May 15, 2013, will mark the 11th anniversary of the Notification and Federal Anti-Discrimination and Retaliation (No FEAR) Act. Congressed passed No FEAR on May 15, 2002, after hearing testimony that federal workforce abuse reduces government’s ability to effectively execute with integrity essential programs such as waste management, pollution prevention, water treatment, food inspection, Medicare,Read… Read more »
Are working women better off in the public sector or the private sector? A new report by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) identifies and examines six major obstacles hindering equal opportunities for women in the federal workforce, in addition to highlighting stakeholder recommendations. The good news for Uncle Sam is that working womenRead… Read more »
The Transportation Department has opened more than 2,000 data sets to the public as part of efforts to fulfill federal initiatives for open data. Richard McKinney, DOT chief information officer, said Monday that department’s latest move was intended to meet a Nov. 30 deadline for President Barack Obama’s executive order on releasing information to publicRead… Read more »
Lawmakers need to draft a stronger information technology procurement reform legislation that gives agency chief information officers greater control of the infrastructure and business systems, former DHS CIO Richard Spires writes in a column for FCW. He noted that the Obama administration’s HealthCare.gov website woes have thrust the business of buying and managing IT toRead… Read more »
A joint survey by Grant Thornton and the American Association for Budget and Program Analysis shows agency budget managers are confident their organizations can meet federally-mandated budget caps in fiscal 2015, Federal News Radio reported Wednesday. More than two-thirds of survey respondents show signs of optimism for the next fiscal year’s budget and have beenRead… Read more »
Too often managers use the excuse of “maintaining good order and discipline” to mob an employee out of government for other reasons completely. Overusing or misusing the disciplinary process is rampant, with “mobbing” or gang harassment on the rise. The real reason for this is usually “retaliation”. Retaliation against a whistleblower, retaliation against an employeeRead… Read more »
The government runs on programs. Studies have shown effective program management saves the government time, and money. In a fiscal environment dominated by sequestration, how do program managers stay above the fray? In this four-part series we’ll take a look at managing schedule, cost, scope, and quality. We’ll give you valuable tips and feedback toRead… Read more »
The General Services Administration is looking for a new location that would function as a consolidated headquarters for the FBI. Landowners in the District of Columbia and neighboring counties have been asked to submit proposals for the new site and GSA will accept submissions through Dec. 17. “GSA seeks to identify sites that would beRead… Read more »
The Federal Communications Commission has launched a speed test application for mobile broadband networks as part of its efforts to help consumers choose wireless providers. The app for Android smartphones works to evaluate the speed and latency of mobile broadband networks, store the information in cloud environments and provide users an overview of actual networkRead… Read more »
The Congressional Budget Office estimates a bill to amend laws regulating how the federal government acquires and manages information technology would cost nearly $145 billion to implement for fiscal years 2014 through 2018. That bill would use pay-as-you-go procedures for funding and agencies not affected by annual appropriations could feel effects on direct spending, CBORead… Read more »