Management
Federal Agencies Can Succeed at Leadership Development Even Amid Tight Budgets
Data on the impact of training programs will help make the case for sustained funding.
Route Fifty
Conflict Between Lawmakers Isn’t Always a Bad Thing
New research focused on local government shows that elected officials who engage in arguments over policy are more effective at governing than those who agree on everything, or those who get in petty fights.
Management
Congress Expects to Pass Another Stopgap Spending Bill to Keep Agencies Open Through Dec. 20
Lawmakers hope to pass full-year appropriations before the new deadline and avoid another holiday season shutdown.
Management
The Government Report That Got Turned Into a Hollywood Movie
How Scott Z. Burns tackled his feature directorial debut, a gripping film about the inquiry into the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” program
Route Fifty
Boomer and Millennial Public Workers Agree Pensions are a Plus
No matter their age, most state and local government employees in a recent survey said retirement benefits are a big factor in why they stay at their jobs.
Nextgov
Users Had to Wait a Little Longer for GSA’s FedBizOpps Replacement
FedBizOpps migrated to SAM.gov Contract Opportunities over the weekend but a slow site and data migration issues made for some disgruntled users.
Route Fifty
Senator Urges Cybersecurity Review of Mobile Voting App
West Virginia and local governments in Colorado, Utah and Oregon have all piloted mobile voting applications developed by Voatz.
Nextgov
Supply Chain Security Requires Acquisition Reform, Security Experts Say
To secure the government’s IT ecosystem, agencies must better understand their tech, the vendors who built it, and those companies’ suppliers.
Nextgov
Report: Government Needs Investment, Cooperation on AI
A report commissioned by industry and government AI leaders highlights national security challenges around artificial intelligence.
Pay & Benefits
With Winter Approaching, OPM Reminds Agencies of Closure and Leave Policies
The 2018 decision that employees who can work remotely usually cannot take leave due to a weather event has created a complicated web of rules and exceptions.
Route Fifty
A Mayor Went on a Police Ride-Along. What He Learned Changed How His City Looks at Mental Health
Fishers, Indiana established a city-wide mental health task force to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Five years in, officials say the results are real.
Workforce
Interior Department Delivers Hundreds of Relocation Notices to Employees
Headquarters staff now has 30 days to accept the reassignment or face removal from the agency.
Management
EPA Calls Reporting on Proposed Rulemaking Update ‘Completely Misleading’
New York Times story lacks an “understanding of the rulemaking process,” said EPA.
Route Fifty
The New First Responder Crisis: Not Enough Dispatchers
COMMENTARY | What can governments do to recruit and keep the “first” first responders?
Defense
Defense Chief: Expect ‘Trimming, Reducing, Some Eliminations’ in 2021 Budget
Esper touts "good progress" in high-level review intended to cut fat and find funds for projects to counter China and Russia.
Defense
The Slow-Boil Revolt: Retired Senior Military Officers Face a Dilemma
They're growing more concerned that the Trump administration doesn’t want their advice, and struggling with how much they can say publicly.
Management
When Government Does Not Work: A Primer
A new book chronicles the Trump administration’s efforts to upend the U.S. immigration system.
Oversight
Election Commission Needs More Authority In Face of 2020 Threats, Report Finds
“The federal government regulates colored pencils . . . more strictly than it does America’s election infrastructure,” the nonpartisan Brennan Center notes.
Route Fifty
Federal Recommendation for State Bike Helmet Laws Elicits Pushback
Cycling advocates and some city officials are bristling at the idea of requiring people to don helmets when they ride.
Route Fifty