Pay & Benefits

Ahuja Appoints Former OPM Director to Oversee the Federal Blue Collar Job Panel

Janice Lachance will chair an advisory committee governing the Federal Wage System, a pay scale that has long been criticized by employee groups for its outdated map of locality pay areas.

Management

Charts Paint a Grim Picture 2 Years Into the Coronavirus Pandemic

The on-off nature of the pandemic "has led to a lot of the confusion and grumpiness," says one expert. Another compares it to the exhaustion of the American public when hearing body counts during the Vietnam War.

Management

GovExec Daily: What Managers Can Learn From Anthropologists

Steven L. Katz joins the podcast to discuss how managers can learn to lead better during the pandemic.

Nextgov

Insurance Policies May Tighten Amid U.S.-Russia Tensions, Cyber Pros Warn

What a recent court decision means for insurers’ attempts to avoid payouts associated with “acts of war” and breaches where nation-state actors may have played a role.

Tech

Native American Health Agencies Struggled to Access Federal Data Amid Pandemic

A new report outlines the steps health agencies, including the CDC and IHS, need to improve tribal epidemiological centers’ access to public health data.

Management

The Secretary of State Has One Overarching Message for U.S. Embassy Personnel in Europe: ‘Thank You’

The secretary is abroad for five days continuing the Biden administration’s efforts to counter Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Workforce

Winning the War for Cyber – and Cyber Talent

A White House cyber director lacks budget and staff, and a cabinet-level "Department of Cybersecurity" risks alienating stakeholders, but there is a model already in place that could manage the "whole of government" cybersecurity approach.

Workforce

The IRS Announces a New Office That Will Focus on Taxpayer Experience

One of several lines of effort at the IRS to improve customer experience is digital services, which will include efforts ranging from digital signatures to expanded online payment options.

Management

Clarifying the CDC's COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Guidelines – An Infectious Disease Doc Looks at the Latest Research

The CDC’s controversial recommendation changes are based on new studies showing that most omicron transmission takes place within five days of the onset of illness

Workforce

Fed Workers Should Be Careful About Donating Directly to Ukraine’s Military

Donations to an overseas government or agent have to be reported, and federal employees are responsible for ensuring their donation goes where it should.

Oversight

GovExec Daily: The Oversight Committee is Expanding its Investigation into Trump's Records

Natalie Alms joins the podcast to discuss the House probe into the previous administration's records policies.

Updated Management

A New Rule Aims to Boost Biden’s ‘Made in America’ Program

The update to the Buy American Act would build on the administration’s push to get federal agencies using more domestic products and services.

Tech

Social Security Seeks $2.4B in IT Funding and Looks Ahead After 5-Year Modernization Plan

Included in the ask is more than $1.5 billion in IT services, representing a 40% increase over the previous year.

Defense

Air Force Special Operations Is Looking To Reinvent Itself On the Cheap

Cargo planes that drop cruise missiles from pallets and land on water show how air special operators are trying to trick out what they’ve already got on the tarmac.

Workforce

Coronavirus Roundup: DOJ Amps Up its COVID-19 Fraud Efforts

Here’s a list of this week’s news updates and stories you may have missed.

Oversight

House Panel Advances DHS Acquisition Bills

Two bills seeking to improve oversight of the Department of Homeland Security’s acquisition programs were passed out of committee in a markup on Wednesday, along with a number of other measures.

Oversight

What’s Holding Up the COVID Vaccines for Children Under 5?

For months, parents have been told COVID vaccines for their little ones are coming. But opaque communication from the FDA, shifting timelines, delays and misinformation have left parents frustrated and confused. Here’s everything we know at the moment.

Oversight

GovExec Daily: What Ketanji Brown Jackson Will Face on the Road to Confirmation

Dr. Emerald Christopher-Byrd joins the podcast to discuss Biden's Supreme Court nominee.

Workforce

Denied Protest Offers Lessons About Hiring Former Feds

Important questions about hiring former government officials are raised in this lost protest over a $2.5 billion NASA enterprise IT contract, which all parties made reasonable arguments in.