Oversight
Government Ethics Chief Caught in Lawmaker Crossfire
Partisans on House Oversight panel duel over handling of Trump’s potential conflicts.
Pay & Benefits
OPM’s Guidance on Firing Bad Employees Will Remind You That It’s Complicated
Agencies need to make better use of the probationary period, when workers have less recourse to dispute disciplinary actions.
Oversight
Liberals Narrow Their List of Trump Picks to Target
Rather than complain about every Trump cabinet choice, the Senate’s most prominent progressives have put a special focus on a handful of nominees.
Tech
Why Is Obama Expanding Surveillance Powers Right Before He Leaves Office?
It could be to prevent Trump from extending them even more.
Management
What Rex Tillerson's Confirmation Hearings Revealed
The State Department nominee's views diverged from the president-elect's in some areas.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Ben Carson's Hearing Was Definitely Eventful
Donald Trump's pick for HUD chief overcorrected a little Thursday.
Management
How the Trump Administration Could Advance Customer Service
Agency officials trying to make government more citizen-centric have an opportunity to take their work to a new level.
Route Fifty
Election Systems as ‘Critical Infrastructure’: What Comes Next?
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s designation creates some questions for state and local elections administrators.
Management
Cobert to Trump: Focus on ‘Holistic’ Civil Service Reforms, Not Hiring Freeze
OPM chief says Obama personnel reforms will survive future administrations.
Pay & Benefits
OPM: FEHBP Carriers Should Focus on Rising Prescription Drug Use and Costs
Agency’s annual call letter said escalating drug prices ate up more than a quarter of the FEHBP health care budget in 2015.
Pay & Benefits
The Index: 2017 Edition
Your annual guide to retirement planning, organized by topic.
Management
Burned Out? Take a Sabbatical
In 2009, the U.S. Navy started offering a career break to help retain service members. Now the other armed forces—and private companies—are following suit.
Management
The Perfectly Normal Ways Trump Can Enrich Himself as President
The president-elect's control over conventional economic policy could be worth more money than any conflict of interest.
Oversight
House Passes Third Major Deregulatory Bill
Regulatory Accountability Act would force agencies to choose cheaper versions of rules.
Management
Dr. Ben Carson Wants to Pick The Brains of HUD Employees
Trump housing secretary nominee and retired neurosurgeon plans to do a lot of listening, if confirmed, he told senators.
Route Fifty
Vaccine Critics Target Mississippi; Conn. Gov. Declares End to Chronic Homelessness
Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: Chicago awaits major federal announcement on its policing practices; Cuomo’s ‘Buy American’ procurement push; and Seattle sends help to snowed-in Portland.
Nextgov
Outgoing DOD CIO Defends Pentagon's IT Modernization Efforts
DOD CIO Terry Halvorsen announced his retirement and defended the Joint Information Environment and the Joint Regional Security Stacks.
Management
Trump’s Defense Secretary Pick Promises Efficiencies Among Civilian Workforce
Mattis says Pentagon should base cuts on workforce assessments.
Defense
Trump Has Considerable Authority to Revamp the Intelligence Community
But the the 2004 law that created the Office of the Director of National Intelligence creates some hurdles as well.
Oversight