News Briefs

THE DAILY FED

News Briefs

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The following news summaries are from OPM AM, the daily newsletter of the Office of Personnel Management. OPM AM is available on OPM Mainstreet, the agency's electronic bulletin board, at 202-606-4800.

THE FEDERAL DIARY--"Hispanics, the only minority group still underreprsented in federal employment based on their proportions in the national labor force, will get special attention in the future when U.S. agencies recruit, hire and promote...OPM today will send the outline of a new, nine-point Hispanic outreach program to federal agencies" (The Washington Post).

SES LEADERSHIP--"OPM replaced the old set of qualifications that describe the skills, experience and qualities candidates need to become members of the elite Senior Executive Service, the top cadre of the civil service (The Daily Fed, 9/17 AND FEDweek, 9/l7).

FAMILY-FRIENDLY--The tight labor market is leading some employers to rethink how to help valued workers strike a better balance between demanding jobs and personal commitments. Increasingly, such policies are seen, not as warm-and-fuzzy giveaways, but as powerful tools to recruit and retain talent and thereby bolster the bottom line (The Wall Street Journal).

JOB MORALE-Even in today's lean, fast-changing business environment, people like their jobs--overwhelmingly. A solid 84% of American workers are satisfied with their current jobs, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted in the past week. Only 4% describe themselves as completely dissatisfied (The Wall Street Journal).

CONGRESSIONAL RAISE--Indirect-approval vote of a Congressional pay raise brings outrage both in and out of Congress. One member is spearheading an effort to repeal the raise...Talk radio callers are irate (The Washington Times).

TRAFFIC--Washington area business leaders and elected officials have agreed to seek a region-wide solution to the area's worsening traffic problems, but have not endorsed creation of a single, powerful regional transportation authority to carry out major new projects (The Washington Post).

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Access America Conferences

The National Performance Review (NPR), will launch a series of informational conferences aimed at providing government employees and private industry IT officials with techniques and strategies for implementing the goals of Access America, an NPR report outlining steps to increase access--via the Internet--to government services. The first conference will be held November 3 (changed from September 25) in Baltimore, Md. and then will travel to other cities across the country. Expert panels will discuss IT topics, including Internet/Intranet successes, the future of Distance Learning and collaboration, IT acquisition and procurement reform, and privacy and security.

Industry Advisory Council's Executive Leadership Conference

October 5-7, 1997 Richmond, Virginia. Forty-six hours of exciting and important keynotes, workshops and frank discussions on the topics foremost in the minds of both government and industry leaders such as "How the Internet is changing the way we do business;" "Public vs private competition: Does it make sense?" and "Past Performance of Past Performance." $265 for government attendees and $425 for industry members. Register separately at the Richmond Marriott (804) 643-3400. Contact Mary Ellen Geoffroy, Executive Director of IAC at 703-218-1965.

DTIC Annual Conference

The Defense Technical Information Center is presenting its Annual Users Meeting and Training Conference on Nov. 3-6, 1997 at the DoubleTree Hotel, National Airport, Arlington, Va. The conference theme is Information in the New Millenium. Contact Ms. Julia Foscue at 703-767-8236 or by e-mail at jfoscue@dtic.mil.