-traditional contractors to the mainstream of federal contracting. It takes the form of a deal between the Defense Innovation Unit and the General Services Administration. The GSA is in the midst of moving about a dozen such companies from DIU's prototype roster to the GSA Multiple Award Schedules program. At the ACT-IAC emerging technology conference in Cambridge, Maryland, Federal News Network's Tom Temin got the details from the GSA's senior technology advisor, Sam Navarro.
The Department of Health and Human Services has some new authorities to hopefully help resolve the nationwide shortage of baby formula. That’s after President Biden invoked the somewhat rarely used Defense Production Act. But it’s not exactly clear how HHS will use those newly-delegated authorities, and how much they could help. Meanwhile lots of questions about the crisis on Capitol Hill. That’s where we find WTOP’s Mitchell Miller.
More and more, the Defense Department's weapons systems must be cyber resilient. Now there's a publicly available webinar for science and engineering people that outlines what DOD calls its Cyber Resilient Weapon Systems Body of Knowledge. The webinar takes an hour to get through. Melinda Reed is director for resilient systems, in the office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. She talked with Tom Temin.
Some members of Congress believe former President Donald Trump had a conflict of interest. As a private citizen, Trump had leased, from the General Services Administration, the old Post Office Pavilion. It became a Trump Hotel. Now Representative Dina Titus (D-Nev.) has introduced a bill that would require the GSA to terminate any lease with an elected federal official or head of an executive agency.
The Biden administration is setting a higher bar for customer experience across government. But it’s the General Services Administration that’s laying the foundation for those improvements. GSA under a recent executive order is charged with making USA.gov a one-stop shop for individuals seeking federal services. It’s also making digital services at other agencies possible through its shared identity authentication services. For an update on all of this Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan.
By nearly all accounts, the federal workforce will be highly hybrid in the post-pandemic era. Few will return to the office five days a week. Few will telework five days a week. For one view of what this means for technology and the investments needed to support the new work mode, the Federal Drive turned to the president of HP Federal, Todd Gustafson.
The Navy builds lots of things that float. But it also needs ports, depots, and other constructed facilities. The Naval Construction Battalion Center is celebrating 80 years, having been established June 2, 1942. For the latest on its contemporary mission and activities, we turn to its commander, Captain Jeff Powell.
By most accounts, federal agencies have made great strides since last May's cyber executive order. Still, at the one mark, lawmakers pressed Biden administration officials on whether agencies have done enough to defend critical networks from cyber attacks. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday
More than two years after the Agriculture Department relocated, with a lot of controversy, two research facilities out of Washington, D.C., staffing levels at the labs are getting closer to normal. But the Government Accountability Office says USDA’s process for deciding on Kansas City, Missouri, left out a few things. Joining the Federal Drive with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
When the government spent billions on health measures in response to the pandemic, officials worried whether enough would flow to the poor and vulnerable. Such people live in both urban and rural areas. My next quest coordinated the work to get millions of vaccines and other medications to community health centers. She's the director of the Office of Quality Improvement at the Health Resources and Services Administration, and a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program, Dr. Suma Nair.
By any measure software vendor Solar Winds was a high flyer, with many federal customers for its IT managements software. Now the company says it's nearly recovered from the 2020 Sunburst hack that sent federal agencies fleeing...and became part of the cybersecurity vernacular. The Federal Drive got more from Solar Winds chief information security officer, Tim Brown.
The governmental response to the COVID pandemic pulled in many agencies at the federal, state and local levels. But how well did they work together? The intergovernmental response is the topic of the latest study, sought by Congress, from a working group of the National Academy of Public Administration. Its main finding: there's work to do. The Federal Drive got more now from working group co-chair and University of San Francisco professor Richard Callahan.
The Army is modernizing almost everything. The effort extends from rifles used by individual soldiers to the Army's information systems and software development. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione got an update from the Army's Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, Young Bang.
When the White House added up results from the latest federal employee pulse survey, the General Services Administration saw some positive feedback from its crew. GSA Deputy Administrator Katy Kale tells Federal News Network's Drew Friedman, she's particularly satisfied with the sheer the number of responses GSA got. First she comments on what it's important to have a series of surveys.
Just like innumerable other government agencies, the Air Force runs on paper-based forms that have to be filled out manually, and each one takes time. But "how much" was a difficult question to answer, until the Virginia Air National Guard’s 192nd Wing saw a chance to do things differently. The wing has been experimenting with AI to take some of the repetitive tasks out of all that paperwork. And based on initial tests, the process could save the Air Force 156,000 man hours every year for just one form. Chief Master Sgt. Joe Young has been leading the testing process for the 192nd. He talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The Biden administration wants to speed up federal permits and environmental reviews for projects under the $1 trillion infrastructure law. The White House permitting action plan includes a Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council. For how the council hope to expedite things, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the executive director Christine Harada on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
One thing government contracting shops are sticklers for is receiving bids by the stated deadline. Two days or two seconds late, and would-be contractors are out of luck. That's true even if the government's own IT systems screw up or cause the lateness. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin talked about the latest test case with Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo.
Federal oversight bodies often look for waste, fraud and abuse. But another trio of witches also bedevils the government: Fragmentation, overlap and duplication (FOD). The Government Accountability Office's latest report shows agencies have been able to hack away at FOD, but new instances keep popping up. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin got the latest from the GAO's director of strategic issues, Jessica Lucas-Judy.
Artificial intelligence software isn't like other software, especially when it comes to acquiring and licensing it. The data requirements to ensure lack of bias in AI, and transparency in how it works are not part of standard license agreements. This is all the subject of a study by the School of Business at George Mason University. Study author and senior fellow Benjamin McMartin spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin about some of the warnings.
The Senate could vote tomorrow on a 40 billion dollar military aid package for Ukraine. It's already passed the House. Whatever happens, it will require contracts and contractors. Joining the Federal Drive with a look inside, the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has started releasing a series of data sheets for the public. They show the delineations of wetland, a crucial piece of information in land and resource management. Joining the Federal Drive with details about the program, research soil scientist Jacob Berkowitz.
One arm of the government's intellectual property protection machinery has a new position and a new person to fill it. The U.S. Copyright Office, a Congressional branch agency, has appointed its first chief economist. Joining the Federal Drive to explain the connection between copyrights and economics is that economist himself, Dr. Brent Lutes.
The White House has three. NSA and US Cyber Command have both a general and one. CISA has one. We're talking about agencies with presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed positions focused on cybersecurity. The Energy Department, on the other hand, decided it didn't need a presidentially appointed or Senate confirmed leader in its Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response or CESER. In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about why some say this decision is short sighted and sends the wrong message especially at a time when the energy sector is facing more serious cyber threats than ever before.
Like in the game of monopoly, Defense Department money comes in many colors. Unlike the board game, each color in DoD has a specific, non-interchangeable purpose. When it comes to buying software, that presents a problem, which the Air Force is hoping to fix in next year's budget. That an more in this week's DOD reporters notebook with Federal News Network's Jared Serbu and Scott Maucione.
From infant formula to the devastating war in Ukraine, nothing is to big or small for Congressional attention this week. You can throw veterans and Veterans Affairs into the mix. We get the outlook from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
Congress has okayed billions of dollars in security assistance for Ukraine. But one group thinks the U.S. Defense industry is well-positioned to provide not just weapons – but humanitarian aid too. The needs on the ground range from search and rescue equipment to medical supplies and satellite phones. A collection of Arizona-based industry groups is helping to identify those needs, ask for donations from contractors, and get the supplies where they need to go. Lynndy Smith is chairwoman and co-founder of the West Valley Defense Alliance. She talked about the project with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu.
Mama never said it would be easy. Veterans Affairs officials knew they were taking on a long and expensive project when, back in 2017, they decided to replace Vista, the electronic health records and management system. The new EHR has proven to be a heavy lift, especially when it comes to a realistic and enforceable schedule. We get the latest report from the VA's deputy inspector general, David Case.
Starting today, 1,400 employees at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are returning to the office. Well, at least one day a week. But with union negotiations still incomplete, the American Federation of Government Employees is taking issue with EEOC’s announcement.
A perennial effort to improve workplace conditions at the Transportation Security Administration employees took a major step forward last week. It came on Thursday when the House passed the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act of 2022. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
For anyone in Washington wanting to understand something in the Defense Department budget, Todd Harrison has been a go-to analyst. Now, after seven years at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, he's leaving to join a defense company. The Federal Drive spoke with him about the move.
During the COVID pandemic, staffing the nation’s healthcare facilities has been a challenge pretty much across the board. But the military’s hospitals and clinics faced special circumstances. Military clinicians whose day jobs were at military treatment facilities could be pulled away for other COVID-19 missions with little or no notice. The Defense Department office of inspector general looked into this. 26 out of 30 facilities said staffing problems were their biggest challenge. Andre Brown is Program Director for Military Healthcare and Operations at the DoD IG’s office. He talked about their findings with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu.
Few benefits for federal employment match the quality and reliability of the Thrift Savings Plan. Make those contributions over a career and you'll have a heck of a nest egg. Now the people behind the TSP, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, have a new strategic plan for now through 2026. Joining the Federal Drive with highlights, the board's chief operating officer, Suzanne Tosini.
Navy brass know their shipyards are in rough shape. They plan to spend $21 billion on renovations over the next two decades. But the shipyard improvement program is off to a rocky start. The backlog of needed improvements is growing, not shrinking. Costs are escalating, and in at least one case, facility conditions are getting worse. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has details.
The IRS singled out its paper workload as one of its biggest setbacks this filing season. In response, the National Taxpayer Advocate recently issued a directive for the IRS to use scanning technology. Options include having tax preparers to use 2D barcode, and optical character recognition. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins.
The James Webb Space Telescope has been sending back mind-bending data since its launch last year. But a few years ago the project was mired in trouble. More than a decade late and billions of dollars over budget. My next came in and got it all back on track. He's the James Webb program manager, and a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program. Gregory Robinson joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
The inspectors general for two intelligence agencies were each overpaid... by tens of thousands of dollars, between 2016 and 2020. That’s according to an internal DoD memo a whistleblower supplied to Empower Oversight, an outside watchdog group. There’s no clear evidence anyone intentionally did anything wrong. But there’s also no evidence the money’s been repaid, or that the matter’s been properly investigated. Jason Foster is founder and president of Empower Oversight. He talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about what we do and don’t know.
Yes, federal employees are returning to their offices. No, conditions won't return to normal, whatever that is. At the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, management and union representatives have been trying out different workplace configurations. Here with more, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1923, Anita Autrey.
Yes, federal employees are returning to their offices. No, conditions won't return to normal, whatever that is. At the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, management and union representatives have been trying out different workplace configurations. Here with more, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1923, Anita Autrey.
U.S. Space Command is in charge of military operations outside of the earth’s atmosphere. But it needs a headquarters down here on the ground. Exactly where, though, that's sparked a lot of contention. Some lawmakers suspected foul play in the Defense Department favoring Huntsville, Alabama as the new home for the command. Now a DoD Inspector General report weighing in on the legality of the decision. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
Intelligence agencies typically work with highly classified information. But more and more, they want to take advantage of publicly available data and other open source intelligence. The Russian attack on Ukraine has spurred spy agencies to improve their use of what they call OSINT. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joined the Federal Drive with more.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is mainly concerned with traffic safety. That mission involves rulemaking. Going back a decade, Congress asked for 19 reports and 22 rules from NHTSA, but the agency has been slow getting all of this administration out the door. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin got more now from the Director of physical infrastructure at the Government Accountability Office Elizabeth (Biza) Repko.
The Securities and Exchange Commission recently proposed changes to its program for dealing with corporate whistleblowers. Since the Dodd-Frank banking legislation, whistleblowers receive up to 30% of penalties the SEC collects when they exceed $1 million. The program was trimmed back during the Trump administration. New proposed rules would return the program to its former state. For one view of what should happen next, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the co-founder and CEO of the banking and markets non-profit advocacy group Better Markets, Dennis Kelleher.
Ever since the aftermath of the Titanic disaster, the Coast Guard has been patrolling the North Atlantic for icebergs that could pose hazards. They started with ships, then moved to fixed-wing aircraft. Now, as part of a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology directorate, satellites, Matthew Barger is program manager for maritime safety in the DHS Science and Technology directorate, and Commander Marcus Hirschberg is commander of the Coast Guard’s International Ice Patrol. They talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about what DHS is calling “Project Titanic," on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Results from the third Office of Management and Budget pulse survey are out. Agencies saw mixed results, but looking at the data is only the first step. Senior leaders have a lot of ways to respond to the feedback and to nip issues in the bud. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for the details.
Agencies are gearing up to oversee $1 trillion in infrastructure spending. But that’s only a fraction of the $5 trillion overseen by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which is still trying to catch up. The White House recently asked PRAC members to explain how the work of overseeing COVID spending might help with infrastructure spending oversight. For more, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman caught up with the Chairman of the PRAC and the Inspector General of the Justice Department Michael Horowitz. Hear their conversation on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Forget about the idea of six degrees of separation. In the world of government contracting, people are no more than a hop or two away from one another. That's why, with a pressured end-of-the-fiscal-year coming, my next guest says it's a good time to remember a few of the human relations ground rules. Federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen joined the Federal Drive with more.
You don't have to work decades for the federal government to have an impact. That's one idea behind the Presidential Innovation Fellows program … operated by the General Services Administration. Now the program has a new director. Rebeca Lamadrid joined the Federal Drive.
Congress, the Justice Department and the courts continue to deal with the break-in at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Homeland Security Department is dealing with issues of its own. A report from its office of inspector general found that the department's Intelligence and Analysis office had threat information, but didn't tell everyone it should have. Joining the Federal Drive with more, DHS Principal Deputy Inspector General Glenn Sklar.
Congress, the Justice Department and the courts continue to deal with the break-in at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Homeland Security Department is dealing with issues of its own. A report from its office of inspector general found that the department's Intelligence and Analysis office had threat information, but didn't tell everyone it should have. Joining the Federal Drive with more, DHS Principal Deputy Inspector General Glenn Sklar.
Three sailors committed suicide aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington last month. All in the space of one week. The rash of deaths seemed to highlight a serious and worsening problem for the military writ large: quality of life and mental health. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive with the latest.
By the numbers alone, the Defense Innovation Unit continues to prove its value. But beyond the numbers, DIU officials say they're meeting the goals the Pentagon laid out for them back in 2016, lowering the barriers for non-traditional companies to bring their advanced technology to DoD. Mike Madsen is the deputy director of the Defense Innovation Unit. He tells Federal News Network's Jason Miller about what he considers DIU’s 2021 successes and how they bring value to the warfighters.
The latest haboob in Washington concerns whether the Supreme Court will overturn the Roe Versus Wade decision. Could that affect the federal workforce? It's not an outlandish question. We get the latest from WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller.
If remote working, remote hiring, remote on-boarding are all here to stay, could virtual reality be far behind. That's what people at Accenture are trying to find out. For details, Accenture's executive director for global talent, Allison Horn. And Accenture Federal Services' chief innovation officer, Kyle Michl.
The Veterans Affairs Department hired tens of thousands of employees during this fiscal year. But it still struggles with staff shortages and high turnover. The VA is looking to Congress for legislative fixes, such as higher pay caps for health care staff. It’s also asking lawmakers to make permanent some of its COVID-era hiring flexibilities. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman.
The Defense Department is getting ready to test out version 2.0 of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification or CMMC initiative this summer. DoD revamped its approach to securing controlled unclassified information or CUI in February. It's now going through the federal rulemaking process. Federal News Network's Jason Miller joined the Federal Drive with why this test is an important step toward DoD’s goal of launching CMMC in 2023.
In Tom Temin's fourth installment of interviews from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Temin explored two futuristic systems. Neither is ready for mounting on the deck of a Navy ship. But both work in laboratory test beds. First Temin talks with Ben Tritt, the chief of Dahlgren's high energy laser weapons systems. And then we'll hear Temin's conversation with Adam Jones, head of advanced hypersonics and guided munitions.
When the Defense Department buys high dollar items under negotiated procurement rules, its supposed to negotiate. But the Army awarded a major contract without talking to any of five bidders. GAO dismissed a protest. So the company went to court. There it got interesting. The Federal Drive got details from Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo. He talked with Tom Temin.
Like so many large government organizations, the Air Force is pursuing what it calls digital transformation. But what exactly is that, and what are the challenges to getting there. That question formed the basis for a series of workshops led by the National Academy of Science. Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Mike Hamel is the workshop co-chair. He talked about the details with Tom Temin.
Hypersonic projectiles, missiles moving at five times the speed of sound, have become a high priority across the Defense Department. You've got two basic ways of getting projectiles to go that fast. One is the electromagnetic rail gun. The other is the use of hat planners call air breathing engines, and those are the topic of a new effort at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Project manager Andrew Knoedler spoke with Tom Temin.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a new overtime policy aimed at ensuring employees are compensated for extra work. It follows a major settlement over unpaid overtime claims dating back to 2015. Current and former FEMA employees could be eligible for payment. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
As agencies started implementing return-to-office plans, employee engagement and satisfaction both declined in the 2021 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. The "FEVS" also saw a drop in employees' response rate last year, in part because of the delayed and shortened version of the survey. The Office of Personnel Management, which distributes "FEVS", plans to get back to the typical spring timeline for 2022. But, OPM Director Kiran Ahuja tells Federal News Network's Drew Friedman there's still a lot options for agencies to use the 2021 data to improve the workplace.
It's that time of year once again, the season to honor those who serve the country with distinction. The Partnership for Public Service has announced finalists in the Service to America Medals, or Sammies, program. This year there's a special category for Covid-19 response. For more, the president and CEO of the Partnership, Max Stier.
The Biden administration's budget proposal for 2023 would give magnificent, double-digit increases to some large agencies, notably Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, and Commerce. But can Congress deal with it in any meaningful way by October 1? The Federal Drive got analysis from Bloomberg Government congress reporter Jack Fitzpatrick.
The Army is changing its policies for soldiers who are pregnant or just delivered a baby. The move continues the Army’s push to put its people first with better the work-life balance. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive with more.
The General Services Administration is doing much of the work for the Biden administration’s goal to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by federal operations. GSA's Public Buildings Service is furthering energy policy through its procurement and design standards. It’s also spending billions of dollars to modernize land ports of entry with sustainability in mind. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with Public Buildings Service commissioner, Nina Albert.
Agencies are ramping up recruitment for 8,000 new federal positions, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The departments of Transportation, Energy, Commerce, Interior, Agriculture, among others, are all looking to hire for those jobs. To help create better pathways to federal service, the Office of Personnel Management is offering solutions for agencies to get new employees in the door. In an exclusive interview, OPM Director Kiran Ahuja told Federal News Network's Drew Friedman, there's a lot of work to do behind the scenes.
Some big changes are underway at the nonprofit group that represents the federal government’s career executives. The Senior Executives Association hired Gregory Brooks to fill a new executive director role. Brooks and a new team of contractors will manager SEA’s day-to-day operations. Meanwhile, Bob Corsi, who’s served as the association’s president for the past two years, is stepping down. Corsi joined Jared Serbu on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to talk about those changes.
The pandemic squashed international travel and that cut the State Department's passport and visa revenues by more than 41%. The fees basically fund the Bureau of Consular Affairs. Congressional auditors said the bureau has a carryover fund, but that's also in jeopardy. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin got the details from the Director of International Affairs and Trade issues at the Government Accountability Office, Jason Bair.
When a weapon on the gun line of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division fires, you hear a thud and seconds later see a splash out in the Potomac River. It sounds and looks rough, but in fact each trigger-pull is the subject of detailed measurement and analysis. For the third installment of our series on Dahlgren, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with the division's integrated engagement systems chief, Daniel Ross.
The Defense industrial base faces a lot of long-term challenges – many of which have been well documented in studies generated both inside and outside the government. But here-and-now concerns like inflation and the war in Ukraine have introduced a lot of new ones – ones that need to be dealt with this fiscal year. David Berteau is president of the Professional Services Council. He testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week on the health of the industrial base, and he joined the Federal Drive to share some of those insights.
A new initiative from the Justice and State Departments looks to support women in leadership roles in counterterrorism. The Engaging Multinational Police Women on Equality and Rights or EMPoWER project, recently conducted its first ever symposium last month in Croatia. To learn more about the program, and some of the advantages of having more women to fight terrorism, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to Laurie Freeman, Deputy Director for the State Department's Counterterrorism Bureau, and Heather Rauch is the Acting Assistant Director for Europe/Eurasia, with the Justice Department's International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program.
The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division works to ensure the reliability, safety and effectiveness of Navy ship-board weapons. All but a handful of its nearly five thousand federal employees are civilians, aided by several thousand contractors. For the second installment in this week's series looking at Dahlgren activities, Federal News Network's Tom Temin spoke with the division's technical director, also a member of the Senior Executive Service, Dale Sisson.
The federal shared services effort is about to undergo yet another revival. The 20-plus year initiative to get agencies to move to common, back-office systems for financial management and human resources will, once again, try to convince agencies they have the cure to the legacy system disease.
In his weekly feature, the Reporter’s Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about why agency leaders believe this time will be different. Jason joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
With an aging federal workforce and rising inflation rates, 62 legislators urge the House Committee on Appropriations to add a pay bump to the fiscal 2023 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill. The latest push for a federal pay raise of 5.1% comes from this year's iteration of the "FAIR" Act, sponsored by Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly. He tells Federal News Network's Drew Friedman, even though inflation's at 8.5%, his 5.1% is a more realistic goal.
Members of Congress know the budget process, their primary mission in life, is a mess. But some efforts are brewing that at least some members hope will get the 2023 budget process under control. The Federal Drive got the latest now from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
The company is called Ditto. Not a household name in defense contracting. But if just got an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract from the Air Force, worth a potential billion dollars. Here with the Air Force requirement it's hoping to meet, Ditto CEO and co-founder Adam Fish.
Guns of all sizes, someday steel-cutting lasers and hypersonic launchers. None of it get mounted on a Navy ship until it's been tested and vetted by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. Recently I traveled to King George County, Virginia, home of the Dahlgren Division, to see what's going on to keep the Navy effective and lethal. In this first of a series of interviews we'll be airing this week, the Federal Drive spoke with the division's commander, Captain Casey Plew.
Six months ago the Defense Information Systems Agency embarked on its second reorganization in about five years. Now DISA, the organization in charge of much of the Defense Department’s IT networks, says it’s seeing results. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione spoke with DISA Deputy Director Christopher Barnhurst.
The Veterans Affairs Department received a $10.5 million infusion to modernize its identity management platform. Just don't call it an award or a loan. The Federal Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana says it was an investment by the Technology Modernization Fund Board. Martorana and Raylene Yung, the executive director of the TMF program management office at GSA, tell executive editor Jason Miller about why VA’s proposal stood out and how the TMF continues to evolve.
A team of four students at a Virginia university won a challenge competition put on by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Hosted by FDIC's Center for Financial Research, this year's challenge asked students to examine how the pandemic affected banking. Joining the Federal Drive with details, the FDIC's senior economic researcher, Jon Pogach.
Women federal employees are less likely than men to stick around should a good job offer come from somewhere else. That's one finding of new research by Eagle Hill Consulting. Researchers found the pandemic and the way it scrambled how people work has sparked what they call a great re-evaluation. Here with more, Eagle Hill's CEO, Melissa Jezior.
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is relying more and more on software, and not just trained eyeballs, to analyze satellite imagery and other data. To improve how it develops software, the agency has a new strategy called “The NGA Software Way.” For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday spoke with NGA Chief Technology Officer, Alex Loehr.
2021 was a year of big change or the federal workforce. For one thing, they faced a turbulent of return-to-the-office, with plans varying widely from agency to agency. The result? Employee engagement and job satisfaction both drop off from the relatively high levels of 2020’s. That’s according to the Office of Personnel Management, which yesterday released the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, or “FEVS” for 2021. Joining the Federal Drive with the details, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
You've still got a couple of days left to sign up for the Feds In Motion 2022 challenge. It's a fundraiser by the Federal Employees Education and Assistance Fund. It only costs $39. For more, and an update on FEEA's good works, acting executive director Robyn Kehoe.
A case now being decided by the Supreme Court, known as Torres versus Texas, has a potential big impact on members of the reserves. If states like Texas achieve sovereign immunity, it would jeopardize the re-employment rights reservists have, when returning from duty. The Federal Drive got analysis now from Wiley Rein partner, attorney Scott Felder.
Perhaps on purpose, but the administration has offered only vague guidance on when, or if, or which, federal employees must return to their offices. Mostly the schedule has been made up agency-by-agency. So can they force you back? And if you're in a bargaining unit, is any of this negotiable? We get some insight from federal employment attorney John Mahoney.
The Pentagon’s marquee artificial intelligence initiative, known as Project Maven, is moving to a new home. It's leaving the Office of the Secretary of Defense. For where it's headed, turn to Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday reporting from the GEOINT conference in Denver.
System outages and patient safety concerns have plagued the Veterans Affairs Department’s new electronic health record. And not surprisingly, that's leading is leading to more scrutiny. Top members of the House VA Committee are telling the agency to pause future rollouts on the new EHR until these problems can get fixed. Meanwhile, the vendor, Cerner says it’s considering its own technical review of the EHR. It also wants to make sure the system is stable and reliable. For an update, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman.
Solar panels have a life cycle. The billions of panels covering roofs and once-pristine landscapes and maybe even your office building will all need to be disposed of and replaced at some point. Now the Energy Department has issued an action plan for how to safely and economically handle photovoltaic materials that have worn out. For details, the Energy Department's photovoltaics program manager, Lenny Tinker joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
If citizens can't escape death and taxes, the IRS can't seem to avoid yearly processing problems. Even as the this year's filing season ended, the IRS was dealing with millions of returns from last year, to say nothing of slow call centers and poor in-person service. For the view of the Government Accountability Office, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the Director of Strategic Issues Jessica Lucas-Judy.
The community of inspectors general lost one of its leading lights recently with the death of former Interior Department IG Earl Devaney. Devaney also headed up the Recovery, Accountability and Transparency Board in 2009. For more on the meaning of Devaney's career, the National Science Foundation Inspector General Allison Lerner, and the Interior Department IG Mark Lee Greenblatt, joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The 2022 fiscal year got compressed to six months. To help with their crucial acquisitions, many agencies have already turned to the General Services Administration. Staff at GSA's assisted acquisition services are busy, but it's not too late to get in. For more on the procurement situation, the Federal Drive spoke with federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
The Navy has three carefully-selected delegates spending three months of learning in London. They're part of a program known as the Percy Hobart Fellowships. It aims to more closely link innovative elements of the private sector with the military. Some 40 other people from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force will also participate. For more of what's going on, we turn to one of the U.S. Navy participants. Alan Jaeger is director of the Ventura Tech Bridge at the Fathomwerx Lab. That's part of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division.
Federal leave and time off policies can get mighty complicated. At the I-RS, both managers and line employees have had trouble sticking to procedures for family and medical leave act leave. And for absence without leave. Enough so that the commissioner asked the Treasury inspector general for tax administration to look into it. For what they found, the director of TIGTA's management and exempt organization business unit, Carl Aley.
The first chief innovation officer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation left after only a year on the job. Sultan Meghji cited several systemic barriers that frustrated him into leaving. Meghji's comments got executive editor Jason Miller thinking about what it takes to innovate in the federal government.
In his weekly feature the reporter's notebook, Jason asked two former federal executives what it takes to be successful. Jason joined the Federal Drive to discuss what he learned.
For years, military service members have been raising flags about problems with privatized military housing ranging from lead paint to defrauding the government. Now after Congressional inquires, guilty pleas and promises to make good, a new Senate report finds at least one company is still misleading troops, their families and possibly the government. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive with more.
Ukraine, and keeping aid going to that country, it's one of the few areas of bipartisan agreement on Capitol Hill. Law makers return this week, and that's at the top of the agenda. The Federal Drive got more now from WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
The Commerce Department has been dealing with the internet and its implications since at least the mid 1990s. Mainly through an obscure agency known as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. My next guest worked there for many years, more recently as acting administrator. Evelyn Remaley is now a partner at the law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer.
Imagine getting injured or killed by a piece of ordnance months or years after a war has ended. Yet this occurs all-too-frequently around the world thanks to leftover land mines and unexploded shells and bombs. For many years, the State Department's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement has worked with international partners to reduce this problem. Joining the Federal Drive with a progress report, program director Karen Chandler.
The State Department revving up efforts to promote accessibility, as part of its diversity and inclusion program. Its Bureau of Human Resources opened a new Access Center in 2020, to help employees with disabilities with enabling technology. As employees return to their offices, State sees the Access Center as central to its workplace. For more, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Brian McKeon.
We know chief information security officers have job in the White House’s “zero trust” cybersecurity strategy. But what about chief data officers? Turns out they’re more involved than you might think. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
The Biden administration's management agenda, which the White House built out with a lot of detail last week, focuses on just three things. That's a wise approach, according to my next guest. The Federal Drive got perspective from our long-time federal management scene observer, Bob Tobias.
You might have noticed. Energy, the climate and infrastructure have become leading topics for the federal government. My next guest says, that's beginning to manifest itself in sort of bellwether agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC. Joining the Federal Drive with what's going on, an energy specialist and partner at the law firm Morgan, Lewis and Bockius, Levi McAllister.
The armed services need to expend their numbers of high-ranking cybersecurity and cyber warfare officers. My next guest says the place to do that is at the war colleges, because right now there's not enough educational capacity in the military. Alfredo Rodriguez is senior analyst to the Marine Corps deputy commandant for information, and a retired Army signal lieutenant colonel.
More federal employees are becoming eligible to retire, but the pipeline to find successor staff is running thin. Now, there’s a Senate bill aiming to add flexibilities for agency heads looking to hire early-career, or even temporary employees. Joining the Federal Drive with the details, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit is expanding – again. DIU opened a new office in Chicago yesterday, hoping to connect commercial innovators in the Midwest with military requirements. It’s the fifth regional hub DIU has launched since its beginnings in Silicon Valley seven years ago. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has details on the new midwestern hub, and what DoD’s hoping to achieve.
Two veterans service organizations have sued the Navy over discharge upgrades. At issue are other-than-honorable discharges, how they limit lifetime VA benefits and whether service members can appeal them. The particular case involves a Marine whom attorneys say faced racial discrimination. Joining the Federal Drive with more on the case, an attorney with the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, Alden Pinkham.
After a lot of cogitation, the Defense Department last month finalized revised rules for contract award debriefings, informational sessions where losing contractors can, in theory, find out why they lost. Joining the Federal Drive with the significant changes, Jenner and Block attorney Carla Weiss.
The Defense Acquisition University and the Defense Innovation Unit have teamed up to offer what you might call an acquisition baptism. It's what they call an immersive course to get procurement people trained in commercial practices for buying goods and services faster. As DIU officials like to put it, at the speed of relevance. Joining the Federal Drive with more about the course to be offered this fall, the Defense Innovation Unit's director of acquisition, Cherissa Tamayori.
Recent cyber attacks have shown how shoddy software can grind an organization’s operations to a halt. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is trying to raise awareness of software threats, and ways to address them, during April’s Supply Chain Integrity Month. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday, spoke with the acting assistant director for CISA’s National Risk Management Center, Mona Harrington.
A rainy day fund at the State Department dried up during COVID-19. The Bureau of Consular Affairs is drawing down carryover funds from previous years, and may take years to replenish, even if passports and visa fees fully bounce back from the pandemic. For an update on all of this, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.
The Naval Supply Systems Command keeps machinery and people equipped and ready to go. It has some award winning programs for ensuring small business participation in its procurements. At the recent Sea Air Space Conference, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin caught up with NAVSUP's Director of Small Business Chris Espenshade.
The Navy plans to spend billions to acquire a variety of umanned ships of all sizes, 21 in all over the next five years. The Government Accountability Office advised Navy officials to take a portfolio approach to bring more efficiency and balance to the program. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin heard more from the GAO's director of contracting and national security acquisitions Shelby Oakley.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has started up a new office called diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. And it's hired someone to run that new office. Neneh Diallo joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to share more.
A call for comments from the National Institute for Standards and Technology gives industry a deadline of next week. NIST is looking for reactions to ideas for critical infrastructure cybersecurity, and it could have a big impact on companies doing business with the government. The Federal Drive got more now from the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro.
A green card is a terrible thing to waste. But that's exactly what U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services might be doing. The agency, by most accounts, still hasn't returned to full operating capacity after two years of pandemic. So it is having trouble processing all of the visa numbers available. The Federal Drive got more now from attorney Steven Plastrik of Berry Appleman and Leiden.
The Secure Cloud Business Applications project, known as SCuBA, taking place at the Homeland Security Department, grew out of the Solarwinds breach from 2020. The idea is for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to develop basic cyber standards for cloud services like email and collaboration tools. Vincent Sritapan is the Cyber Quality Service Management Office Section Chief at CISA. He tells executive editor Jason Miller, in an exclusive interview, about the launch of SCuBA and how it could keep civilian agencies breathing during a cyber attack.
Deliberately bad advice can help a veteran get pension benefits out of the Veterans Affairs Department. Sometimes the advisors take the money for themselves. Eventually, the veteran will be forced to pay it back. It's called pension poaching, and it's a growing problem. For how the department is trying to stop it, the Federal Drive turned to VA's chief financial officer, Charles Tapp.
State and local laws often aren’t on the military’s radar. But, recently the Air Force has gotten vocal about a handful of laws and directives sweeping through the south. Those laws limit some activities transgender children can partake in and limit how sexuality is talked about in schools. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive with what he's found.
Members of Congress are off this week, for Passover, Easter or Ramadan. With any luck they're also thinking about getting after the 2022 budget before they return, and before they turn all their attention to the mid-term elections. We get the outlook from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress has been looking at the effectiveness of that branch of government from nearly every angle. Now it's looking at whether Congress could function if a natural or man-made disaster took out large numbers of members. We get more now from the committee chairman, Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.).
There's some new data on efforts to expose risks in the millions of products the government buys annually. The General Services Administration has identified tens of thousands of products that pose a concern. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
The Postal Service, now a year into a 10-year reform plan, is showing signs of recovery, thanks in part to the Postal Service Reform Act signed into law. USPS is now focused on overhauling its facilities. But Postmaster General Louis DeJoy tells Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman, there's a long way to go. Jory joined the Federal Drive with highlights.
The F-35 has become synonymous with all of the problems the 21st century Pentagon deals with. For fiscal 2023, the topline budget calls for buying only 61 new copies instead of the 94 originally planned for. The stealth aircraft continues to have problems with performance and sustainability. Here with some new problems, long-time critic and fellow at the Project on Government Oversight, Dan Grazier.
No one knows for certain whether Russia used a hypersonic missile against Ukraine. The Russia's leaders lie about everything else. But there's no doubt Russia, like China, is pursuing such weapons. My next guests argue, the U.S. needs to step up its own hypersonics program. Joining the Federal Drive from Purdue University's Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy, director Bonnie Glick, and Senior Research Fellow, Dan DeLaurentis.
The White House recently received some expert advice about its signature cybersecurity initiative. Namely to get every agency to move to zero trust systems architectures. But the group warned the project is at risk of becoming an incomplete experiment. We get highlights now from the chairman of the board of Qualcomm and a longtime member of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, Mark McLaughlin.
Trillions of dollars in federal spending can lead to billions of dollars that aren’t paid to the right place, or in the right amount. To address a record-high rate of improper payments, House lawmakers plan to introduce legislation on the issue. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman has the latest.
The Coast Guard’s rollout of its financial system modernization has been two decades in the making. The Coast Guard is now on a shared system with other Homeland Security agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration. It’s a major lift for the Coast Guard with a fair share of challenges. But shows the service’s drive to embrace more cloud and standardized IT systems. Federal News Network’s Amelia Brust has more.
Two new cybersecurity courses developed by the Air Force are available to anyone in the Defense Department. We get the details from the director of the DC3 Cyber Training Academy, Casey Szyper.
Spring break might over, but the after effects linger for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Five cadets on spring break in Florida were hospitalized after ingesting what appeared to be fentanyl-laced cocaine. Here to explain the legal ramifications, the managing partner of the law firm Tully Rinckey, Sean Timmons.
A new and impressive statistic has emerged from the pandemic. Everyone knew that remote medical visits, or telehealth, grew when people could not or were afraid to visit health providers in person. Now the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has quantified it for one large section of the population. Some 28 million people on Medicare used telehealth in the first year of the pandemic. Here with more of what they found and why it's important, assistant IG Erin Bliss.
The Defense Department is implementing dozens of reforms to help reduce sexual assault and harassment, but some say they don’t go far enough. A new campaign started up this month called Red, White and Bruised. It asks women in the military community to share their stories of assault and abuse. The campaign is also making specific requests like the resignation of commanders who fail to investigate incidents. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione spoke with Never Alone Advocacy founder Amy Braley Franck, and executive director of Combat Sexual Assault, Lindsay Knapp.
Intelligence agencies are seeing some success using automation and machine learning for narrow applications. But officials say a more “integrated” approach is needed to transform spy tradecraft using artificial intelligence. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
When president-elect John F. Kennedy asked Bob McNamara, then-president of Ford Motor Company, to join his cabinet, McNamara said that he didn't know anything about government. JFK is said to have replied, "well, we can both learn on the job. I don't know how to be President." And so it's been ever since, according to my next guest. Dr. Michael Siegel is senior education specialist at the Federal Judicial Center and adjunct professor at two universities. He's also written a book: The President as Leader. And he joins the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss it.
The Government Accountability Office often gets way down in the weeds for its oversight work. Who said what, when. Chapter and verse on what part of the federal acquisition regulation wasn't followed. Dollars misspent using a federal credit card. Month-by-month timelines for wobbly programs. But GAO also takes in the big picture. A case in point is its latest study on the big trends that will affect the government. The managing director for strategic planning and external liaison, Steve Sanford, joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to share more.
The President's Management Agenda last week went from idea to action plan, complete with strategy leaders and metrics for success. For some of the rationale behind the latest updates, and what they mean for you, Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jason Miller joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The only thing more numerous than the number of commercial cloud services providers, is the number of ways to buy from them. Now the General Services Administration has dubbed a blanket purchasing agreement for clouds services with the name Ascend. Is GSA rising to the occasion? The Federal Drive got one view from federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen
Nearly every agency would get more money in 2023 under the Biden administration's topline request. But it also shows the increasing pressure on so-called discretionary spending as mandatory spending expands. As part of our on-going analysis of the skinny budget, the Federal Drive turned to former federal budget official, now the managing director of Grant Thornton Public Sector, Doug Criscitello.
Jason Weiss, DoD’s first-ever chief software officer, is stepping down at the end of this week. The CSO position is the department’s first attempt to put a single official in charge of everything from mainframe COBOL, to DevSecOps pipelines, to classified weapons systems. Weiss talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about some of his takeaways from his tour of duty at DoD.
The White House’s climate goal to reach a net-zero carbon emissions economy by 2050 hinges in part on federal government’s ability use its buying power has a lever. Acquisition regulation language is already changing to reflect this policy priority, including the buying of information technology. Federal News Network digital editor Amelia Brust has more.
Congress is on recess this week, which may be a good thing with Covid making its ugly appearance in both chambers. That's why a $10 billion Covid package will be high on the agenda when members return. The Federal Drive got the latest from WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
Federal contractors, like companies throughout the economy, must live under the regulatory regimes established by federal agencies. But what about the use of contractors in the act of rulemaking itself. An activity you might have thought was inherently governmental. Not so fast. A study done for the Administrative Conference of the United States shows how much agencies do use contractors for this purpose. The Federal Drive got more now from study co-author and University of Virginia professor Rachel Augustine Potter.
Seeking comments from those affected, it's a foundation stone of U.S. federal rulemaking. And regulated parties, companies, industries, associations, they're never shy about commenting. But what about those whom rules are supposed to benefit? Our next guest says the evidence shows, that group is often silent. And has a prescription for widening participation in rulemaking. She's a professor at New York University and former administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Sally Katzen.
The White House is reviewing how agencies work with critical infrastructure companies on cybersecurity. The new national cyber director’s office is leading the study. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday has the story.
The Navy is looking for ways to save money on high-energy consuming buildings. That includes data centers, with their air conditioning demands. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southwest just implemented energy saving measures in a datacenter on Naval Base Coronado. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione gets the details from NAVFAC mechanical engineer Doug Macurda.
In a city filled with museums large and small, this one is a standout. After a two year hiatus for renovation, the Drug Enforcement Administration museum has reopened its doors to the public. Joining the Federal Drive with some of the highlights, museum director Jan McKay.
If you want to help change the world, the State Department isn't a bad place to start. And if you want to get a foot in the door at the State Department, a paid internship isn't a bad way to go. This fall, the State Department launches a new paid student internship program. Here with the details, the director of recruitment in State's Bureau of Global Talent Management, Mica Schweitzer-Bluhm.
A lot of the data the government produces needs to be rated, safe to distribute, controlled but unclassified, or maybe secret or classified. That's simplifying this huge but never-ending task. Now Defense Department has launched a challenge prize program to develop an artificial intelligence approach to automating this tedious task. Joining the Federal Drive with details, the acquisition division manager in the Philadelphia Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Doris Tung.
The Biden administration is fine-tuning its management vision for the government. The Office of Management and Budget is setting targets for agencies to deliver a higher standard of customer service to the public. That’s all under the President’s Management Agenda, which is being implemented through several interagency teams. For what OMB is saying, here's Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman.
Employees at the Social Security Administration will see customers face to face for the first time in two years. Reopening doors to the public comes as the agency faces staffing shortages and a troublesome phone system, which combine to cause service delays. Joining the Federal Drive with more is Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
The federal government produces nothing so much as data. Mountains of data every minute. Much of this information is in the form of controlled but unclassified information, known as CUI. Now the National Institute of Standards and Technology has published a special guide to protecting CUI. Joining the Federal Drive with every data owner needs to know, the Acting Manager of NIST's Security Engineering and Risk Management Group, Vicky Pillitteri.
IBM federal has been many things over the years. Lately it's been headed by a man with a unique perspective. An army career officer, then chief information officer of the Navy and of the Defense Department, Terry Halvorsen has seen IT investment and digital transformation from several angles. The Federal Drive caught up with him at the Sea Air Space conference this week.
She's had assignments all over the world and ashore for the Coast Guard. Now Vice Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan has been tapped by the White House to succeed Commandant Karl Schultz, who retires in June. Shortly before the announcement, the Federal Drive caught up with Fagan at the Sea Air Space Conference, where we discussed, among other things, the critical Arctic.
The White House has set a goal to transform federal cybersecurity over the next few years through a “zero trust” approach. Stop us if you've heard of zero trust. Agencies have just delivered their initial plans to the Office of Management and Budget. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
The Navy is well on its way to email and productivity services hosted in the commercial cloud. The Marine Corps is already there. The more of the sea services’ IT offerings migrate from their own data centers to commercial environments, the greater the implications for their tech workforces. Aaron Weis is the Department of the Navy’s CIO, and Jennifer Edgin is the Marine Corps’ Assistant Deputy Commandant for Information. At this week’s Navy League Sea Air Space conference, they talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about the workforce aspect of network modernization.
The federal government is so big it's hard to get your arms around. But the Deloitte Center for Government Insights has given it a try. Its latest Government Trends for 2022 observations are worth reading. Joining me with a few of them, the center's executive director, Bill Eggers.
As the federal health apparatus contemplates whether a second COVID-19 booster shot is a good idea, it's good to recall the national effort that resulted in vaccines in the first place. We get a look back from the former Health and Human Services deputy chief of staff who oversaw Operation Warp Speed, Paul Mango.
Talk about wearing lots of hats: commander of Naval meteorology and oceanography. Navigator of the Navy. Hydrographer of the Navy. And that's not all. At the Sea Air Space conference this week, I caught up with Navy Rear Adm.Ron Piret.
The Postal Service, under pressure from Congress and the Biden administration, is doubling its initial order for electric vehicles as part of its next-generation delivery vehicle fleet. But House and Senate Democrats say USPS is setting the bar too low on electrifying its delivery fleet. Lawmakers propose making electric vehicles most of the new fleet, and they'll pay. Postal officials say it's all more than what USPS can afford on its own. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has the latest.
It has a name but no keel yet, the Coast Guard's next polar security cutter. Shipbuilding is but one issue the Coast Guard is dealing with. At this week's Sea Air Space conference, the Federal Drive caught up with the Coast Guard commandant, Karl Schultz who talked about a range of issues, starting with the war in Europe.
Federal civilian agencies asked for a record 65 billion dollars for technology in fiscal 2023. Most of them would get a big boost in IT spending. In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, Federal News Network's Jason Miller dug deep into the budget request to find some of the trends in IT spending behind those raw numbers. Jason joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss.
Now that they've had a week or so to digest it, contractors are starting to understand what the 2023 budget proposal by the Biden administration is starting to look like. Federal Drive with Tom Temin got one analysis from a man who has studied them for decades. The President and CEO of the Professional Services Council David Berteau.
The Biden administration has asked for more Defense Department money in its 2023 request. But is it really more, more buying power, with inflation running so high? That's what Republicans in Congress are asking in pointed letters to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Federal News Network's Scott Maucione had the latest on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Earlier this month the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council finalized new, more stringent rules for U.S. content in what agencies buy. But the whole regime is not quite as strict as it seems at first glance. For what it means to contracting officers and contractors, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to a partner and the head of contracts group at the law firm Miller and Chevalier, Jason Workmaster.
From a supreme court confirmation vote to Russian misbehavior, the House and Senate have a lot to do in the coming week. And there's considerable time pressure to get it done. The Federal Drive got the outlook from Bloomberg Government deputy news director, Loren Duggan.
The Census Bureau might be best known for the every-ten-year count. But its American Community Survey is also a vital instrument for planners and researchers throughout the United States. The ACS is in trouble thanks in part to declining response rates and the pandemic. With why this matters and how the Commerce Department can shore up the ACS, the Federal Drive turned to George Washington University research professor and co-author of a recent call to action, Dr. Andrew Reamer.
Significant shortcomings. That's the word the Government Accountability Office is using to describe how pandemic relief agencies applied their financial controls. The government spent trillions of dollars. No one knows how many went out has improper payments. Now GAO has a long list of recommendations for Congress. Joining the Federal Drive with the rundown, Comptroller General Gene Dodaro.
If you participate in Thrift Savings Plan, heads up. Congress is tinkering with the system in a way that's likely to change your decision on how and when you retire. The House passed legislation that pushes out the age at which people must make their required minimum distribution age. Joining the Federal Drive with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.
Office reentry plans for federal employees are starting to gel. Among other, the Commerce and Housing and Urban Development departments plan on opening the doors April 25. Meanwhile House and Senate members are pressing the administration for a faster return. For an update on the latest, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.
The Biden administration exceeded the record of its two predecessors in one respect. Namely, the number and estimated costs of the regulations issued in the first year. That's according to a tally made by my next guest. He's a senior regulatory policy analyst at the right-leaning American Action Forum, Dan Goldbeck.
Remember way back last September, horse-mounted Border Patrol Agents were accused of whipping border crossers. The Biden administration expressed horror and launched an investigation through the Border Patrol Office of Professional Responsibility. If there was a report, it never came out. Now the National Police Associated has launched a freedom of information act request on everything connected with the incident. More now from spokeswoman Betsy Smith.
The U.S. financial system and the way it's regulated, are fast moving to obsolescence. And the government is unwilling and unable to adopt the technologies to modernize them. That's according to my next guest. He spent more than three years trying, as the first chief innovation officer at the FDIC. Sultan Meghji left the agency last month, and joined the Federal Drive with why.
The National Science Foundation has established a new directorate, the first new one in thirty years. It's called the Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, or TIP, directorate. For what it's all about, here's NSF director Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan and the NSF assistant director for technology, innovation and partnerships, Dr. Erwin Gianchandani.
The White House’s 2023 budget proposal includes a big pay raise for employees at the Transportation Security Administration. It’s part of a long-running effort by unions and some members of Congress to secure better pay for TSA’s frontline workforce. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
The Air Force has been struggling to hang on to its pilots. The shortage reached 2,000 airmen at one point. The service says it's making headway, but it may be decades before the issue is resolved. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione spoke about it with the Air Force Director of Training and Readiness Operations. Major General Albert Miller.
Federal contractors have high confidence for the future of their businesses, especially if they're selling cybersecurity services and anything with the word infrastructure in it. That's according to a new index, which purports to be the first of its kind. For how they developed it and what it says, the Federal Drive turned to Alan Chvotkin, a partner at the law firm Nichols Liu and a co-author of the study.
The House and Senate are working to reconcile two bills that would in part move along the cause of cybersecurity in the United States. Both bills, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act and the America Competes Act, passed the Senate and House respectively. For some of the good potential fallout, the Federal Drive turned to the senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery.
To ride herd on a federal department, you need a plan. In the case of the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, a five year strategic plan. Not surprisingly, it emphasizes concentrating oversight on the high-risk and mission critical areas. For a more in depth look, the IG herself, Rae Oliver Davis.
The Marine Corps has come a long way toward rationalizing its IT holdings into a consolidated enterprise network, a major precursor to moving to the cloud. And to start making those migrations at scale, the service is creating a new task force structure to guide things along, and remove barriers. For more, Federal News Network's Jared Serbu spoke with the Marine Corps’ assistant director for C4I and chief information security officer, Renata Spinks.
A week after the General Services Administration released the first two solicitations for the much anticipated Polaris small business contract vehicle, the first of what could be many protests landed at the Government Accountability Office.
GSA made a last minute change to the solicitation requirements. That's causing heartburn among many small businesses planning to bid. The vehicle potential 10 year life has a $10 billion ceiling.
In his weekly reporter's notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about why GSA's change, about what's required from mentor-protégé joint ventures, is causing so much concern.
The White House is dusting off plans to move the FBI out of downtown Washington, D.C. In its latest budget request the Biden administration is calling on the FBI to move its headquarters to suburban Maryland or Virginia. The idea’s been around since 2014 but was scrapped by the Trump administration, which proposed building a new FBI headquarters on the site of the existing one in downtown D.C. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman had the latest on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
A simple competition for software licenses ended up in court after the losing bidder claimed a Procurement Integrity Act violation. At issue was a Navy-run competition to supply software licenses over five years under a blanket purchase agreement. Simple, but not trivial, with an estimated ceiling of $2.5 billion. Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo filled in the Federal Drive with Tom Temin on the details.
Somehow the national debt has managed to reach $28 trillion. But, where is it? It's in a set of electronic schedules maintained by the Treasury Department's Bureau of the Fiscal Service. In auditing the government's financial statements for 2021, the Government Accountability Office found a flaw: a deficiency in the information system controls. With what it is and the implications, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the GAO's director of financial management and assurance, Cheryl Clark.
The number of women veterans has been growing steadily over the years and so has the number of women veteran entrepreneurs. The Department of Veterans Affairs helps these small companies get a piece of the federal contracting business with a new, 14-week course. For details, the director of woman veteran small business initiatives, Michelle Gardner-Ince, spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The White House’s 2023 budget request includes a big increase for cybersecurity. The Biden administration is pushing zero trust.. and a bigger workforce for the main cyber agency. Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for the latest.
A bill in the Senate would, with bipartisan backing, order agencies to modernize their information technology. But it wouldn't come with any funds dedicated to doing so. So would it amount to anything? We get some insight from federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, has joined the effort to prevent suicides among active duty service members. The numbers are grim, 30,000 in the last 20 years. The DARPA approach seeks to prevent suicide by working what you might call upstream from conscious thoughts. It's called the Neural Evidence Aggregation Tool, or NEAT. Joining the Federal Drive with details, the program manager in DARPA's defense sciences group, Dr. Greg Witkop.
Hiring people by their demonstrated capabilities, instead of what they boast on their resumes. It's catching on at executive branch agencies. It even has a name: Subject-Matter Expert Qualification Assessment. Turns out, the Government Publishing Office has been hiring people this way for four years, and with what it considers great success. Joining the Federal Drive with more, the GPO's chief human capital officer, Dan Mielke.
The White House’s fiscal 2023 budget request sent to Congress today seeks across the board increases in discretionary spending for almost every agency. But the real message in this annual exercise isn’t the funding request, which most observers will tell you is dead on arrival in on Capitol Hill. The Biden administration is continuing the long-term effort to rebuild, reskill and revamp the federal workforce. Federal News Network's executive editor Jason Miller joined the Federal Drive with highlights.
The great flywheel of appropriations gets a big shove today with release of the administration's 2023 budget request, six months before fiscal 2023 actually starts. That's not all in the way of spending Congress will be thinking about, as the Federal Drive heard from WTOP capitol hill correspondent Mitchell Miller.
A crucial part of the State Department has a new head of a crucial function, at a time of high world tension. Erica Jaume is chief of the IT security and governance branch of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
You might not think of farm and urban in the same sentence. But the Agriculture Department does. In fact there's a new federal advisory committee designed to help the department better understand the needs of urban farmers. Joining the Federal Drive with more, chief of USDA's natural resources conservation service, Terry Crosby.
The General Services Administration will finally pull the plug on the use of Dun and Bradstreet numbers and fully move to a brand new identifier for contractors, called the Unique Entity Identifier or UEI. Memi Whitehead, the deputy assistant commissioner of GSA’s Integrated Award Environment, tells executive editor Jason Miller about what this six-year effort will mean for agencies and contractors alike.
The Environmental Protection Agency will bring employees back to the office starting in May. The American Federation of Government Employees worked a deal for its members gradually come over the course of four pay periods. EPA is also promising routine telework. For details, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with Bethany Dreyfus, the president of AFGE Local 1236, and with Joyce Howell, AFGE Council 238’s chief negotiator for the future of work, whom you hear first.
A large survey sponsored by Slack, a intra-company messaging application, raises the question: Is it really a good goal for organizations to get everyone back in the office? And a second question: Would companies and government agencies do better to educate managers on how to better deal with a workforce that's scattered -- some home, some in the office? To find out, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with FNN's resident workplace expert, Bob Tobias.
Each year, the Justice Department churns out lots of data about criminal justice. Recently it launched an initiative to prod state and local governments to use the data more effectively to make policy and budget decisions. To find out how it works, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with the acting deputy director for policy at the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Ruby Qazilbash.
Geographic information is crucial to agency missions almost everywhere. That's especially true for the U.S. Agency for International Development. The agency operates throughout the world. For how geo and geo information systems underlie development decisions, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with USAID's chief geographer, Carrie Stokes.
As the military wrestles with some of its highest suicide rates on record, the Defense Department is undertaking a landmark look into mental health, suicide prevention and response. The Pentagon announced Tuesday the establishment of the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee (SPRIRC) – a commission that will use third-party experts to critique the military’s response to mental health.
Nearly a year after President Joe Biden signed off on an expansive cybersecurity executive order, officials are grappling with the difficult task of taking secure software standards and applying them to the vast array of software agencies buy. The Office of Management and Budget plans on releasing new secure software guidance for agencies within the next eight to 12 weeks, according to Chris DeRusha, federal chief information security officer. The guidance is based on a “Secure Software Development Framework” (SSDF), as well as “Software Supply Chain Security Guidance” released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in February.
Goddard Space Flight Center, one of NASA's original sites, is about to get a major nip and tuck. This after NASA's office of strategic infrastructure said yes to a new master plan for Goddard. For one thing, Goddard plans to cut its building square footage by 25%. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about the master plan with Goddard's associate center director, Ray Rubilotta.
When you think infrastructure, you probably think of new and replacement. But the big bill enacted late last year also has money for removing infrastructure. Specifically, river dams. For how and why this is the case, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Tom Kieran, the president and CEO of the non-profit American Rivers.
The Veterans Affairs Department is the latest agency to bring its workforce back to the office, but is envisioning a hybrid workplace in the coming months to improve recruitment and retention. Deputy VA Secretary Donald Remy said Tuesday that the VA brought non-bargaining unit employees back to the office last week. The agency, he added, expects bargaining unit employees to return to the office by May.
Good behavior can get a con out of prison. Good behavior can also get your program off the Government Accountability Office's never-ending list of high-risk federal programs. In fact, the GAO just issued guidance on how get off the list. For highlights, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the GAO's director of strategic issues, Michelle Sager.
Presidents make sure their and their party's policies are carried out in large measure by whom they appoint. Each time, though, it seems like the confirmation process goes slower and slower. For a look at how things stand now for the Biden administration, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to someone who counts these things. Anne Joseph O'Connell is a Stanford Law School professor and a public member of the Administrative Conference of the United States.
Before it can hire contractors to build or renovate federal buildings, the General Services Administration's Public Buildings Service has to engage architects. Over the years, some of the world's top architects have designed federal buildings. Now GSA wants to ensure diversity in its roster of architects. It's inked a memorandum of understanding with the National Organization of Minority Architects. The Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service Nina Albert shared more details on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The procurement environment is a little confusing at the moment. Appropriations came through with only a half a year to obligate them. The 2023 budget schedule is foggy. And inflation overlays the buying power of every dollar. For what contractors are, or should be thinking about, the Federal Drive turned to the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro.
Security clearances, how to get them, what you can do with them, is an ever-chancing topic. The last couple of years have brought quite a few changes, especially since the machinery moved from the Office of Personnel Management to the Defense Department. Here with an update, two attorneys from the federal employee focused law firm Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman and Fitch, managing partner Elaine Fitch and partner Mary Kuntz.
Federal employees, and federal employees only, have a new place to go for information on leadership development and career advancement. A whole series of seminars now lives on a special section of MAX.gov. Joining the Federal Drive with details, from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Kim Wittenberg.
The 2022 appropriations enacted last week give the Defense Department some extra bread for facilities maintenance and repair. More than $1 billion more. Plus, U.S. Space Force ponders a digital approach to assessing service members fitness. those stories ad more in this week's DOD Reporters Notebook with Scott Maucione and Jared Serbu.
It’s been almost six years since agencies were told by the Office of Management and Budget to develop an enterprise approach to risk management. Some agencies are more successful than others. The Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management took the opportunity to provide the first of several helpful guides as ERM becomes more important to agencies. For more, Federal News Network's Jason Miller spoke to the president of the Association for Risk Management, Daniella Datskovska is the president of the Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management.
The House of Representatives is taking what amounts to spring break for politicians. But the Senate is in town working on legislation to deal with China, and closing in on the Supreme Court nomination. The Federal Drive got the look-ahead from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
Burn pits, they're the agent orange of the most recent generation of veterans. Veterans who were exposed to the open junk incinerators in Iraq and Afghanistan have long complained of resulting health maladies. President Joe Biden mentioned it in his state of the union speech. Some VA benefits have begun to trickle out. For an update, the co-founder and special counsel of the National Veterans Legal Services Program, Bart Stichman.
Defense Department components often give grants or contracts to colleges and universities, and companies for that matter, to do research. That means they develop controlled, unclassified information, or CUI. Now the Defense Office of Inspector General has found, research contractors don't do a good job of protecting that information from cyber attacks. Joining the Federal Drive with details, the project manager for audit cyberspace operations in the DODIG office, Gregory Crawford.
The Pentagon has been talking about its vision for Joint All-Domain Command and Control for years. Now there’s a plan to make it real. The formal implementation plan is still classified, but Defense officials say they’re ready to get to work on JADC2’s five separate lines of effort. And funding requests to start building discrete elements of the architecture will make their first appearance in next year’s budget. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has details.
Efforts to oversee trillions of dollars in pandemic relief spending are running into a familiar problem: persistent gaps in federal spending data. Investigators say Congress can take some actions to make sure it's easier to track how agencies are spending taxpayer dollars. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
Last Monday VA Secretary Denis McDonough make public a plan for revamping the vast collection of health care facilities throughout the nation. VA proposes closing and tearing down many medical centers, building some new ones, and establishing outpatient centers. And moving more care to the private sector. The American Federation of Government Employees, with represents a couple hundred thousand VA employees, doesn't like the plan. Not one bit. Joining the Federal Drive with why, the director of AFGE's public policy department, Jacqueline Simon.
The Homeland Security Department's Science and Technology Directorate has teamed up with counterparts in Israel. The goal of the program, now in its seventh year, is to fund the discovery of what it calls advanced solutions for mission-critical homeland security needs. For how it all works, the director of industry partnerships in the Office of Innovation and Collaboration, Megan Mahale.
The Coast Guard will establish a new rating next year called cyber mission specialist. Officials hope it will attract new recruits and strengthen the Coast Guard's ability to carry out its cyber mission. Joining the Federal Drive with details, the chief of the Coast Guard's Cyberspace Forces, Captain Alain Balmaceda.
Serving in the military can take a serious toll on the body. New technologies and techniques might be able to save service members' back and joints. One Air National Guard squadron is working with Sparta Science on a data-driven approach to training better. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione talks with Sparta’s founder, Dr. Phil Wagner, and the 118th Air Support Operations Squadron Superintendent, Chief Master Sergeant Jeremy Mullins.
The Social Security Administration anticipates crowds and higher than average wait times once field offices reopen their doors to public walk-in. To prepare, the agency is hiring retired staff to manage the crowds at hundreds of its field offices. For the latest, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.
All the General Services Administration was trying to do was get new office space for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Rhode Island. But, in a word, if bungled the procurement. The inspector general said so. So did the courts. But it wasn't easy for the losing bidder to make its case, as we hear from Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo.
After two years of total vacancy, the Merit Systems Protection Board now has two of its three members, enough to make decisions that stick. The board is where feds who feel they were wrongly sanctioned can appeal decisions of administrative judges. Here with one view of the practical effect of the board's re-establishment, federal employment attorney Stephanie Rapp-Tully, a partner at Tully-Rinckey.
The Senior Executives Association, which represents the government's highest ranking career officials, is especially glad the Merit Systems Protection Board has a quorum of two members. The Senate confirmed them a couple of weeks ago, ending five years without a quorum. The Association's director of policy and outreach, Jason Briefel told the Federal Drive more.
With the war in Ukraine adding to inflation inflation, military service members are feeling the squeeze. The largest annual study of military families says they are desperate for a second income. But can be tough for spouses to find a job. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione has more.
It's Sunshine Week, and the Department of Justice has some new open-records guidance for agencies. Attorney General Merrick Garland is directing a presumption of openness when it comes to processing Freedom of Information Act requests. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday reports.
The Capitol and its environs have been mostly closed to visitors since - well, you know. Tourists, Girl Scout troops, and Lions Club presidents aren't the only ones who want the Capitol opened back up, so do lobbyists. They're circulating an open letter trying to nudge members to get back to normal. For more details, the Chairman of the board of the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics, Paul Miller spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
On orders from Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been doing a detailed study of nearly 100 health care markets nationwide. It aims to realign facilities with where veterans actually are. Now the Government Accountability Office has studied VA's studies. For what auditors found, the GAO's Director of Health Care issues Sharon Silas spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
For several years now, the Department of Veterans Affairs has operated a grant program to help disabled veterans adapt their homes. The program is called Specially Adapted Housing Assistive Technology. For how it works and where the money goes, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the Program Chief of Policy Jason Latona.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is looking to make do with fewer facilities. Officials just completed a deep study of the VA's real estate portfolio. They propose closing dozens of medical centers but replacing about half of them with new ones. For the other half, VA wants to shift care to more specialized outpatient clinics or to non-VA providers. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for details.
The Defense Information Systems Agency couldn't escape a protest after awarding a big IT services contract. The General Services Administration is ready to expand its approach to simplifying online buying. These are just two of the week's biggest acquisition stories. Federal News Network Executive Editor Jason Miller has been following them. He joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for the highlights.
Contractors and their representatives report troubles with the Multiple Award Schedule system. The MAS is the long running and very popular system for delivering routine products to the government. The General Services Administration has operated the schedules for decades. For what's going on, federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
Any federal employee who's come near classified or secret information know what happens if they try to publish something or give a speech. The federal government has at least 17 pre-publication review boards with the authority to say no. The whole apparatus has led to what my next guest calls several pathologies. Yale University Law Professor Oona Hathaway.
By several measures, Social Security is an agency in crisis. Its labor relations are strained, with ongoing uncertainty over contracts, and when-and-how people return to offices. It has difficulty on the customer service front, prompting tough questions from Capitol Hill. And there's no Senate-confirmed commissioner. For some perspective, the Federal Drive turned to former commissioner Mike Astrue.
The Defense Department got most of what it wanted in last week's 2022 budget agreement. In some cases it got more. But Congress left out one small but important request. Pentagon planners had hoped it would enable more agile modernization by updating how the department pays for software development. Federal News Network's Jared Serbu and Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive with this, and more from their latest DoD reporters notebook.
For the Technology Modernization Fund, the bank of mom and dad is closed for fiscal 2022. If you've raised kids, you probably grasp the message Congress sent to the TMF in the omnibus bill passed last week. In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about why lawmakers zeroed out the Technology Modernization Fund.
Congress, as it does every year, crammed in a lot of spending when it whipped up the so-called omnibus appropriations bill. Pretty much record-setting spending all 'round. The Federal Drive got a summary now from WTOP capitol hill correspondent Mitchell Miller.
It's bad enough when employees don't show up for work. For the Postal Service, it's a perpetual problem. Managers can plan and budget for vacations, even contingencies like sick days. But what about absent without leave, or AWOL? This turns out to be a prickly management challenge. For some management lessons learned, the Federal Drive turned to the Postal Service's deputy assistant inspector general, Jason Yovich.
Imagine a federal office with holes in the roof, birds flying in, mold everywhere, and a staff untrained for its crucial public safety mission. Hard to believe? Yet that's what the Interior Department's office of inspector general found at the U.S. Park Police dispatch center for the Washington, D.C. area. Joining the Federal Drive in studio with details, Interior IG Mark Lee Greenblatt.
Congress, late as always, has passed a comprehensive spending package for the rest of fiscal 2022. The $1.5 trillion give the IRS more money to go after tax cheats and sets higher pay caps for nurses at the VA. Lawmakers are also asking for a slew of status updates on the state of the federal workforce. For details, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.
The effects of climate change and extreme weather have started to make an impact on the military. One example is how frequent hurricanes are battering installations in the south. Defense Department sustainability chief Joe Bryan says the Pentagon has new efforts to shield weapons systems, bases and other assets from severe weather. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione recently spoke with Bryan about them.
Don't click on that attachment. How many times have you heard that in anti-phishing training? Often attachments with malicious payloads come in the popular Adobe PDF format. Recently the National Security Agency issued guidance for how to configure your PDF readers application safely. Joining the Federal Drive with more on the whole PDF question, from Adobe itself, the vice president for public sector digital media, Paul Faust.
The Veterans Health Administration is always looking for ways to improve psycho-therapy treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Two leading methods are known as cognitive processing and prolonged exposure. VA's top expert on the problem recently co-authored the report on an extensive study that compared the two therapies. Joining the Federal Drive with more is that expert. She's the executive director of VA's National Center for PTSD, Dr. Paula Schnurr.
Whistleblowers across the government have gotten increasingly more support and protection over the years. Except for those in the secretive intelligence community. They have no independent enforcement mechanisms for the protections they do have. Joining the Federal Drive with how things are about to change, the policy counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, Melissa Wasser.
Doing more with less, easier said than done. For the IRS, it's driven the move to robotic process automation. Shanna Webbers is the assistant deputy commissioner for operations support at the IRS and Teresa Hunter is the chief financial officer. They discuss how RPA is helping the tax agency become more efficient, and move employees out of the mundane and into the more valuable work.
The Pentagon’s top budget official thinks Washington is about to turn a corner on national security. Lawmakers have come to an agreement on a spending bill with a big defense increase. But just like everyone else, the Pentagon will have to deal with inflation. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday brings us the latest.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin decided this week to completely shut down DoD’s giant fuel storage farm near Honolulu. The Red Hill facility has leaked fuel into groundwater supplies. The most recent incident sickened some 6,000 people living in Navy housing. The decision has major strategic and logistics implications for the indo-pacific region. The military is going to need to replace that storage capacity one way or another. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu talked about the challenges with Hudson Institute military logistics expert Tim Walton.
A long-awaited reform bill backers hope will save the Postal Service more than $100 billion is headed to President Joe Biden’s desk. This after the Senate passed the Postal Service Reform Act. It ends a 2006 mandate to pre-fund retiree health benefits. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy supports the bill. So do postal associations and unions. For one reaction, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the President of the American Postal Workers Union, Mark Dimondstein.
You probably know that phishing attacks, cyber attacks using faked email … are getting more sophisticated. You may not know exactly how sophisticated. For the anatomy of one high-end account, we turn to cybersecurity entrepreneur and vice president of strategy at Inky, Roger Kay.
The non-profit Mitre Corporation has become the locus of an extensive research program in cybersecurity. Its Center for Threat-Informed Defense has collaborated with more than a dozen companies to produce. So far, 13 research reports freely available to anyone. Joining the Federal Drive with a progress report, the Center's director of research and development, Jon Baker.
U.S. Space Command doesn’t even have a formal office to work out of. Yet it’s dealing with some of the most serious issues for the future of conflict. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione takes us through the new command’s challenges.
A task force established by the Biden administration has issued dozens of recommendations for unionizing federal agencies and contractors. Will it have any effect? After all, the percentage of the workforce that is organized has been falling steadily for many years. For analysis, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to managing partner of the law firm Tully Rinckey, Dan Meyer.
A task force established by the Biden administration has issued dozens of recommendations for unionizing federal agencies and contractors. Will it have any effect? After all, the percentage of the workforce that is organized has been falling steadily for years. For analysis, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the managing partner of the D.C. office of the law firm Tully Rinckey, Dan Meyer.
The Navy's littoral combat ship program has never lived up to its promises. Although it scaled back the program, the Navy still plans to field 35 of the ships. But they have serious and persistent problems. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin got highlights of the latest look-see from the Director of Defense Capabilities and Management Issues at the Government Accountability Office, Diana Maurer.
Acme Services Contractors submits a bid using Sally, Bill and Jessie as the lead talent. Sally leaves for another company after the bids are in. Does that mean the bids are no longer valid? Well not necessarily. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin got more about a recent protest on these lines from Smith Pachter McWhorter attorney Joseph Petrillo.
The White House has ordered agencies to come up with a plan for adopting zero trust security on their networks. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency updated its guidance and services to help agencies get there. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday had the latest on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The Health and Human Services, and Justice departments are looking at regulations to improve health care for people with disabilities. The National Council on Disability’s Health Equity Framework lays out steps agencies should take to eliminate medical discrimination against people with disabilities, an issue the council says got worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the commission’s chairman Andrés Gallegos.
A new rule increasing the U.S.-made content in what the government buys is on the way. The Federal Acquisition Regulation Council published it yesterday. It increases the minimum U.S. content from 55% to 60%, and eventually to 75%. But, the rule has several exceptions. The Federal Drive got analysis from the president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau.
Wildfires and forest fires have become almost a year-'round phenomenon. It can't continue. So the U.S. Forest Service has a new strategy aimed at protecting homes and towns in danger, and for the resilience of woodlands themselves. Forest Service program manager Brian Ferebee joined the Federal Drive with the details.
Even an organization as big and armed as the United States Navy doesn't take the ransomware threat for granted. For how it's dealing, earlier the Federal Drive spoke with the principal cyber advisor in the office of the Navy chief information officer, Chris Cleary.
There’s still a chance the Defense Department’s multibillion dollar household goods moving contract could get derailed by another round of bid protests at the Court of Federal Claims. But as of now, it’s full steam ahead. After the Government Accountability Office denied five separate protests last week, U.S. Transportation Command immediately lifted a stop work order. That lets winning vendor HomeSafe Alliance start the implementation process for the massive transformation of the military’s moving system. Al Thompson is HomeSafe’s CEO. He talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about some of the next steps.
Inflation is at its highest rates since the 1990s. While nearly everyone is experiencing the pain of five-buck gasoline and other rising chicken prices, federal contractors with long-term deals are feeling a different kind of discomfort.
In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about why rising costs are forcing some companies out of the federal market, and what the General Services Administration is hoping to do about it.
Besides the omnibus budget package, Congress is dealing with a few other issues this week, like Postal reform. But it's a short week, as we learn from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
The largest federal union has filed a class action lawsuit for employees who think they were exposed to Covid-19 at work. There's even a web site where people can sign on. Here with details, from the law firm Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman and Fitch, partner Heidi Burakiewicz.
In its ongoing search for innovation towards the strategic edge, the Office of Naval Research has turned to academic. ONR recently sponsored a research project called the Gordian Knot For National Security Innovation. It's housed at Stanford University. For what's been happening since the center opened last fall I spoke with the chief of Naval Research, Rear Admiral Lorin Selby.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to widespread concerns about accompanying cyber attacks. Now Congress is moving forward with major cybersecurity legislation, including new requirements for agencies. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
Federal employees looking to appeal pay cuts or dismissals won't have to wait on the Merit Systems Protection Board much longer. The Senate last week confirmed two nominees to serve on the board, enough for the first quorum in more than five years. The board has a backlog of thousands of appeals cases, but also a few tools and strategies to tackle it. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman joined the Federal Drive with more.
The Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy, ARPA-E, is spending big to unearth the next generation of technologies for energy. It's launched a $175 million grant program for everything from wind to fusion. For details, ARPA-E's deputy director for technology, Jenny Gerbi.
Discussion about the federal workforce rarely go three minutes, before someone laments the need to get young people into government. Yet three quarters of the federal workforce is over 40, a much higher percentage than in the private sector. So it may be no surprise that age discrimination complaints in government are more common than in the private sector. American University professor Bob Tobias has been studying the federal workforce for decades.
To fight and win the nation's wars, the Defense Department needs the best possible armaments. The National Armaments Consortium brings together contractors, researchers and academics in the development of new armament technologies for the military to acquire and test. Now the consortium has a new vice president of customer engagement, retired Army Brigadier General Al Abramson.
A recent list in Forbes Magazine, of 500 of the best midsized employers in the United States, included a couple of federal agencies. Among them, the Government Publishing Office. For an update on what this Congressional agency has been up to, the Federal Drive turned to director Hugh Halpern.
The Defense Department is becoming more reliant on commercial cloud computing. That means it needs more than one option. The relatively tiny Defense Innovation Unit recently settled on Google Cloud for a production contract. The company’s security framework around the cloud mirrors that of DISA’s Cloud Access Point. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione talked about the contract with DIU cyber portfolio manager Richard Simon.
The United States may not be a war with Russia in the classic military sense. But it does have troops deployed to NATO countries. And that costs money. For a view into contract spending to support troops in NATO countries, we turn to Bloomberg Government senior data analyst Paul Murphy.
If the U.S. military's modernizing efforts don't go faster than its aging process, the country's got a problem. Yet that's exactly what's happening, according to my next guest. Robert McDonald is a retired CIA officer and former professor of national security at the National War College.
Few services to the public can be as troublesome as agency contact centers. Just ask the IRS. Yet as long as people have phones, they're going to want service by telephone. Technology consultants at Deloitte studied contact centers and came up with a model for what they call the contact center of the future. Joining the Federal Drive with what that might look like, Deloitte Consulting principal Marc Mancher.
The whiskered Federal IT Dashboard would getting a facelift under the administration's fiscal 2023 budget plan. The portal that makes agency technology spending transparent and searchable hasn't had a major upgrade since it launched in 2009. For more on the planned improvements, Federal News Network's Jason Miller spoke with the director of data transparency for GSA’s Office of Governmentwide Policy, Dan York.
The White House sees 2022 as an important year for personnel vetting reform. The background investigations backlog seems to have dried up, but officials say granting security clearance still takes too long because its too complicated. They hope technology will help solve a lot of the problems. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
In just a few weeks the annual budget dance, this time for 2023, will start. People who follow these things closely predict the White House will request only a very small increase for the Defense Department, knowing Congress will plus it up anyway. For the latest detail, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to Bloomberg Government reporter Roxana Tiron.
Financial management problems at the Defense Department show up year after year. Throw in problems at the Small Business Administration and a few other persistent issues, and it's impossible to accurately assess the state of federal finances. And that's the conclusion from the latest look at the government's consolidated statements conducted by the Government Accountability Office. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin got the latest from the GAO's Director of Financial Management and Assurance issues, Dawn Simpson.
Russia's land war in Ukraine is in some ways, an outgrowth of its long running cyberspace war. And that affects everybody, not just Ukraine. For how the current situation changes the cybersecurity picture, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with the senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, Ret. Navy Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery.
The Veterans Health Administration is developing new methods to treat patients by gathering ideas from its own staff. It showcases the ideas on a website called the diffusion marketplace. Now the site is open to anyone. For more, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman spoke with a member of VHA's Diffusion of Excellence program, Blaine Fitzgerald, on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Two major Defense Department information technology initiatives took major steps this week. The Fourth Estate Network Consolidation, involving most of DoD outside of the armed services themselves, has awarded a big contract to modernize its underlying network. Plus on the armed services side, DoD is putting the initial pieces in place to create the backbone of the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) Project. For more on these two efforts, Federal News Network Executive Editor Jason Miller and Deputy Editor Jared Serbu joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The government looks like its doing everything possible to discourage companies from selling to it. Especially small businesses, who lack the manpower or intestinal fortitude to slog through a growing number of rules. That's the view of longtime federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen, who joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
If you like going after companies that cheat their employees on wages, this might be the job for you. The Labor Department wants to hire one hundred investigators in its wage and hour division. The Federal Drive got more now from the division's acting administrator, Jessica Looman.
Thrift Savings Plan returns for the month are out today. Participation in the federal employee version of the 401K is up for 2022. But the recession has been unlike anything before. Ditto for the recovery. The Federal Thrift Retirement Investment Board is watching the rebound closely. And its getting ready to launch new digital tools for TSP users. Federal News Network’s Amelia Brust has the latest.
The ongoing aggression by Vladimir Putin and his Russian armed forces has provoked a nearly all-of-government response from the United States, no less than nations geographically closer to Ukraine. That includes the State Department. For a view from the inside, the Federal Drive turned to the president of the American Foreign Services Association, Eric Rubin.
The state of the Defense industrial base depends a lot on where you sit these days. In the boardroom, many DIB companies, especially large ones, are seeing revenue increases, meaning contracts are flowing. But for the Pentagon, the DIB itself continues to shrink.
In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller covers the state of the defense industrial base and why some believe two recent reports should serve as a wake up call. Jason joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
The Biden administration has done well in building momentum behind its zero trust initiatives. But a focus on short-term goals, to the exclusion of long-term planning, runs the risk of undershooting a sustained impact. That’s the warning in a new report from the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Council – or NSTAC - on the state of zero trust adoption in the federal government. Federal News Network's David Thornton has more.
There's a new position at the U.S. Agency for International Development. It's called the Chief Digital Development Officer. For what the job is all about and why, we've got the guy who holds it. Christopher Burns joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
Let's face it. China may no longer be a near-peer to the United States, militarily. It's likely caught up and could even be ahead. Analysis by Govini finds that to gain or keep an advantage, military leaders don't need more money. They need better decision science. Joining the Federal Drive to explain, Govini's vice president of strategy, Billy Fabian.
The IRS, still struggling with a backlog of tax returns, is coming up a few options to rev things up. Like surge teams of extra employees to work on its processing operations, taking on the backlog of paper tax returns and correspondence. The IRS is also canceling plans to close a tax processing center, following the advice of agency overseers. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.
The capabilities of the Russian military have been on display for several days now. Its strengths, weaknesses, and general operational doctrines. For how U.S. military leaders are likely monitoring it and taking notes, and what they hope to learn, the Federal Drive turned to Hudson Institute senior fellow Bryan Clark.
The government releases too little information about bid protests. More information would help companies and the government craft better procurement policies and measure them over them. Those are the contentions of my next guest. He wrote a program that analyzed 7,000 protests spanning 20 years. And he's not even yet a lawyer. George Washington University law student Will Dawson.
More illegal weapons, more viruses, the return of crowds, and some new buildings, screening for federal facilities is about to get more complicated. For how this basic but critical function is changing, the Federal Drive spoke with the CEO of Patriot One, Peter Evans.
Last year the government agencies paid whistleblowers $237 million for exposing waste and fraud. It was the lowest yearly total since 2008. By comparison, the total reached $715 million in 2014. For what's going on, long time whistleblower attorney Stephen Kohn.
When the pandemic first hit, it had a big effect on the Veterans Health Administration. Among the effects: Veterans had trouble getting routine health care appointments at outside facilities, under the VA's community care program. For more on what happened, VA deputy assistant inspector general, Leigh Ann Searight.
The largest federal employee union is pressing the Biden administration to follow through on a pledge to expand collective bargaining for transportation security officers. The American Federation of Government Employees says the Transportation Security Administration is attempting to scuttle the process. Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday has the latest.
The Army decided it needed a redesign of how it approaches information technology. The result: a digital transformation strategy. Now, just four months in, Army officials see some results, although in some places more than others. Joining the Federal Drive with the latest, Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione.
Exciting as it might seem to join the staff of Congress as a young person, disillusion sometimes sets in fast. One reason, according to Michael Beckel, is low pay. For details of Congressional pay research, the research director at a think tank called Issue One spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Under a grant from the Labor Department, the technology trade group known as CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association, has been working to establish technology apprenticeships. The general aim is to help fill workforce gaps in both government industry. For details, the Federal Drive spoke to CompTIA's senior vice president for workforce relations, Amy Kardel.
My next guest might have one of the coolest jobs in the federal government. He's head of the moving image section at the Library of Congress. Recently the section posted a digitized version of something never seen before, a home movie of a famous rock concert from 1969. Coming on the Federal Drive to tell us about his work, and about that grainy movie, Mike Mashon.
When the U.S. military actually uses force, it does so after getting legal advice from the judge advocate general corp. To improve and speed up the assembly of that advice, the Air Force is looking to see if artificial intelligence can help. Joining the Federal Drive to explain this initiative, Visimo vice president Alex Heit, and West Point law professor Hitoshi Nasu.
The Army National Guard has been at historically high deployment levels since the beginning of the pandemic. Now with cases waning, the Guard might get a reprieve. That doesn’t mean its challenges are over. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive to explain.
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification machinery is still months away from showing up as a requirement in defense contracts. But the CMMC Accreditation Body is gearing up for a voluntary program. It's also looking to recruit more cybersecurity assessors. For the latest, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
Exciting as it might seem to join the staff of Congress as a young person, disillusion sometimes sets in fast. One reason, according to my next guest, is low pay. Joining the Federal Drive with details of Congressional pay research, the research director at a think tank called Issue One, Michael Beckel.
The Army’s newly-confirmed top acquisition official named improving how his service buys and builds software among his top priorities. That will mean both procedural changes to the Army’s traditional acquisition processes, and new ways of funding software development. But Douglas Bush, the new assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said those changes will have to happen as part of a “conversation” with Congress. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu had details on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The State Department is using a hiring process that’s gaining users across government. It's called the Subject-Matter Expert Qualification Assessment (SME-QA). State is testing it to hire grant management specialists and foreign affairs officers, and the department said it's brought on 70 foreign service officers, exceeding its goal. For details, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the Director of the Office of Civil Service Talent Management Kim Bruner, and HR specialist Kristen Fulcher, whom you hear first. Listen now on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
In 20 years, the number of annual reports the Defense Department must make to Congress has nearly tripled to more than 1,400. DoD officials have tried to get a handle on this task, which required untold thousands of man-hours. For what it could do to help streamline the process, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the director of defense capabilities and management issues at the Government Accountability Office, Elizabeth Field.
Last week's report from the Pentagon on Defense Industrial Base competitiveness didn't sit well with services contractors. It recommended more merger oversight, modernizing intellectual property practices, and getting more companies into the DIB, among other things. Here with what the report might also have said is the Professional Services Council's Executive Vice President for Policy, Stephanie Kostro.
Next month, nearly a year and a half into the Biden administration, Department of Veterans Affairs officials will re-open talks with their union workforce. The talks will be new. The articles in contention have been sticking points for years. Attorney Ibidun Roberts represents the American Federation of Government Employees National VA Council, and she joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to sort it all out.
The armed services have been discharging members who refused covid vaccine. The policy has affected only a small percentage of troops. But my next guest says the policy has legal and military flaws. Rob Capovilla is a partner in the law firm Capovilla & Williams.
Pentagon planners know the U.S. military needs new technologies, new innovations if it hopes to stay on top. But many of the innovation initiatives don't gain scale. My next guest says, that's because of the 1960s era planning, programming, budgeting and execution process the Defense Department uses -- the PPB&E. Jerry McGinn is executive director of the Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University.
Congress bought more time to fill in what members called a framework for 2022 appropriations. That put the government into another three weeks of continuing resolution. Just what are the prospects for an actual budget. Here's Bloomberg Government congress reporter Jack Fitzpatrick.
The Biden administration pulled U.S. troops and pretty much everything else out of Afghanistan months ago. But the work of the Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, goes on. There's humanitarian aid flowing into Afghanistan. And still things to account for. The Federal Drive got an update from the special IG, John Sopko.
It may not be the biggest military challenge the Pentagon faces. But the Navy is taking on an issue that affects the productivity of its sailors and civilians. Namely, how to keep security programs on PCs and other end points from dragging down performance to where it becomes a frustration. That's among the developments in this week's DOD reporters notebook with Jared Serbu and Scott Maucione.
In 2019, the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Council strategy acknowledged the need to have a centralized body to unify federal supply chain risk management activities.
Two years later, the FASC still isn't there yet.
In his weekly feature, the Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about why there still is an ad hoc approach by agencies to protect their supply chains.
Like iron chef contestants, researchers at NASA push ahead on a program to develop food systems for astronauts who will be in space for months. Years even. Late last year we reported on a round of 18 first-round grants made by the Deep Space Food Challenge program. For what's going on with Round Two, the program manager for NASA's Centennial Challenges, Monsi Roman.
The General Services Administration not only oversees most federal buildings and offices, it also manages the artwork that graces them. It recently issued a new final rule for its Art in Architecture program, lifting what it calls restrictions on artistic subjects and themes. And to promote the administration's equity goals. For more, we turn to the GSA's senior advisor to the administrator for equity, Andrea O'Neal.
If cybersecurity is one of the nation's most potent threats, the answer is as much talent as technology. That's why, with orders from Congress, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency turned to the National Academy of Public Administration. NAPA evaluated what the agency is doing to help build the nation's cyber workforce. With highlights of what it found, NAPA study co-chairs Karen Evans and Dan Chenok.
An influx of money from the CARES Act helped the Navy Department make major strides in modernizing its networks. Now, leaders say, it’s time to focus on bolstering those networks’ cybersecurity. Part of that is a major pivot from compliance-driven approaches to ones that focus on continuous monitoring. The new effort is called Cyber Ready. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has more details on what the Navy and Marine Corps are trying to achieve.
The Air Force has been planting seeds for new technologies over the past few years by investing in prototypes. The hope is they'll will bloom into exciting new programs. But now, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall says the weedwhacker is coming. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive with more on the service’s 2024 budget cycle.
The Justice Department has laid out its plans to have employees return to their offices. It stresses maximum telework. But one group says actual telework policies are all over the place, depending on which office you work in. More from the vice president of the Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Adam Hanna.
The U.S. military establishment is so focused on future technology that it risks national security right now. That's the thesis of my next guest. She argues an obsession with future, and futuristic, technology can lead planners off course. Joining the Federal Drive with more, the Brookings foreign policy fellow Amy Nelson.
Agencies of the Homeland Security and Treasury Departments are about to get brand new headquarters buildings. And nice ones at that. For details, the Federal Drive spoke with Marcel Acosta, the executive director of the National Capital Planning Commission
Lynn Parker Dupree, the chief privacy officer at the Homeland Security Department, is looking to make privacy less of an afterthought in the development of systems and procedures. Dupree spoke with Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday about her plan to incorporate privacy enhancing technologies into technical designs. She also talked about her experience as the most senior black official at DHS headquarters.
The Justice Department is the latest in a small, but growing number of agencies who are detailing plans for employees to return to the office. Justice updated its workforce safety plan last week where it outlined new details about vaccination requirements and testing, about face masks and physical distancing and about reporting, contact tracing and continuous monitoring.
Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joined the Federal Drive to discuss DoJ and other plans to bring employees back to the office.
If an agency buys software through a reseller on a General Services Administration schedule contract, does the software vendor have a claim if the agency cancels the license? After all, it wasn't the prime contractor. That's the gist of a case just tossed by the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo brought the lessons learned in this case to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The Energy Department is developing a platform to monitor cyber threats to the nation’s patchwork of electric utilities. It’s part of the Biden administration’s effort to shore up the cybersecurity of critical industrial control systems. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The IRS has canceled its use of facial recognition technology for taxpayers to log on. That's having a ripple effect on ID verification at other agencies. The IRS' one-time vendor, ID.me, said it will make facial recognition optional for the nine other agencies it does business with. But agencies still have to counter fraud. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman shared more details on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Each year the Federal Laboratory Consortium, the network of the government's technology transfer operations, honors one of its members as laboratory director of the year. This year's honoree directs the Army Engineer Research and Development Center's Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory. Bartley Durst spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Agencies across the board have an enduring need for scientific and technical talent, the type of people that can be hard to find. Yet many agencies fail to use the personnel mobility program, a system that lets scientific and technical employees from nonprofits work temporarily at a federal agency. For some recommendations, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the acting director for Strategic Issues at the Government Accountability Office Alyssa Czyz.
Congress bought itself a short month to get together on final appropriations for 2022. Even if they do agree at there's a deal on March 11, that means 2022 money will arrive nearly halfway through the fiscal year, and even then accounts won't be ready on the 11th. For contractor and procurement implications, we turn to federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
They say an army travels on its stomach. It also travels on spare parts. And in that regard, the Defense Department has a problem. The inspector general has found that one spare parts supplier, a company called TransDigm, received payments that resulted in nearly $21 million in excess profits. For more, the Federal Drive turned to the general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, Scott Amey.
As one of its strategies for getting the most possible participation, the Census Bureau spends big on outreach. For the 2020 decennial count, the Integrated Communications Campaign cost the bureau $675 million, twice what it spent in 2010. I asked about it during an in-studio interview with Census program manager Maria Malagon.
One of the great open secrets of the cybersecurity domain is how much mischief is done by Russia and its government-sponsored hackers. Countering Russian cyber activity takes a lot of effort on the part of the U.S. government and U.S. companies. My next guest has studied Russia's cyberwar activities in detail and says the more you know about Russia's motivations, the better you can counteract it. Nate Beach-Westmoreland is head of strategic cyber threat intelligence at Booz Allen Hamilton.
One of the great open secrets of the cybersecurity domain is how much mischief is done by Russia and its government-sponsored hackers. Countering Russian cyber activity takes a lot of effort on the part of the U.S. government and U.S. companies. My next guest has studied Russia's cyberwar activities in detail and says the more you know about Russia's motivations, the better you can counteract it. Nate Beach-Westmoreland is head of strategic cyber threat intelligence at Booz Allen Hamilton.
The General Services Administration has been trying nearly everything it could over the last five years to prevent costly delays in the transition to the new telecommunications vehicle known as Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions, EIS. But what many thought was inevitable finally happened. GSA is extending the deadline for agencies to move off of the old Networx contract and on to EIS.
In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller has exclusive details about the latest chapter in this saga.
It's up to the Senate now to vote on a way to avoid a lapse in appropriations Friday, when the current continuing resolution ends. It's not exactly a route to full 2022 appropriations, but its not disaster. The Federal Drive got the latest from WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
The Library of Congress has been busy building an online collection of what are known as open access e-books. The effort accelerated when the pandemic hit, and people had more access to online books than to physical libraries. For more on this effort, the digital collections development coordinator, Rashi Joshi, and digital collections specialist Kristy Darby.
https://blogs.loc.gov/thesignal/2021/12/open-access-books-collection/
The Library of Congress has been busy building an online collection of what are known as open access e-books. The effort accelerated when the pandemic hit, and people had more access to online books than to physical libraries. For more on this effort, the digital collections development coordinator, Rashi Joshi, and digital collections specialist Kristy Darby.
https://blogs.loc.gov/thesignal/2021/12/open-access-books-collection/
For more than a year, the National Security Agency has been sharing cybersecurity threat information with defense industrial base companies. The idea is to correlate NSA signal intelligence with malicious activity the companies see on their networks. Joining the Federal Drive with an update, the director of the NSA's Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, Morgan Adamski.
https://www.nsa.gov/About/Cybersecurity-Collaboration-Center/
The government's information technology security approval process is critical, but slow. As one way to speed it up, several Defense Department organizations have dabbled with the concept of continuous authorities to operate, or ATOs. That would base a system’s approval on continuous monitoring, rather than a one-time intensive checklist. Now, the Defense Department wants to raise the bar for continuous ATOs, and make them the standard for cybersecurity across DoD. As Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu reports, part of that is bringing more commonality to how the military services use them.
The Pentagon’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program continues to take shape, new shape, that is. The latest curve: Thousands of more companies will be required to get a third-party assessment under CMMC 2.0 than industry initially realized. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday has the latest.
It's become nearly cliché in Defense circles, that the near military peers of the United States are more than near. We're all neck-in-neck. Discussions of getting back to U.S. superiority all include the need for a more digital approach, a digital transformation. At the center of that discussion you find the Defense Department's vision for a new network known as Joint All-Domain Command and Control, known as JADC2. My next guest has some ideas for JADC2. He's the former deputy Air Force chief information officer, now a managing director at Accenture Federal Services, Bill Marion.
Unemployment insurance has been a crucial safety net for the past couple of years. Some state agencies have been trying to devise programs that lead to more resilient local workforces, with a focus on re-employment. Ten states, under the auspices of the National Governors Association, have been working on ways to modernize and integrate the delivery of services to the unemployed. Here with more on the Workforce Innovation Network, the association's program director Rachael Stephens.
Two federal science agencies have together launched a plan to bolster U.S. strength in a field known as quantum information science and technology. The Office of Science and Technology Policy, part of the White House crew, and the National Science Foundation parted with a group called the National K-12 Education Partnership to, as they put it, explore training and education opportunities in quantum. Here with what's going on and why it's important, the National Science Foundation director, Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan.
A long-awaited reform bill to save the Postal Service about $50 billion over the next decade has notched a step forward. The House passed the Postal Service Reform Act, which would eliminate a requirement for USPS to pre-fund retiree health benefits 75 years into the future. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it has bipartisan support. The bill, if enacted, would be the first major piece of postal reform legislation to make it through Congress in more than 15 years. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has the latest.
The $50 billion IT services contract known as CIO-SP4 will finally reach the end of the beginning today. After nearly a year of delays and industry frustrations, the National Institutes of Health's IT Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) will receive best and final offers from contractors. For how NITAAC is trying to hear contractors and improve this massive procurement, Federal News Network Executive Editor Jason Miller spoke with NITAAC Deputy Director Ricky Clark on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The Biden administration's push for improved customer experience couldn't come at a better time. More people than ever are trying to access federal agencies. Yet satisfaction with the experience is at an all time low. Data provider TransUnion has some statistics that can help agencies craft better customer experiences. To find out more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with TransUnion's director of research and consulting, Greg Schlichter.
A multi-year project at the Library of Congress aims to bring more black, indigenous and other minority groups closer to the library. It's called, "Of the People: Widening the Path." To find out more, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with the new program director of the project's digital component, Marya McQuirter.
The Defense Department is establishing stronger ties with colleges and universities, focused on a single urgent issue. It's called the University Consortium for Cybersecurity, or UC2. To find out about how it works and what its goals are, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with program manager Ian Crone.
The Army is tempering expectations for the first versions of its Integrated Visual Augmentation System, something it heralded in the past as a model for military and industry collaboration. The $22 billion program is supposed to revolutionize the way soldiers can operate in the field and pair soldiers with much of the work the Defense Department is doing to incorporate data into its weapons systems.
Government and industry are still dealing with the fallout from the Log4j software vulnerability, but representatives from both camps say the critical bug helped demonstrate the promise of a public-cyber planning office established last year.
Privatized military housing has become a contentious issue over the past couple of years. Service members have reported rodents, mold and other substandard living conditions. Now, Lendlease Communities, one of the largest housing contractors for the military, says that should not dissuade the Defense Department from privatizing more houses or even military hotels. Several military housing advocacy groups take the opposite view, saying corporate housing operators fail to deliver for service members and their families. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione spoke with Lendlease Communities’ Chief Operating Officer Philip Carpenter, and with Armed Forces Housing Advocates co-founder Sarah Kline, for two sides of the issue.
It doesn't stand still, but the government's level of service always seems to lag that of the private sector. According to Brookings Institution fellow Annelies Goger and Sha Hwang, co-founder of public agency contractor Nava, improving customer experience is essential to improving trust in government itself. And therefore the Biden administration's latest executive order on customer experience can help. They joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more.
The Social Security Administration struck a recent deal with its unions to return most employees to their offices by the end of March. Both parties are in talks to negotiate the finer points of the plan. Union officials say SSA leadership isn’t giving much ground on certain elements of the reentry plan such as telework, or having people come into field offices only by appointment. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with AFGE Council 220 Vice President Angela Digeronimo on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Congress back in 2010 created a loan guarantee program to run through the Commerce Department. Its purpose was to help along technological innovation an small and medium manufacturers. But the program never got started. Why not? For some answers the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the Director for Science, Technology, Assessment and Analytics at the Government Accountability Office, Candice Wright.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation often makes headlines when financial disasters occur. It also performs daily work of bank examination, policy development, and making banking data available to the public. Behind all of that is the division of administration which keeps the whole thing going. For a behind-the-curtain look, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the newly-appointed Director of Administration Daniel Bendler.
The continuing resolution, having now eaten up nearly five months of the fiscal year, is starting to affect the market valuations of publicly traded federal contractors. That may not seem like a concern of the government, but think again. More now from the president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau.
Electric cars, more windmills, more solar power, add it up and the nation is facing a crisis in the electrical grid needed to support it all. That is, if you want 24 x 7 power. Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been running simulations of a system called transactive power, to see how a future grid might operate. Joining the Federal Drive with details, senior technical advisor, Dr. Hayden Reeves.
Climate and climate research has become a top priority for a large number of federal agencies and labs over the past few years. My next guest has been at the center of this research for years, in successive jobs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Recently she became senior NOAA advisor for climate, and a Presidential Rank Award Winner. For the final interview in our series on PRA recipients, Ko Barrett.
The Defense Department is out with a brand new cloud computing strategy. And this time, it goes far beyond cloud. Dubbed the Software Development Strategy, it's also meant to fix longstanding problems with how DoD buys and develops software. And, it makes clear that leaders have a lot of work to do on the policy front, in order to move the military’s vast development community toward agile development practices. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has been covering the new strategy’s release.
Agencies have marching orders as they put the final touches on their fiscal 2023 budget requests. The Office of Management and Budget told them to put a major focus on the workforce. This means more money and more programs. Federal News Network's executive editor Jason Miller has exclusive details on what OMB is telling agencies to do for 2023.
House Democrats passed a nearly 3,000 page bill last week aimed at American Industrial competitiveness. There's a lot in there for federal agencies, including the Commerce Department. But does it have legs? We get more now from Bloomberg deputy news director Loren Duggan.
Citizen satisfaction with government services fell again last year. In fact, the satisfaction index fell to the lowest point since measurement started back in 1999. Here with the details, the director of research for the American Customer Satisfaction Index, Forrest Morgeson.
What an irony. Congressional appropriations committees hold hearings on what harm might hit the military from Congress's own inability to pass a budget on time. But the security threat is real, according to my next guest. Retired Marine Corps major general Arnold Punaro is chairman of the National Defense Industrial Association.
As Federal News Network exclusively reported late Friday, the Biden administration is proposing a nearly 5% pay raise for federal employees next hear. We got more from Federal News Network's Jason Miller.
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The Biden administration wants to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by the federal government by 2050. The General Services Administration and the Defense Department are in the market for greener sources of electricity. Meanwhile, the White House is threatening to hold up the Postal Service’s plans to acquire its next-generation delivery fleet, if more those vehicles aren’t electric. For an update on these efforts, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.
The Defense Department’s contractor cybersecurity initiative is on the move. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program will no longer be run out of the Pentagon’s acquisition directorate. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
The so-called insider threat remains a potent one for cybersecurity practitioners. But old fashioned outside hackers have been raising their capabilities. Now they're the biggest threat to governments at all levels. Those are among the findings of the latest annual cybersecurity survey done by software vendor SolarWinds. Here with the highlights, Solar Winds chief information security officer, Tim Brown.
In order to do good around the world, the U.S. Agency for International Development has to buy goods and services and make grants, around the world. It amounts to more than $20 billion a year. Overseeing it all is my next guest, who is also the recipient recipient of a Presidential Rank Award. Mark Walther is USAID's senior procurement executive and chief acquisition officer.
Vendors bidding on the $50 billion CIO-SP4 governmentwide acquisition contract, and there are scores of them, may be feeling like ping pong balls. The NIH IT Acquisition and Assessment Center, known as NITAAC, reversed course on its requirements for final proposals, barely a week after reversing them in the first place. Bids are due in a week .Federal News Network's Jason Miller joined the Federal Drive with the latest, Amendment 16 of this highly sought GWAC.
Hawaii health officials have ordered the Navy to remove fuel from a massive storage bunker after leaks made their way into a nearby aquifer. But the Pentagon announced this week it plans to fight the order in court, partly because officials see the Red Hill bunker as strategically vital to Navy operations in the Pacific. For more on the next steps – and why defueling Red Hill isn’t so easy – Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu talked with Tim Walton, a fellow and military logistics expert at the Hudson Institute.
Agencies all seem to be pursuing digital transformation. A way of improving service to the public and of how they operate internally. But how to you get there? A small team from the modernization community of interest at ACT-IAC has assembled a list of best practices for digital transformation. Joining me with more, from the industry side, Erika Flora, the CEO of Beyond 20, and from the government side, the General Services Administration's innovation and adoption lead Alison O'Mara.
After spending 30 years in a Coast Guard uniform, my next guest has donned a business suit and joined the senior executive service. But he's still with the Coast Guard, as the new deputy assistant commandant for intelligence. Jeffrey Radgowski joined the Federal Drive to discuss his new role.
For fish and wildlife to thrive in the United States, they need space. My next guest as spent a career helping secure woods and grasslands that support conservation. Now he's a recipient of a Presidential Rank Award, one in a series of interviews of PRA winners, the deputy director for program management and policy at the Fish and Wildlife Service, Steve Guertin.
Last week, the Office of Personnel Management made some big news, raising the minimum wage for federal employees to $15/hour. Besides the living wage angle, there’s also a diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility angle. Federal News Network's David Thornton has more.
It might be 2022 and three quarters of a century since integration of the military. But minority officers and enlisted people still report experiencing racism inside the ranks and in local communities. That's among the findings in a new, first-of-its-kind study by Blue Star Families. It details experiences of minorities in the military, and why the situation presents a recruitment obstacle. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione has more.
Members of Congress are pushing to overhaul federal cybersecurity standards. But agencies are already starting to measure security a lot differently this year. That’s because the White House made some big revisions to quarterly cybersecurity metrics. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday reported on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
One of the great parlor games in federal procurement is adding up the number of award protests every year. But because of the way the Government Accountability Office compiles the numbers, it's hard to understand the real patterns. This is the topic of a recently published paper. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin got a summary from Smith Pachter McWhorter attorney Joseph Petrillo.
When it comes to acquisition, Kimberly Patrick has done it all. She used lean management to reduce backlogs and speed up procurements, brought senior agency management into acquisition planning, found innovative ways to meet small business goals. She's the director of Office of Acquisition Solutions, Office of Mission Support at the EPA, and the recent recipient of a Presidential Rank Award. She joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more information.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said it’s processing its backlog of disability claims faster than ever. But it’s also getting new disability claims faster than ever. To get ahead, the VA is turning to automation to process some claims in as little as a day or two. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman had more on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The name SolarWinds has become synonymous with a scary cybersecurity crisis. It's one of at least two widescale breaches to which the government had to respond. The other is when hackers showed they could get into and take over Microsoft Exchange Server. The Government Accountability Office took a look at the federal response to these two incidents. The director of GAO's Information Technology and Cybersecurity team Jennifer Franks joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin with what they found.
On of the weirder federal I-T developments of recent years is how slowly agencies are using a governmentwide telecom contract that's supposed to be mandatory. It's the Enterprise Information Solutions multiple-award program operated by the General Services Administration. For some facts and figures, and why this might be happening, the Federal Drive turned to federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
NASA, famously and consistently the best place to work in government, has an urgent need to transform itself and how it operates. That's the principal finding of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, in its latest annual report to Congress. For highlights, we turn to the panel chair, Dr. Patricia Sanders.
The Biden administration has been pushing for more federal contracting dollars to go to small and disadvantaged businesses. The specific goal is for an additional $100 billion to such businesses over the next five years. For how agencies can start to reach this goal, the acting director of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Lesley Field.
They won't make the Wall Street Journal weekly mansion section, but Marine Corps housing units are about to have the moment in the sun. In fact, certified inspectors and engineers are about to examine tends of thousands of Marines' homes. Why? It's all explained in this week's DOD Reporters Notebook by Federal News Network's Scott Maucione and Jared Serbu. But first we're going to ask Jared Serbu about another large-scale undertaking, as the Navy deploys virtual desktop capabilities to its reserve force.
Agencies have a clear roadmap of how to achieve the Biden administration's goal of improving cybersecurity from the application to the network and across the data layers. The Office of Management and Budget's final zero trust strategy, released last week, is both prescriptive and flexible enough to act as a starting point for this three-year journey. Chris DeRusha is the federal chief information security officer at OMB. He tells Federal News Network's Jason Miller and Justin Doubleday how this final strategy brings several other ongoing cyber efforts under one umbrella.
Congress returns to town this week, and of course everyone is in a tizzy over the Supreme Court vacancy. But the outcome there is fairly predictable. More uncertain is what they'll do about the federal budget and a few other of what should be bread-and-butter issues. More now from WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
A gambit by the Biden administration to mail COVID test kits to every household, has highlighted a part of the Postal Service most people don't see. The mail and packaging sorting and logistics that takes place before items get onto the little white trucks. Joining the Federal Drive with an update, the president of the American Postal Workers Union, Mark Dimondstein.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is about to launch a program called the Deferred Subject Matter Eligibility Response Pilot. It lets certain patent applicants hold off on time-consuming answers to questions early in the patent process. For what it's all about and why it matters, the Federal Drive turned to the deputy commissioner for patents, Bob Bahr.
The Office of the Federal CIO at OMB is going on a hiring spree. Clare Martorana, the federal CIO, is filling open positions with an expectation for a busy 2022. Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller has more about why the turnover in the Federal CIO's office isn't necessarily a bad thing.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order last week, criminalizing sexual harassment in the military. The move mirrors a provision in the 2022 defense authorization act. Harassment has never been legal in the military. The new order expands the scope of the crime for prosecutors. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione talked about it with law firm Tully Rinckey managing partner Sean Timmons.
You might be one of the federal employees who filled out that so-called pulse survey. It's the latest way the Office of Management and Budget is hoping to get information on the workforce. It augments the yearly Federal Employee Viewpoint Surveys with more frequent measures. Data is great, but will agency managers do anything with what they learn? That's the question my next guest is asking. He's a professor in the Key Executive Leadership Program at American University, Bob Tobias.
As the months tick by, more cobwebs form in the offices of the Merit Systems Protection Board. More than five years have passed since the board has had a quorum, and nearly three years since any members at all. Meanwhile the case backlog of aggrieved federal employees keeps growing. Appointees to the board are awaiting a Senate vote. For what they'll face should they be confirmed, we turn to the last MSPB member, attorney Mark Robbins.
When NASA succeeds in sending people to Mars and returning them to the moon, it will be thanks to thousands of people who will never get there themselves. One of those people has had a 31-year career at NASA leading teams concerned with a variety of activities. Planning human space travel. Improving Space Station safety. Bringing commercial launch capabilities to NASA. For her career work, she's a recent Presidential Rank Award recipient. The director of the Johnson Space Center, Vanessa Wyche.
Big changes are underway in the Navy Reserve. Officials are taking a top-to-bottom look at every single one of the Reserve’s units to decide which missions – and which jobs – make the most sense for the force’s future. So far, the exam has led to the elimination of hundreds of positions, but the addition of hundreds more. As Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu reports, the thrust of the effort is to get the Navy’s reserve component ready for great power competition.
When Gerard Badorek arrived at the General Services Administration nearly seven years ago to be its chief financial officer, he found an organization in disarray. 14 organizations managing GSA’s financial data and systems. More than 900 employees reported to various CFOs across the business units and headquarters. Baddorek, who recently left federal service, told executive editor Jason Miller about how he reshaped and revitalized GSA’s financial management.
The holiday season is just a memory now as the winter settles in. Also in the rear view mirror is the Combined Federal Campaign. Turns out, for the national capital region, federal employees crushed it, with donations exceeding the goal. For details, CFC national capital region chairman Vince Micone.
Most people think of Santa Claus when they think of NORAD. But NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, in reality has a crucial and enduring mission. And one that is ever evolving as threats evolve. Now NORAD is embarking on a modernizing effort aimed at better situational awareness and deterrence. For details, we turn to the commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, Air Force General Glen VanHerck.
The Biden administration goals for diversity and equity in the federal workforce are more difficult to achieve in some fields than others. Data from the Office of Personnel Management and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shows the cyber workforce ranks among the least diverse segments of the federal government. Agencies can’t simply hire their way to a more diverse cyber workforce. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has looked into this.
The Air Force Recruiting Service says it sees warning lights flashing on its efforts to meet its 2022 goals. The biggest concern is future candidates for the Air and Space Forces. Thanks to COVID, Air Force recruiters say they have to think hard about new ways to reach young people. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione spoke with operations division chief Colonel Jason Scott, and Recruiting Service chief Major General Edward Thomas.
It's not an easy time to be an immigration judge. The case backlog is growing thanks to a surge in immigration. And now, the Federal Labor Relations Authority has voted for the second time to take away collective bargaining rights from immigration judges who work for the Justice Department. For an update, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, Mimi Tsankov.
The number of natural disasters requiring a federal response seem to be on the rise. Yet the first- response agency FEMA suffers from staffing shortages. That's one finding of a review by the Government Accountability Office. No agency can ensure mission success without the right people. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin got more from GAO's director of Homeland Security and Justice issues Chris Currie.
People who track politics say the majority in Congress could switch next year from Democratic to Republican. If that's the case, that prospect will drive the Democrats' oversight agenda for the rest of 2022. Some congressional leaders have laid out their agendas on paper. For what agencies can expect, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to Hogan Lovells attorney and former House Foreign Affairs Committee staff member Ari Fridman.
The Federal Drive with Tom Temin interviewed two federal professional union interviews, both concerning the Justice Department. In fresh complaints from assistant U.S. attorneys, they said the Justice Department salary system means they earn less than other government attorneys who work under the regular GS-system. They say it hurts recruitment and retention. For more, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the vice president of the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Hanna.
The White House is about to release a new strategy for federal cybersecurity. It will detail how agencies should move to zero trust architecture. This as the Office of Management and Budget eyes big changes to how people access federal systems. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Contractors who scrambled to deal with the Biden administration's vaccine mandate, well now they're scrambling to figure out what to do now that the Supreme Court has struck it down. Especially now that a Texas judge has halted the mandate for federal employees. The Federal Drive got perspective now from the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro.
The Social Security Administration came out last or nearly last in nearly every measure in the recent pulse survey. Its union employees say that's because management hasn't been bargaining in good faith on a new contract, and issue that's dragged on for years. For one view, the Federal Drive talked to the president of AFGE Council 220, Ralph DeJuliis.
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is revising its approach to using commercial sources of technology and data. It wants to diversify its sources, improve data security, and maybe have some influence on what the geo-int industry does. For details, the Federal Drive turned to the NGA's associate director for enterprise, Gary Dunow.
Vaccine mandates, their legal status, their enforceability, continue to vex the military. Earlier this month a Texas judge stopped the Navy from disciplining 35 special forces members who objected to the vaccine on religious grounds. Now the Justice Department has appealed the Texas Ruling. It's the top story in this week's DOD Reporters Notebook with Federal News Network's Jared Serbu and Scott Maucione.
The 13th Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act or FITARA scorecard may be the last of its kind. House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations members plan to revamp the bi-annual agency-by-agency scorecard. In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller covers what those changes may look like.
Budget reconciliation, administration nominations, and the looming appropriations deadline to get past a long continuing resolution. Those are all on the table for Congress. But both chambers are in recess though. We get more from Bloomberg Government deputy news editor Loren Duggan.
The select committee on the modernization of Congress has lately been pursuing, among other things, a very un-modern idea. Namely, how to enhance civility and collaboration. On Thursday it conducted a hearing on this and other matters. For an update on the committee's work, the committee chair, Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), and the vice chair, William Timmons (R-S.C.).
The Biden administration is moving ahead with directives in last year's executive order on tackling climate change through federal procurement. The new Federal Sustainability Plan released at the end of last tells agencies to harness procurement authority to reach 100% carbon -free energy at federal facilities by 2030. The plan also sets interim goals every few years until 2050. For the latest the Federal Drive turned to Federal News Network's Amelia Brust.
A patchwork of state privacy laws could lead to headaches and increasing compliance costs for businesses, including federal contractors. The Information Technology Innovation Foundation is out with a new report advocating for a federal privacy law to replace various state-specific mandates. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday, spoke with ITIF vice president Daniel Castro.
When you think of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, what comes to mind? Weekly patch updates. Log4J. Solar Winds. Ransomware. But the agency has a much wider mission than cybersecurity, critical as that might be. Another element of CISA recently noted its 15th anniversary. We get that story now from CISA's associate director for bombing prevention, Sean Haglund.
My next guest enlisted in the Marine Corps back in the 1980s and became one its first female combat officers. Later she held a series of increasingly responsible jobs connected to military manpower and readiness. Now she's the first-ever executive director of U.S. Naval Forces for Europe and Africa, and one this year's distinguished senior executives in the Presidential Rank Award program. Juliet Beyler joined the Federal Drive to tell us more.
The Defense Department is backing proposed legislation meant to make it easier for contracting officers to get their hands on companies’ internal pricing documents. Both the Pentagon and its inspector general say the changes are needed to head off price gouging – especially when it comes to small quantities of spare parts. The urging comes as a new IG report raises another round of allegations of excess profits by Transdigm, one of the military’s biggest spare parts suppliers. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has details.
After eleven terms in Congress, Rhode Island Representative Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) is leaving office. He's still got one year left. Langevin has been a champion for cybersecurity, and promises to keep pushing in 2022. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione spoke with Langevin the day after he announced his retirement.
March 30. That's the date AFGE councils of Social Security employees and the Social Security Administration have agreed to as re-entry day. When employees return to headquarters and field offices. It's a little more complicated, as we hear from Council 220 president Ralph DiJuliis.
Energy savings performance contracts have been around for a while, and in the new green frenzy we may see more of them. So when one of these deals goes south, it's worth looking at how and why. The Defense Department backed out of such a performance contract for an Air Force base. Now it's headed to court. The Federal Drive got more on the case from Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo.
The Nevada office of the Bureau of Land Management has so many paper records, they'd probably cover the land the agency manages. Recently it awarded multiple contractors a blanket purchase agreement to scan and digitize the paper. For details of how this will all work, the BLM's Nevada range program lead, Kathryn Dyer.
Last year’s cybersecurity executive order was mostly focused on federal civilian agencies. But don't think the Biden administration will let defense and intelligence agencies off the hook. He signed a new national security directive yesterday with some updated cyber requirements for classified systems. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
In-person hearings are coming back to the Social Security Administration. SSA and the Association of Administrative Law Judges reached an agreement on that point. But video and phone hearings will still be an option this year. Judges over the past two years have held hundreds of thousands of tele-hearings since the start of the pandemic. For more, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with AALJ’s president, Som Ramprup
Humanitarian groups often swoop in around the world to help people hit by natural disasters. Now the U.S. Agency for International Development has launched a program to see if people can be saved before disasters. It's funding a consortium of seven universities around the world to explore the possibilities. Joining the Federal Drive with the details, from USAID's Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, the acting division chief for private sector engagement, diaspora and innovation Maggie Schmitz.
For nearly a dozen years, the Energy Department has been sustaining carbon capture demonstration projects at process and power plants. But the program has been rocky. DOE canceled some projects before they were built. Others started but were shut down. The Government Accountability Office has found that Energy hasn't done enough to ensure cost controls and ended up spending $500 million on projects that were never built. For details, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the GAO's Director of Natural Resources and Environment Issues Frank Rusco.
A former Bush White House official is hoping to turn around a key Homeland Security division for the Biden administration. Kenneth Wainstein has been nominated to lead DHS’ Office of Intelligence and Analysis. If confirmed, he’ll have to take on the division’s long-standing leadership and morale issues. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The Postal Service hopes to deliver a billion COVID-19 tests to U.S. homes in the coming weeks. Starting today, people can request them at a new federal web site. Tests are supposed to ship within 12 days of ordering. Behind the scenes, USPS is striking a deal with one of its unions to help carry out this work. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has been following this development and joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for the latest.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is expanding a partnership with several Health and Human Services agencies. Now they've launched an entity called the Housing Services Resource Center. It's all aimed at ensuring people with disabilities can get the type of housing they need. For details, HUD's Senior Adviser for Housing and Services Richard Cho joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Top planners in the Pentagon and in the armed services have talked for years about the need to obtain innovation from small business. But according to my next guest, would-be companies new to the Defense market say that have trouble getting an audience, much less a contract. And that has implications beyond the small companies themselves. Federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more.
After a short break for the Martin Luther King Day holiday, Congress is back. Members will resume budget talks that started late last week, which is encouraging given that the continuing resolution deadline is just a month away. WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller has the latest.
Program evaluation dates almost as far back as government programs. But the art and science of program evaluation is always changing. The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act, passed back in 2018, aims to bring data and data science more deeply into evaluation. There's even a foundation to support this work. Recently it surveyed agencies to see how they're doing. Data Foundation president Nick Hart joined the Federal Drive to discuss the findings.
As national security threats seem to multiply constantly, nuclear non-proliferation remains an abiding priority. Now there's a new guy at the helm of the National Security Sciences Directorate, part of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Associate lab director Dr. Moe Khaleel joined the Federal Drive to discuss his new role.
A small but profound change in Defense Department procurement is underway, namely a move away from the DUNS numbers used for decades as way to reference contractor corporate entities. And the vaccine mandate picks up steam against unvaccinated service members. These stories are part of this week's DOD Reporters Notebook by Federal News Network's Scott Maucione and Jared Serbu.
President Barack Obama wouldn’t give his up. President George W. Bush wasn’t allowed to have one, even though he wanted to. For about 15 years, the BlackBerry phone was seemingly velcroed to every federal executive hand from the Oval Office on down.
But when Research in Motion, which owns BlackBerry, ended its support for the aging but still loved mobile device, it ended an era in the federal government.
In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller collected memories from federal officials about the BlackBerry and its long-lasting impact on the federal market.
Log4j, the most visible cybersecurity threat since Solar Winds, has organizations scrambling to find and fix instances of certain software. My next guest says that the two incidents are totally different technically, buy they produce the same lessons learned. Gordon Bitko is former FBI chief information officer, now the senior vice president of policy at the Information Technology Industry Council.
No matter what happens on the viral front, the workplace is not going to look like 2019. In early 2020, agencies hastily set up remote working capabilities for people suddenly forced to telework. My next guest says, now agencies need to think about how this is going to work long term. Deniece Peterson is the director of federal market analysis at Deltek,
We continue with our occasional series of interviews with the latest cohort of Presidential Rank Award winners. My next guest, when Congress passed the first pandemic relief legislation, led the team to manage a $178 billion fund. It was aimed at helping front-line health care providers, and paying for treatment of the uninsured. The deputy administration of the Health Resources and Services Administration, Diana Espinosa, joined the Federal Drive with more.
The Office of Personnel Management is launching a Chief Diversity Officer Council, the latest in a series of gambits under President Joe Biden’s executive order on diversity, equity, inclusion in the federal workforce. As for other goals in the EO, chief diversity officers say a hiring spree won’t improve diversity in the long-term.
For more on this work, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.
Members of Congress haven’t been shy about passing cybersecurity legislation in recent years. More is on the way this year. They’re promising to pass a cyber incident reporting law. One lawmaker is going to take a hard look at how to boost the influence of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
Ever been on a long airplane flight and, after all that coffee or tea, you really gotta go? Imagine being on a long flight in a cramped cockpit and there's no aisle to line up in, no restroom. That's a daily reality for the Air Force. Solutions have been so sub-optimal, that the service says airmen routinely dehydrate themselves so they can make it through flights. Now the Air Force has deployed what it calls an improved in-flight bladder relief device. Joining the Federal Drive with more, air crew flight equipment program analyst Scott Cota.
The lingering Covid virus is keeping people out of IRS offices. Yet a buildup of paper from tax returns is compelling tax employees to be there. So even though tax filing deadlines are returning to normal, the IRS is looking at a rough season. That's among the findings in this years annual report from the Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins.
The government’s been running under a continuing resolution for three and a half months now. At the moment, there aren’t any clear signs of a spending agreement that would head off a full-year CR. Pentagon leaders say that would be extremely bad news for the military. Rather than just keeping 2022 spending levels the same as last year, they say a CR would actually reduce DoD’s spending power by more than $20 billion this year. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has details on some of the effects they’re predicting.
The Navy has agreed to empty one of its largest strategic fuel tank farms in the Pacific. That’s after 14,000 gallons of jet fuel seeped into drinking water in Hawaii. But, the Navy's troubles don't end there. Military families are still displaced by the leak. And the Navy didn’t have answers to some big questions as officials testified before Congress this week. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione has the latest.
Members of Congress say they have a real chance to reform federal cybersecurity standards this year. Legislation has already passed one Senate committee. Now, a House committee is developing a companion bill to update the Federal Information Security Modernization Act. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday shares his reporting.
The Biden administration has launched a new way to gather data and feedback from the federal workforce. The President’s Management Council is releasing the first data from its Federal Pulse Survey that went out to civilian federal employees last fall. The survey is a pilot program aimed at getting here-and-now from feds more than OMB gets from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.
Some 9,000 aging veterans live in nursing homes operated by the Veterans Health Administration. The VA calls them community living centers. Sometimes complaints arise from residents or their advocates. An audit by the Government Accountability Office found some policy and procedural lapses that hinder VA's ability to respond to complaints. For more, the GAO's Director of Health Care Issues, Sharon Silas spoke with the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Debra Roth, a partner at Shaw, Bransford and Roth. She's a long time specialist in taking federal managers' cases to the Merit Systems Protection Board. Her firm also supports the Senior Executives Association. Roth explained why the Senate has failed to vote on the three nominees before it and also a bit of history about the board.
Most federal employees get through their careers without disputes with supervisors. But when they do have a dispute they've got recourse. For five years though, a crucial part of that recourse machinery, the Merit Systems Protection Board, has lacked a quorum, or even any of its three members at all. Now, three nominees are awaiting a Senate vote. For the implications of the missing MSPB, The Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to long-time federal employee attorney Heidi Burakiewicz.
Federal contractors are facing a looming continuing resolution deadline just a month off. They're also facing an ever tighter compliance and small business contracting regime. For what's ahead, the president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau.
The Biden administration ended the last calendar year with a whisper. It added only 1,400 pages to the Federal Register. That's a slow week for a document that grows by 75,0000 or 85,000 pages a year. And yes, there is someone who tracks this. For what it means, the Federal Drive turned to the deputy chief policy editor at Ballotpedia, Caitlin Styrsky.
Artificial intelligence might be the greatest thing since the half slip. But its software. And that means it can be hacked. That's a concern for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. DARPA has launched a program to develop defenses against that possibility. It's called Guaranteeing AI Robustness against Deception, or GARD. For more, the GARD program manager, Dr. Bruce Draper.
The government-wide improper payment rate crept up last year, because of programs spawned by the pandemic. The Office of Management and Budget found that improper payments grew most under the Federal-State Unemployment Insurance program, which saw its improper payment rate reach nearly 19%. Eight points higher than pre-pandemic rates. For a closer look, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the former deputy executive director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, now a principal at Grant Thornton, Linda Miller.
Tucked into page 6, second paragraph down of the Defense Information Systems Agency’s new strategic plan is a hum-dinger of a sentence. DISA says it wants to "eliminate the need for third party resellers, integrators" under the Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability or JWCC program.
In his weekly feature, the Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about this major policy change and why some in industry are unhappy. Jason joined the Federal Drive now to discuss.
As it settles in for real work after the holidays and its January 6 look-back, Congress, at least some members, are starting to wonder how the long continuing resolution is affecting the Defense department. For more on this and other matters under the dome, Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
You might be forgiven if you find the mask mandate confusing. It's been challenged in a dozen courts across the country. This as the latest covid variant pushes back any large scale return to the federal office. And Friday the Supreme Court heard arguments on the yes-or-no debate. D.C. federal employment attorney John Mahoney joined the Federal Drive to sort it out.
It might be less well-known than its military academy counterparts. But the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy produces the nation's trained and licensed maritime shipping workforce. So what it does is vital to the economy. The Academy is also in dire need of a new strategy and modernizing in general. That's the conclusion of a panel convened by the National Academy of Public Administration. Joining the Federal Drive with highlights, panel chair Judith Youngman.
Through federal agencies, the Biden Administration is trying to enforce several different vaccine mandates. They’ve all faced legal challenges to one degree or another. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Friday on whether the mandates issued through OSHA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should be allowed to go ahead. The ones that more directly affect federal employees and contractors haven’t reached the high court – at least not yet. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has been following the issue, and he joins the Federal Drive to bring us up to speed on where some of the cases stand.
The Army Emergency Relief provides grants and interest-free loans to soldiers who need a little help. The organization is now investing in the Army’s Career Skills Program. The initiative pairs companies with jobs in the civilian world with soldiers. But it has a few financial barriers. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione talked about it with Army Emergency Relief Financial Assistance Administrator, Scott Wilder.
What happens when an agency inspector general appears to whitewash charges of sexual misconduct by a senior manager? In the case of the Securities and Exchange Commission, complaints from inside the SEC eventually resulted in an investigation by the IG from another agency. The Project on Government Oversight got hold of that report and the lurid events it uncovered. Joining the Federal Drive with more, POGO senior journalist Adam Zagorin.
Federal agency management, in fact the Biden administration itself … have been at odds with employee unions in the covid and vaccine debates. At the Smithsonian, employees say their concerns over contact with the public haven't been taken seriously enough, and that's had consequences. For one view, the Federal Drive turned to the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2463, Reggie Booth.
Americans like their beef. One reason it's a popular protein option is because the industry generally produces a safe product. One reason for that is the work of my next guest. He's the associate administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, a nationally recognized expert on cattle health, and now the recent winner of a Presidential Rank Award. Dr. Steven Kappes joined the Federal Drive.
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is undertaking several major technology initiatives this year. The projects include cloud computing, cybersecurity, and machine learning. All this as NGA continues to look at ways it can harness an explosion in commercial earth data. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joined the Federal Drive with the latest.
Paul Courtney, who became the new chief procurement officer for DHS in August, said recruiting and retaining his workforce is among his highest priorities.
Artificial intelligence is growing fast as a technology to help companies hire the people they need faster. But it also has the potential to introduce bias on a record scale. That’s according to attorney Keith Sonderling, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2020. He’s made fair use of AI a top priority, and he joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more discussion.
Operators of pipelines, freight railroads and passenger transit systems face a parade of cybersecurity deadlines this year. They come from the Transportation Security Administration, partly in reaction to last year's Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack. For details, the Federal Drive turn to a former federal prosecutor, now a partner at the law firm McDermott, Will and Emery, Scott Ferber.
When training air combatants, the armed services find simulators can only take you so far. Sometimes you need practice up in the sky. Over the past few years, the Pentagon has spent $8 billion on contractors to supply planes and pilots to play enemy. Now those contracts are under review. We get more now from the director of defense capabilities and management issues at the Government Accountability Office, Cary Russell.
The Office of Personnel Management is planning to give agencies more discretion to handle under-performing federal employees. OPM is looking to repeal a Trump administration policy that prevented agencies from agreeing to remove or change information on a federal employee’s performance record, as a condition for leaving the agency. For a closer look at this policy change, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman joined the Federal Drive with more.
When a ransomware attack shut down Colonial Pipeline last May, it became an important test case for a new way of thinking about risk at the Department of Homeland Security. The new thinking is based on so called National Critical Functions. It aims to make sense of the interdependencies among sectors, like pipelines and transportation. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday spoke with Bob Kolasky, director of the National Risk Management Center, on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
When it comes to protesting defects in solicitations, timing is everything. U.S. Customs and Border Protection changed a solicitation after receiving bids. And it gave bidders very little time to make revisions. That sparked a protest that ended up in the U.S. Court of Appeals. Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo had the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Once touted as almost a miracle communications technology, 5G has run into trouble. The Federal Aviation Administration worries strong signals near airports will interfere with certain aircraft systems essential to safe landings. Verizon and AT&T say it's not so. Just before yesterday's agreement was reached, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke to the President and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, Hassan Shahidi, for insight into what's actually going on.
The Defense Health Agency has spent the past few years clustering military treatment facilities under its purview into marketplaces. Markets share resources and try to standardize care. Now, DHA is creating a catch-all conglomeration of clinics and hospitals to encompass remote facilities. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione spoke with the director of the new Small Market and Stand Alone Military Treatment Facility Organization, Maj. Gen. Shanna Woyack, on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
For a federal contractor, the best motivation for a new year's resolution is a better shot at more work. My next guest won't help you lose weight or write more letters, but he does have a few things that can help your business prospects. Federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
In some ways, the IRS is defined by its some forms. Many of the 800 forms represent a process or transaction. People in the agency's Enterprise Digitalization Project have been exploring quite a few projects that go far beyond simply digitizing forms, to modernizing business processes and case management. For an update, the Federal Drive spoke with project director Harrison Smith.
Since 2019, Congress and the Defense Department have heard about mice, mold, lead paint and other issues in privatized military housing. Yet military families are still battling for tenant rights and better housing conditions. Congress created a tenant bill of rights, but some advocates say the implementation has fallen flat. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione discussed ongoing issues in military homes with the Armed Forces Housing Advocates co-founder Sarah Kline.
The Defense Department is slowly chipping away at 117 separate tasks to implement its Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority Strategy, established in October of 2020. The goal of the strategy and its corresponding implementation plan is to help DoD take advantage of 5G and other spectrum frequencies to address an environment that DoD says is increasingly congested, contested and constrained. Vernita Harris is the director of the electromagnetic spectrum enterprise policy and program office, in the DoD’s office of the chief information officer. She tells executive editor Jason Miller about how this new spectrum strategy builds on and advances the 2013 and 2017 strategies.
After having spent several years tinkering with the Defense Department’s acquisition rules, Congress is turning its attention to one of the other main factors that bogs down the DoD procurement system: The byzantine apparatus the Pentagon and lawmakers use to actually fund each military program.
In the crosshairs is what’s known as the Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) process, an early Cold War-era construct that, translated to the modern era, means Defense officials usually wait at least two years after they realize they need a new technology before money arrives to start solving the problem.
From its embassy buildings to how it conducts diplomacy, the State Department has been on a modernization drive. That also includes its information technology. The Bureau of Consular Affairs has been working to consolidate 90 systems into one common system. The effort is known as Consular-One. It's not going all that great. For the latest, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with two people from the State Department office of inspector general, who looked into Consular-One: Vandana Patel, a senior information management inspector and Lisa Piascik, consular inspector.
Congress is contemplating a bill that would require companies to report successful cyber attacks to the federal government. It would enshrine in law many of the requirements in a Biden administration executive order that applies to federal agencies. For analysis, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Faegre Drinker law firm attorneys Jane Blaney and Jason Weiss.
Nearly 80% of the trillion dollar infrastructure bill is slated for grants. Only a sliver is destined for federal contracts. That's all according to a detailed analysis by Bloomberg Government. For details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with BGov senior data analyst Paul Murphy.
Strange workforce issues were important topics in the news this past year. The ongoing hybrid situation continued, lots of people at home, but not those whose work is location specific. It all got leavened by the arrival of vaccines and vaccine mandates. For what you cared about and what it means for the year ahead, Federal News Network's top digital editor, David Thornton.
Who owns your face? Or your fingerprints? And how should they be treated if you use them to gain access to an online system? These very real questions on privacy. And rights to biometric data are amplified by the growing use of artificial intelligence. In fact, the Office of Science and Technology Policy is asking the public to weigh-in on the development of biometric principals. For what's at stake, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with attorney Duane Pozza, a partner at Wiley Rein and a specialist in AI and related technologies.
OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is in the business of ensuring safe practices in the nation's employment sites. The pandemic has made things busy and a little difficult for the agency. Federal Drive host Tom Temin got an update from Nadira Janack, the director of the Baltimore-Washington OSHA area in Linthicum, Maryland.
President Joe Biden, in signing an executive order to raise the bar on federal customer experience, said last week that much of the work outlined in the EO “sounds like a simple thing,” but would nonetheless be consequential. As it turns out, several presidents have found this matter to be consequential, but far from simple.
A look at four selected agencies, some large some small, shows the government has work to do in order to fulfill the aims of the Data Act. One reason is the White House has failed to issue detailed agency guidance as the 2018 law requires. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin talked about all of this with the director of strategic issues at the Government Accountability Office, Michelle Sager.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently concluded audits of cybersecurity practices of electrical grid operators. It found they mostly comply with legally required cyber measures. But that doesn't mean the grid is free of cyber-related danger. Federal Drive host Tom Temin got an analysis of this exercise from energy regulatory lawyer and senior counsel at Akin Gump, Scott Johnson.
For federal contractors, 2021 comes to an end with no appropriations for 2022 until halfway through the fiscal year. This as they deal with a flurry of head-spinning executive orders from the Biden administration. Federal Drive host Tom Temin got a summary of the issues during his interview with the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro.
The Science and Technology Directorate at the Homeland Security Department has two names for a reason. It funds science, but the goal is to transfer science into deployable technology. Now the directorate has awarded grants to two universities -- one on each side of the country -- to improve how research and development activities transition to products. The project is called S-and-T Analysis and Management of Innovation Activity, or STAMINA. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Directorate's acting director for technology scouting and transition, Michel Kareis.
The Postal Service, during its busiest season, is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 quarantines among its workforce. Despite this challenge, USPS data shows the agency provided a significantly higher level of service this year, compared to widespread mail and package delays it saw in December 2020.
USPS data shows it delivered more than 90% of first-class mail on-time so far in the first quarter of fiscal 2022. That’s a significant improvement, compared to the 78.44% of first-class mail delivered on-time for the same period in FY 2021.
Like it or not, there was one topic we couldn't stop talking about in 2021. Yes, that vaccine mandate consumed conversations at your agency this year. So did questions about when federal employees would return to their offices. In the meantime, agencies have been setting new telework and remote policies. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined us to explain why agencies are further along in answering some of those questions over others. And why all three topics might remain part of the conversation for federal employees going into 2022.
Some 500 colleges and universities host Reserve Office Training Corps programs. The Navy Federal Credit Union has expanded its scholarship program to include all of them. For an update, the credit union's vice president for branch operations, Matt Lawson.
In 2021, federal chief data officers settled into their jobs. This as the Biden administration's management agenda called for better agency stewardship, program evaluation and service to the citizen. All of it requires both data and federal employee data literacy. For a review and what to expect in 2022, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman.
The Defense budget request from the Biden administration is a bit of an outlier, as these things go. It was submitted later than ever, and is an amalgam of Biden and Trump administration priorities. It's also the first in 20 years to come with no overseas contingency fund request. Or not exactly. For the important messages the budget is sending, we turned to the Director of Defense Budget Analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Todd Harrison.
A hacker and even a reporter, thankfully not one of ours, are among those on a new federal advisory panel. The Cybersecurity Advisory Committee held its first meeting this month. It has the task of helping the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency boost U.S. cyber defenses. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday reports.
The Chief Human Capital Officers Council recently got a revival from the Biden administration. The cheekos are pondering the future of federal work. They've rewritten the council's charter. They hope of help modernize the federal workforce. My next guest says the Council needs to model the behaviors it hopes to foster. Joining the Federal Drive, long-time federal workforce guru Bob Tobias.
The Senior Executives Association has launched a first-ever awards program for its members, federal senior executives. The thinking is, the Presidential Rank Awards program is fine as far as it goes. But it leaves many worthy people unrecognized. Joining the Federal Drive with more on the program, SEA President Bob Corsi.
Sexual assault and harassment at sea has been a problem for cadets at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Twice in recent years it's had to interrupt its Sea Year program, under which students spend time on U.S. flag merchant vessels to gain experience. Recently one mariner I interviewed said the Coast Guard is lax in dealing with reported incidents. For the Coast Guard's response, I spoke with Rear Admiral John Mauger, the assistant commandant of the Coast Guard for prevention policy. And with Michael Berkow is director of the Coast Guard Investigative Service. You hear Mauger first.
The armed services have been dealing with a number of important issues in the past year. Issues they'll need to keep grappling with in the year ahead, 2022. Among them, how to assess and mitigate the occurrences of sexual assault within the ranks. And how to lower the persistent rate of suicides among solders, sailors, airmen and marines. Federal News Network's Scott Maucione has been covering these topics, and he joined the Federal Drive with an assessment and look ahead.
Homeland Security is moving ahead with a new concept for managing risks to parts of the U.S. economy. Instead of focusing on individual sectors, DHS is now assessing the most critical functions, and the technologies that support them. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
Learning agendas are becoming a popular buzzword in government these days. Individual agencies are working on their own learning agendas to publish next spring. Now the Biden administration is launching a new learning agenda as part of his emerging President's Management Agenda. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to explain what this means, and how federal employees, the private sector and others can weigh in.
A National Security Agency cloud computing acquisition is in limbo after losing bidder Microsoft successfully challenged one of the source selection criteria. The case shows how carefully agencies need to tread, especially when price is not the main criterion. Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo review the case on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Federal real estate officials and Congress both know the government has plenty of property to dispose of. Yet 20 years of effort has produced very little in the way of excess property sales. Five years after Congress refreshed the effort with a new law, the General Services Administration has only sold one building. For more, we turn to the acting director of physical infrastructure issues at the Government Accountability Office, Jill Naamane.
From SolarWinds to President Joe Biden's executive order on cybersecurity to the collapse of the Pentagon's JEDI program to Log4j, it's been quite a year for cybersecurity in the federal government. And for its first cousin, cloud computing. Federal News Network Executive Editor Jason Miller has been following all of it. He joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin with a summary and what you can expect for 2022.
Welcome back to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin on Federal News Network.
In the race to find technology talent, sometimes you have to grow your own. Accenture Federal Services is doing just that with an apprenticeship program for veterans in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. For details, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the managing director and lede of its Advanced Technology Center Accenture, Ali Bokhari, and one of the apprentices now working as a full time engineer, Tyler Eccleton.
Few acquisition methods have proven as popular with agency buyers than indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contracts. Known affectionately as IDIQs. Protests, though, have killed off at least one planned IDIQ, and threaten delay or stop a couple of others. Joining the Federal Drive with more on this unfortunate trend, federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen.
As part of the Homeland Security Department, the Coast Guard is about to adopt an employee performance management program DHS is pushing to its components. For how this will affect employees, Coast Guard human resources specialist Brooke Lawson.
AIDS, the deadly virus-caused disease that dominated medical news in the 1980s, is still a scourge. Especially in certain nations outside of the U.S. And helping mitigating it remains a priority for the State Department. For an update, the Federal Drive turned to the senior advisor in the Office of the U.S. Global Aids Coordinator and Health Diplomacy, Jirair Ratevosian.
The Small Business Administration is elevating its Office of Women’s Business Ownership. It's part of the Biden administration’s focus on what it calls equitable recovery from the pandemic. Now the office reports directly to the SBA Administrator, currently Isabella Guzman. It’s also trying to encourage more women business owners to compete for federal contracts. For a closer look at this work, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the assistant administrator of SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership, Natalie Madeira Cofield.
Military service members get a housing stipend every month depending on their rank, where they live, and their family situation. This coming year, the Defense Department is increasing its average basic allowance for housing by an unusually high percentage. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione with the details.
Even Democrats on Capitol Hill are saying the gigantic so-called build back better legislation won't happen in 2021. They'll be back with it next year. Meantime members are concerned with how the vaccine mandate is playing out for federal employees and service members. More now from WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
When you oversee an enterprise as big as the Defense Department, you need a plan. And that's what the Office of Inspector General does every year … develop a plan for the year ahead. The OIG's 2022 plan is out. For highlights, the management challenges lead in the OIG, Courtney Fones.
Financial criminals need mules to move the cash. The Justice Department builds fences to keep the mules from getting very far. In fact, the Money Mule initiative has been running for four years, and it's gaining ground. For what it is and how it works, the consumer protection branch deputy assistant attorney general Arun Rao.
The Air Force is drafting a new automation strategy. And it’s not all about killer robots or bots replacing humans. Instead, Air Force officials say automation software is making Airmen’s jobs a lot easier, and a little less boring in some cases. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday reports.
Extreme weather and climate change are ongoing threats to federal buildings. The Smithsonian is no exception. It houses 155 million artifacts spanning, oh, all of human history and beyond. But the system’s museums and storage facilities risk flooding and other damage. In fact, that's already happened in the National Capital Region. Smithsonian officials appeared before the House Administration committee last week. Federal News Network’s Amelia Brust has more.
Federal employees may not all be in the office for the second holiday season in a row. But your generosity is undeterred by the pandemic. In fact, in the recent giving Tuesday you really shelled out. Both dollars and volunteer hours. We get the latest from the chairman of the National Capital Region Federal Coordinating Committee, Vince Micone.
Some 650 pieces of federal land have the word squaw in their names. Nowadays that's considered derogatory to women, and to indigenous women in particular. Now the Interior Department has called on a group called the Board on Geographic Names to change them. With how that all works, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke to the senior counselor to the Interior secretary, Liz Klein.
For the Veterans Benefits Administration, fraud and identity theft is costly. For both the veterans it serves and for the agency itself. December being National Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month, VBA has programs in place to protect its own assets and to help veterans protect theirs. For more, the VBA's chief financial officer, Charles Tapp.
The vaccine deadlines have come and gone. Now agencies are starting to think more about bringing federal employees back to their offices. Some agencies are bargaining with their unions. Others are scratching out telework and remote work policies. And a few even dare to set tentative dates. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined the Federal Drive with why returning to the office is still sort of a hairball.
The National Science Foundation mainly awards grants. It has 50,000 of them out there right now. To analyze them, its financial staff developed an artificial intelligence application called the Financial Obligation Root Cause Explorer, or FORCE. It won the innovation award from the Association of Government Accountants. For what it is and what it does, the NSF's payments and analytics branch chief, Jesse Simons.
The sexual assault and sexual harassment problems, known as SASH, we just heard about came up in a detailed review of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. It was done at congressional request by the National Academy of Public Administration. Leading the study was Judith Youngman, a NAPA fellow and former faculty member of both the Coast Guard and U.S. Military academies.
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, part of the Transportation Department, has suspended a program that puts students at sea for a year. That followed reports of sexual assault of students aboard commercial vessels. Members of Congress have called on the academy to establish a plan for dealing with assault. According to my next guest, the stories keep coming in. He's the founder and chief legal officer of Maritime Legal Aid and Advocacy, J. Ryan Melogy.
The Defense Department’s chief data officer is transforming the way the agency thinks about and uses data. Now the department is taking steps to bring the CDO closer together with two of its partners, the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and the Defense Digital Service. Early next year, all three will report to a new Chief Digital and A-I Officer. For a closer look, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the senior adviser to the DOD chief data officer, Jenny Sue Ross.
The Defense Information Systems Agency is letting its milCloud 2.0 offering expire in May 2022. Federal News Network has learned that DISA told the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on Dec. 14 that it will not pick up the third option period with GDIT, which was supposed to happen in early June. The Federal Drive welcomed Federal News Network's Jason Miller with more on this breaking news.
Service members just hit their deadline for being fully vaccinated, but now the Omicron variant is bearing down. The Defense Department is thinking about a new mandate. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined with the latest.
If you're in cybersecurity for the federal government, you might have to kiss Christmas goodbye. Agencies have until Christmas Eve to patch a critical exploit in widely used logging software. But the response to the “Log4j” vulnerability will likely last well into the new year. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
Like the Office of Personnel Management the Chief Human Capital Officers Council has been going through its own transformation over the last year. The council moved back under OPM's umbrella. Chief human capital officers have spent the last couple of months discussing the future of work and the administration's diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joins me now with more of what the council's been up to and why it matters.
Andrew Williams produced a string of technological innovations while working for the Air Force. Now he's been promoted to deputy technology executive officer for Space Science and Technology. That means he'll work directly on the Space Force mission.
The Biden administration is moving at a snail's pace to staff itself. Slower in fact than the last three administrations. That's according to analysis done by Katy Tenpas, a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency keeps expanding. The Federal cyber advisor, a Senate confirmed position, has been in place for months. So why is the Government Accountability Office testifying on the need for a national cyber strategy aimed at protecting critical infrastructure? We get an answer from the GAO's director of information technology and cybersecurity issues, Nick Marinos.
Like a pile of pick-up sticks, the Biden administration's contractor vaccine mandate has collapsed in a heap. After a slew of state lawsuits and unfavorable court decisions, the administration won't enforce the mandate. But that doesn't end the matter necessarily. Joining the Federal Drive with what might come next, the president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau.
Whether in the public or private sectors, technology has arrived at the task of recruiting and hiring people. Now, more employers are adding artificial intelligence to their technology stacks. AI has the potential for misuse, or even for introducing unlawful bias all by itself. It's a big concern for my next guest. She's chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Charlotte Burrows.
The latest attempt to give small business government contractors a boost comes at a strange time in federal acquisition. The Biden administration aims to double the percentage of contracts going to small disadvantage businesses in 2022, at a time when the number of all small firms are shrinking.
In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller covers the challenges agencies face in meeting the Biden administration's small business goals.
By all indications, the Congress this week will have managed to keep a streak going. It will get the National Defense Authorization Act to the president's desk before the of the calendar year. Beyond that? Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
Each year the holiday buying season brings in a raft of phony and counterfeit goods into the country. And each year Immigration and Custom Enforcement's Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center works to stop them. Here on the Federal Drive with this year's update, the deputy director of the center, Ricardo Mayoral.
A group of scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory have one word for you. Just one word. Plastic. Well, polyurethane to be precise. This widely used material is almost never recycled. Now the lab has teamed up with Northwestern University and Dow Chemical Company to, you might say, modernize how polyurethane is made and handled. Joining the Federal Drive with more, the fuels and products group leader at Argonne's systems assessment center, Troy Hawkins.
Congressional auditors have found big flaws in the Defense Department's signature supplier security program. That would be the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program. A Government Accountability Office review found numerous problems with “CMMC 1.0.” Now the question is, will those issues continue to haunt the revised “2.0” program? For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
The Biden administration is setting long-term zero-emission goals for federal buildings and vehicles. A new executive order sets 2050 as deadline. The General Services Administration is already putting plans in motion, not waiting for the Build Back Better law now stalled in Congress. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman joined the Federal Drive with more.
What promises to be a long accounting for the federal response to the pandemic, it's already underway. One agency that was called to respond early is FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A recent report from the Homeland Security Office of Inspector General found a mixed bag. Joining the Federal Drive with details, the DHS deputy inspector general for audits, Bruce Miller.
The 2022 defense authorization bill is on the fast track to passage. Finally. Some of the blockbuster provisions were left out, but there are still plenty of measures that directly affect service members and their families. For what those are, Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione.
One of the biggest unanswered questions about the Pentagon’s Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability contract has been this. Will vendors be able to compete for work on a project-by-project basis. And the answer is yes, but with a caveat. DoD does plan to conduct task order competitions for each new cloud requirement. But vendors won’t submit bids. Instead, the department will use a new technology tool called “AT-AT” to pick winners based on what it already knows about each company’s capabilities and prices. If it sounds unusual – it is. In an exclusive interview with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu, Danielle Metz, the deputy DoD CIO for information enterprise, explained how it will work.
Stop us if you've heard this before. But in a politically divided America, trust in government is at a low point. A survey sponsored by the Project on Government Oversight finds voters across the spectrum suspect there's corruption in the government. With a view of what Congress can do about it, POGO's government affairs manager, Dylan Hedtler Gaudette.
The bottom seems to be falling out of the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for federal contractors. Seven states filed lawsuits against it. And now a judge in Georgia has blocked the mandate nationwide. For one view of what contractors should do now, the Federal Drive turned to Jenner and Block partner Matthew Haws.
At the Defense Department, artificial intelligence has been topic one lately. But unlike, say, China, the U.S. Federal Government including DOD have a policy of ethical and unbiased application of AI. Recently the Defense Innovation Unit issued what it calls Responsible AI Guidelines. Joining the Federal Drive with what those are all about, the unit's technical director for artificial intelligence and machine learning, Jared Dunnmon.
It's a campaign that never seems to end. The Office of Personnel Management is on a mission to help agencies with their hiring, and understand the tools and tricks they can use to bring new employees on board faster. Many agencies already had plenty of hiring to do earlier in the year. But the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is piling more on. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined the Federal Drive to explain what OPM is trying to do to help.
A new cyber incident reporting mandate seemed well on its way to being included in this year’s NDAA. But the push to have critical companies report hacks to the government fell apart at the last minute. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
The Biden administration is sending a clear message to agencies to cooperate with their inspectors general. The Office of Management and Budget has new guidance on this after getting feedback from the Council of Inspectors General. Now there's legislation what would bolster IGs. For an update on this work, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
A disabled veteran-owned training contractor found out that you can do better protesting an award in the Court of Federal Claims rather than with the Government Accountability Office. That's because you can get more information in court filings. Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo illustrated that point with a recent case on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The nation's communications infrastructure is one of those critical elements that need protection. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, has the task of helping the industry ensure resilience. But the Government Accountability Office said the agency should do a little more navel-gazing. The GAO's Acting Director Leslie Gordon had more on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has been laboring for years now to build and install the Cerner electronic health record system. The Office of Inspector General took a close look at the patient scheduling component VA installed last year at two locations. Here with highlights of what they found, Deputy Assistant Inspector General Leigh Ann Searight.
The Pentagon and the armed services have been on an innovation tear. But they're buying most of the innovation from the private sector. That's sharpened the challenges the Defense Department has over how it manages intellectual property. Now Congress is getting interested. It's one of the top stories in this week's DoD Reporters Notebook with Federal News Network's Jared Serbu and Scott Maucione, who joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The General Services Administration recently selected 14 information technology projects in which it will invest a windfall. GSA's Technology Transformation Service received $150 million in extra funding in fiscal 2021 from the American Rescue Plan. Technology Transformation Service Director Dave Zvenyach joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for highlights of the projects.
Like soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe, Congress is good at kicking things. Megan scores goals though. Congress kicks procrastination cans down the road. Now the continuing resolution for funding the government runs until February. February 18 to be exact. So you can reset the countdown clock. For what Congress will be dealing with next, the Federal Drive spoke to WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
And elite task force has finished look into the competitiveness of American manufacturing. Its findings start with the U.S. work force, and it also has recommendations for the federal government. The Federal Drive got highlights now from the director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Roger Zakheim.
Ensuring resiliency and efficiency of the electrical grid, it's a top national security concern. Keeping the grid top notch will take more than wires. It'll take algorithms. My next guest, a scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, developed an algorithm that won the top prize in a competition, staged by the Advanced Research Project Agency - Energy. Doctor Hassan Hijazi joined the Federal Drive to tell us about it.
House Democrats are focusing on several tidbits important to the federal workforce in the final days of 2021. They've introduced new legislation to strengthen the Office of Personnel Management. And there's a new bill that attempts an overhaul of an underperforming federal internship program. Recent debate in the House Oversight Committee, shows just how heated these arcane-sounding topics really are. More from Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko.
Trains, planes and other transportation sectors are being handed new cybersecurity requirements by the Biden administration. Agencies want to make sure the nation’s transportation infrastructure isn’t susceptible to ransomware and other attacks. The new mandates mark a shift from a mostly voluntary approach to cybersecurity in critical infrastructure. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday reports.
Recently the Office of Special Counsel revealed that several members of the Trump administration violated the Hatch Act. It happens in every administration, if not to that extent. The law prevents political activity by appointed and career federal employees while on the job. My next quest says the Office of Special Counsel should have greater statutory authority to go after Hatch Act violators. Bob Tobias is a professor in the Key Executive Leadership program at American University.
Sometimes the simplest things to say are the most complicated to do. Fly to the moon and back. Establish world peace. Or, require everyone in your company to get vaccinated if you want to do business with the federal government. With weeks to go before an ostensible deadline, contractors are still vexed by the nuances of the White House mandate. Here with some insight for coping, the Morris, Manning and Martin partner Kelly Kroll.
The U. S. Agency for International Development recently awarded two large academic grants to deal with food insecurity, a problem that's growing worse around the world. $36 million went to the University of California, Davis. And $25 million went to Tufts University. Joining the Federal Drive with what they hope to accomplish, the chief scientist in Bureau for Resilience and Food Security at USAID, Rob Bertram.
The Department of Veterans Affairs will resume deployment of its massive electronic health record modernization project at a second site in March. New leadership will attempt to get a handle of the initiative. The project has been on hold for much of the last year while the administration learned about problems at the first go-live site. Not everyone is thrilled VA is moving on. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined the Federal Drive to explain the next steps.
The Ransomware threat has spooked nearly everyone. A big unknown is how vulnerable your organization actually is to ransomware attacks. A cybersecurity company called Black Kite says it's developed a way of accessing your risk by using open source intelligence. Joining the Federal Drive with how it works, Black Kite's chief security officer, Bob Maley.
June Gibbs Brown, one of the federal government's earliest inspectors general, retired more than 20 years ago. But her work lives on through and annual award given by the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. This year's award went to Ruth Ann Dorrill, the regional IG for evaluation and inspections at the Department of Health and Human Services.
At the IRS, like a lot of large agencies, procurement, technology, and mission are all tied together. Now the IRS has a new deputy chief procurement officer, someone with long federal and private sector experience. Guy Torres joined the Federal Drive in studio.
It’s been almost two years since Congress directed the military services to appoint independent cyber advisors. The new offices went through some initial growing pains, but they're starting to find their footing within the Defense Department’s vast bureaucracy. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
The Postal Service delivered more than a billion packages during its peak holiday operations last year, and looks to break that record again this year. But a new study suggests USPS is putting too much of an emphasis on its package business, while sacrificing prompt mail delivery to all parts of the country. For a closer look at this study, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the former Commerce Department under secretary for economic affairs, Robert Shapiro.
The Postal Service delivered more than a billion packages during its peak holiday operations last year, and looks to break that record again this year. But a new study suggests USPS is putting too much of an emphasis on its package business, while sacrificing prompt mail delivery to all parts of the country. For a closer look at this study, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the former Commerce Department under secretary for economic affairs, Robert Shapiro.
No contract type requires more government oversight than cost reimbursement. Looking at just a small sample of invoices incurred by the National Security Agency, its inspector general found the NSA has some work to do. Inspector General Robert Storch had the details on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
The White House is mandating that federal contractors get vaccinated, but that doesn’t mean everyone. The Navy is turning a blind eye to by not amending its contracts with the nation’s largest shipbuilder to require the shots. That decision effects tens of thousands of contractors. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more.
The Bureau of Land Management, part of the Interior Department, famously relocated from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colorado, in 2019. It hasn't gone smoothly. The agency is rife with vacancies because many people didn't want to move. The Government Accountability Office now has several recommendations for how BLM can manage back to normal. For more, the GAO's director of Natural Resources and Environment Issues, Frank Rusco, spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
It's out - the annual tally of contract protests filed by companies both before and after agencies have made awards. The numbers aren't drastically different but there are some important trends. Here with the numbers and the analysis, Federal News Network's Jason Miller.
The Defense Department is in the midst of an acquisition program for a new fighter jet. Actually it's an extensively modified version of an old warhorse, the F-15, known as the F-15 E-X. Dan Grazier said the plane may be mostly new, but the Air Force is making some old mistakes in buying it. He is a military fellow at the Project on Government Oversight, and he joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more.
An executive order from the Biden administration is ostensibly aimed at protecting employees of services contractors. It would require a company that wins a follow-on contract from an incumbent, to give the incumbent employees first right of refusal to work for the winning company. It's an idea that's come up in earlier Democratic administrations. Joining the Federal Drive with one view of it, the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro.
The Federal Election Commission on a party-line vote recently decided not to sanction a federal prisons contractor. The company, GEO Group, had made a big contribution to the Donald Trump political action committee in 2016. Where can contractors contribute politically, and where can they not? Bloomberg Government senior editor Ken Doyle has been following this question closely, and joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
Congress gave the Department of Homeland Security the authority to create its own cybersecurity personnel system back in 2014. Six years later, the new cyber talent management system is live, and accepting applications. CTMS lets the department recruit, hire, pay and promote cybersecurity talent in a completely different way from the traditional General Schedule. Angela Bailey is the DHS chief human capital officer. Travis Hoadley is the director of innovation for CTMS. And Erin Hayes is the CTMS director of operations. They tell Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko, why it took so long to develop the system. You hear Bailey first.
As it does every year, the Health and Human Services office of inspector general publishes the top management and performance challenges facing the department. This year, the IG found that HHS faces significant challenges when it comes to data, managing it and using it. Joining the Federal Drive with details, the senior counselor to the OIG, Andrew VanLandingham.
The Labor Department’s new initiative to modernize the technology that underlies the delivery of unemployment insurance. It's far from your typical IT project. Labor has more than 50 customers, each at varying stages of development and with varying types of technology. Michele Evermore is the deputy director for policy in the office of unemployment insurance modernization at the Labor Department. Gundeep Ahluwalia is the chief information officer. They tell executive editor Jason Miller about their plans to help states tackle this challenge.
The Continuing Resolution under which the government has been operating since October 1 will expire this Friday. Returning from its Thanksgiving recess, dealing with the budget is a top priority for both chambers. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about all this with Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.
Now that the 2020 decennial count is more or less in the rearview mirror, the Census Bureau has a new concern: The five-year American Community Survey will also be late, with the pandemic to blame, as well. Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked about all this with Census Project co-director Howard Fienberg, who said Congress needs to bolster the Census Bureau with funds to modernize its data infrastructure and enhance the vital American Community Survey.
The Biden administration's military strategy appears to support a reduction in forces while relying more on soft-power tools. That is the gist of the most recent (and detailed) analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. For highlights about what upcoming budget battles are all about, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with CSIS senior adviser Mark Cancian.
The Transportation Security Administration is proposing new cybersecurity regulations. They would apply to high-risk rail operators. It’s part of a broader push by Homeland Security to improve cybersecurity across the transportation sector. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
It's one thing for a contracting officer to help a bidder in a tight contract competition to fix errors in its bid. It's another thing to disclose information from a competitor's offer. That's what happened in a State Department plan to recompete protective services. We got details from Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joseph Petrillo.
The Social Security Administration delegates to state agencies responsibility for making disability determinations. States in turn use medical experts, some staff, some contracted. Either way, the Government Accountability Office found Social Security needs to shore up its oversight of state medical experts. For more, we turned to the director of GAO's education, workforce and income security team, Elizabeth Curda.
Gentlemen, listen up. Prostate cancer is no fun. But it takes many forms. Some will get you fast. Others grow so slowly you'll die from something else. Now the Veterans Health Administration is teaming with the University of Maryland on a research project. It's goal is to establish new surveillance methods to track those with low-risk prostate cancer. With what's going on, the chief of urology for the VA Maryland Healthcare System, Dr. Mohammed Minhaj Siddiqui.
U.S. Transportation Command’s first attempt to reform the military moving system got derailed by a successful bid protest. Now it’s reawarded the Global Household Goods Contract to one of the companies that lost the first time around. The initial award is worth an estimated $6.2 billion over the next three year, and could be worth up to $20 billion if DoD renews its options for a full nine years. The winning firm this time is called HomeSafe Alliance. It’s a new joint venture owned by KBR and Tier One Relocation. Al Thompson is HomeSafe’s CEO, and a former director of the Defense Logistics Agency. He talked with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu about how the contract and the reforms will work.
Federal sales boomed during the fiscal 21, with General Services Administration buying vehicles reporting sales records. That shouldn't be a surprise given record appropriations in response to the pandemic. My next guest says that despite the strength of the market, dark clouds hover over contractors. Larry Allen is president of Allen Federal Business Partners and he joined the Federal Drive to discuss.
The Biden administration's management agenda, which it called a vision, laid out three basic principles. Boosting the federal workforce, improving citizen service, and using the bureaucracy to achieve the administration's agenda. New stuff or old wine in a new bottle? The Federal Drive got one view from the president and CEO of the National Academy of Public Administration, Terry Gerton.
The U.S. Agency for International Development is looking to expand the roster of organizations it partners with around the world. So it's launched a set of online resources to help new partners get together with experienced ones and with the agency. It's all housed at a new site called WorkWithUSAID.org. Joining the Federal Drive with details, USAID's industry liaison, Matthew Johnson.
Ambassadors and diplomats aren’t the only ones who further the mission of the State Department. In most cases, the family members that join them overseas promote the department’s interests through volunteer work. This year’s winners of the Secretary of State’s Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad did just that, donating reusable hygiene kits to school-age girls in India and Kenya, as well combatting human trafficking in the Middle East. For a closer look at these projects, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with two of this year's award winners, Layla Murphy. And first from, Jennie Linton.
The deadline for federal employees to comply with the Biden administration's vaccine mandate has passed. And some of the numbers are in. The White House says 90% of federal employees have at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined the Federal Drive to tell us what we know so far about the vaccination campaign inside the federal workforce.
The debt ceiling is looming closer. And a government shutdown showdown is only a couple of weeks away. And the mask mandate continues to roil Congress. For a look at the week ahead, WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller.
Supply chain security issues have been dominating the news lately. That plus rising costs and longer delivery times. The Biden administration has taken some steps to help logistics companies. For an assessment, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with the Senior Vice President of Policy and Senior Counsel at the Information Technology Industry Council, John Miller.
Agencies with big campuses often have parking that's either not enough, or people have long hikes from distant spaces. That's the case at the National Security Agency's big headquarters campus at Fort Meade, Maryland. For decades it's been a source of angst for employees. The Office of Inspector General took a look at the parking situation. IG Robert Storch joins me with details.
On Friday, the federal IT world got some long awaited news about the future of cloud computing in DoD. The department picked four companies for spots on its upcoming Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability contract, expected to be worth several billion dollars. But the names of the companies are about all we do know. After months of market research, the Pentagon is keeping a tight lid on how the contract will actually work. Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has been following DoD’s enterprise cloud saga as it’s unfolded over the last several years, broke the story on Friday, and joined the Federal Drive with analysis.
It’s been six months since President Joe Biden signed a sprawling executive order on cybersecurity. Agencies have received a fire hose of new guidance and standards. Now a top White House cyber official says it’s time to start executing on those plans. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.
A leading academic program concerned with federal acquisition has become something of an advisor to the government. To the Defense Department in particular. The Center for Government Contracting, part of George Mason University's business school, has won a contract. It will help the under secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering review the contracting activities of DARPA and of the defense laboratories. Joining the Federal Drive with the details, center executive director Jerry McGinn.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, part of Homeland Security, has awarded a $1 million grant to a non-profit. CISA wants the CyberWarrior Foundation to create a training program to make more cybersecurity practitioners. It's called the Cybersecurity Workforce Development and Training Pilot for Underserved Communities. Here with details, foundation chief operating officer Jonathan Edwards.
You can't overestimate how much people care about the weather. And although most people may not realize it, the National Weather Service is the original source of most weather forecasts. My next guest has spent more than 40 years as a federal weather practitioner, first at NASA and then at the National Weather Service, where he's been the director since 2013. Now Dr. Louis Uccellini has announced his retirement.
The Veterans Affairs Department is testing whether artificial intelligence can flag health problems from medical images, help veterans find services online, and enable clinicians to reach out to patients about their mental health. VA looks to take this to the next level under its new AI strategy. For details, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the director of the VA’s National Artificial Intelligence Institute, Gil Alterovitz.
The Biden administration has a new management agenda... or at least a what it calls a vision for one. The administration detailed three main priorities and several underlying strategies as part of the President's Management Agenda. Some are familiar. Others have a slightly different take on goals that have shown up in past PMAs. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined the Federal Drive now to walk us through the new agenda.
Now that the Veterans Benefits Administration has started delivering disability payments to service members exposed to burn pits, everything is hunky dory, right? Not according to Bart Stichman, whose organization is helping represent veterans with those claims. He’s the executive director of the National Veterans Legal Services Program and joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss.
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, known as the DFC, is only about two years old. It grew out of a Congressionally ordered merger of two older agencies. It mostly funds itself with fees and interest on the loans it provides overseas. Recently it got a new chief operating officer. Former Carlyle Group managing director and presidential transition expert David Marchick told the Federal Drive more.
The Army’s been busy over the last few years solving technical capability gaps in the communications networks soldiers use on the battlefield. That whole modernization effort is still very much underway. The Army continues to field new gear incrementally. In October the Army unveiled a plan to tie the tactical network to the enterprise network, with cloud capabilities helping out. For more on all of that, Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu talked with three senior Army leaders at the annual AUSA conference in Washington. Maj. Gen. Rob Collins is the program executive officer for command, control and communications-tactical. Brig. Gen. Jeth Rey is director of the Network Cross-Functional Team at Army Futures Command. And Joe Welch is the director of the C5ISR center, part of the Army’s combat capabilities development command. You hear Collins first.
Tech companies are increasingly at the center of Washington’s bureaucracy. They’re looking to influence major federal developments ranging from the Technology Modernization Fund, to cyber and supply chain security. The Alliance of Digital Innovation is among the tech groups jockeying to have its voice heard. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday caught up with the new executive director at ADI, former Senate and White House staff member, Ross Nodurft
Tech companies are increasingly at the center of Washington’s bureaucracy. They’re looking to influence major federal developments ranging from the Technology Modernization Fund, to cyber and supply chain security. The Alliance of Digital Innovation is among the tech groups jockeying to have its voice heard. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday caught up with the new executive director at ADI, former Senate and White House staff member, Ross Nodurft