News Briefs

THE DAILY FED

News Briefs

SECTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM:

GETTYSBURG'S DEVELOPMENT BATTLEGROUND-The National Park Service wants to tear down two "outdated" buildings on this Civil War battlefield to restore the grounds so they appear much as they did when soldiers fought across them in 1863 (The Washington Post).

FIRING OF OUTSIDE FINANCIAL ADVISER ONLY ADDS TO POLITICAL FUROR FOR HUD-"When the Department of Housing and Urban Development abruptly fired its main outside financial adviser Oct. 17, it intensified a political furor over what is ordinarily the most commonplace of government activities: contracting out for expertise in the private sector" (The Washington Post).

MAXIMIZING FERS MONEY-"Thousands of upper-income federal employees will be able to invest up to $10,000 next year in their tax-deferred thrift savings plan. Many also will qualify for matching contributions, also tax-deferred, of up to $5,000 from Uncle Sam" (The Washington Post).

AGENCIES GO ON-LINE TO IMPROVE EMPLOYEE TRAINING-Trainees at several federal agencies are learning their jobs through web-based training (Federal Human Resources Week).

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.

Improving the Government's Estimates of the Costs and Benefits of Regulation

On Sept. 30 the Office of Management and Budget issued its first report to Congress that tallies the costs and benefits of federal regulation. This conference, sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and the Brookings Institute, will bring together scholars and administration representatives to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the report. Topics to be addressed include methodology, the implications of the estimates themselves and suggested modifications. The conference will be held October 31 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the American Enterprise Institute, 1150 17th St, NW. For more information call 202-862-5847.

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.