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Feds Job Satisfaction is Down, Again – Plus the DorobekINSIDER’s 7 Stories

On GovLoop Insights’ DorobekINSIDER:

  • Back in 2010, Congress passed the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). The goal was simple, strengthen performance management in agencies. That sounds simple, but in the government culture, it is hard to focus on outcomes over results. Find out the keys to performance management success.

But up front:

  • NY Times: Cuts Have Hagel Weighing Realigned Military Budget

  • Imagine a government world without BlackBerrys. Defense One says that the Pentagon is preparing for the end of the Blackberry era

  • HealthCare.gov Getting Fresh Dose of ‘Agile’ Treatment – The CIO Report – WSJ

  • WSJ: GAO: Government CIOs Need More Power

  • NYT: Big Data’s little brother. Collecting data from all sorts of odd places and analyzing it much faster than was possible even a couple of years ago has become one of the hottest areas of the technology industry. Now Big Data is evolving, becoming more “hyper” and including all sorts of sources, writes the NYT’s Quentin Hardy. Startups like Premise and ClearStory Data, as well as larger companies like General Electric Co., are getting into the act. “Hyperdata comes to you on the spot, and you can analyze it and act on it on the spot,” said Bernt Wahl, an industry fellow at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at the University of California, Berkeley. “It will be in regular business soon, with everyone predicting and acting the way Amazon instantaneously changes its prices around.”

  • Energy Department’s new Web site: Introducing a new, more responsive Energy.gov

  • In light of the LAX shooting that killed a TSA officer, it is time to re-examine the role of TSA officers. Former DHS CHCO Jeff Neal’s insights.

The SEVEN stories that impact your life

  1. The job satisfaction of federal employees is continuing to drop, according to an annual survey published by OPM this past weekend. Fifty-three percent of federal employees said they were satisfied with their work in this year’s survey. This percentage compares with job satisfaction in 2012 and 2010, which equaled 63 and 67 percent respectively. FCW notes that OPM’s survey was conducted before the October shutdown and therefore reflects dissatisfaction related to this year’s furloughs, pay freezes, and reduced opportunities for travel and training.

  2. Reports of sexual assault in the military increased sharply during the last fiscal year, new Pentagon figures showed Wednesday, just weeks before a defense bill with provisions to tackle the problem is expected to reach the Senate floor. The New York Times reports, there were 3,553 sexual assault complaints reported to the Defense Department in the first three quarters of the fiscal year, from October 2012 through June, a nearly 50 percent increase over the same period a year earlier. Defense Department officials said the numbers had continued to rise.

  3. The White House has refused Congress’ request to have federal chief technology officer, Todd Park, testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on the issues related to Healthcare.gov. As a result, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) has issued a subpoena demanding that Park appear before the oversight committee. Federal News Radio reports that the White House is willing to have Park testify, but is requesting that his testimony occur in December after he has had the opportunity to assist the administration in fixing the problems associated with Healthcare.gov.

  4. The White House is considering appointing a civilian to the position of NSA director following Keith Alexander’s departure from the position. The Guardian states that the White House is also contemplating splitting the NSA directorship from its military command and responsibilities. While these reform ideas are being debated, another change is being considered on Capitol Hill. Politico reports that congressional leaders have begun to support the idea of having the NSA chief become a position that needs to be confirmed by the Senate.

  5. TechAmerica is suing its competitor, ITI, on the grounds that three of the employees that it loss to ITI used their positions with TechAmerica to access confidential documents in an effort to gain new clients for the company. Politico reports that TechAmerica has filed a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order to prevent the use of its trade secrets by ITI. The company has also filed for at least $5 million in compensatory damages.

  6. The Navy is developing a plan for shutting down its data centers and transferring its information to secure commercial locations. Currently, the Navy has as its goal to consolidate more than 12,000 of its servers and close 67 of its data facilities. The Federal Times suggests that this goal is part of the Navy’s five-year plan to save money through the consolidation of 4,932 of its servers by fiscal 2017.

  7. Financial figures for federal employees will primarily rise in 2014 with the exception of public transit subsidies. Federal workers should expect to receive a one percent increase in their salaries come January given that no law is enacted by the end of this year to specify a raise. Retirees will also experience a 1.5 percent increase in their annual annuities as a result of a recent adjustment to the COLA. Premiums under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program will also be rising next year by four percent on average. The Washington Post notes that unlike the above figures, the maximum tax-free amount for public transit subsidies will decline in 2014 from $245 a month to $130. This will occur unless Congress passes legislation allowing for subsidies to remain at the higher level.

DorobekINSIDER water-cooler fodder

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