Workforce
Biden’s State Dept. hiring surge ‘at the heart of everything’ he’s accomplished diplomatically, secretary says
Administration officials hope their gains can withstand an adversarial administration or Congress next year.
Management
How social media is influencing our interactions with public lands
Getting the perfect online photo is drawing more people into nature. Land managers are trying to mitigate risks and damage to wild places.
Updated
Pay & Benefits
OPM doesn’t have documented customer experience plans for the Postal Service’s open season, OIG says
The HR agency has developed contingencies if there is a surge of customer experience requests during the Postal Service Health Benefits System’s first open season, but a new report claims that those plans aren’t either defined or comprehensive enough for the multi-agency operation.
News
Final results may lag in deadlocked presidential contest, anxious election officials warn
Election officials, Congress and others are preparing for slow vote counts, legal challenges and the potential for violence this election season.
Tech
Inside the HHS reorganization to prioritize AI and emerging tech
Micky Tripathi wears many hats — assistant secretary for technology policy, national coordinator for health information technology and acting chief artificial intelligence officer — as the agency looks to expand its tech leadership.
Workforce
AI can improve how federal employees do their jobs, but training and resources need to be a priority
The IRS chief human capital officer said that training can no longer be viewed as an expendable expense.
Management
New bill would levy penalties on feds ‘impeding’ presidential directives and require new training
The Stop Resistance Activities by Federal Employees Act could penalize federal employees if they are found to have obstructed a lawful order from administration officials and require agencies to report those alleged violations to the president every six months.
Management
VA breaks records for veterans served despite slowing hiring
VA is now seeking a budget boost to meet staffing needs and veterans demands for fiscal 2025.
Workforce
OPM issues guidance for agencies to implement anti-Schedule F regulations
The effort to insulate the federal civil service from former President Trump’s plan to replace potentially tens of thousands of career employees in “policy-related” position with loyalists could be short lived if the Republican nominee wins the election next month.
Management
USPS to mail voters: Send in your ballots now
Postal Service suggests week-out deadline despite fast ballot performance so far.
Tech
TSA to allow mobile driver’s licenses after REAL ID goes into effect
The final rule will allow states that have issued mobile driver’s licenses to apply for TSA-issued waivers of certain REAL ID requirements.
Management
‘Put them in trauma’: Inside a key MAGA leader’s plans for a new Trump agenda
As OMB director, Russell Vought sought to use Trump’s 2020 Schedule F executive order to strip away job protections for nonpartisan government workers.
Management
Holding poor performers accountable can lead to better government
COMMENTARY | The current process for addressing poor performers in government is difficult for managers and confusing for employees.
Management
A new report includes calls for modernized federal recruitment and retention efforts
In an updated version of its 2018 report on strengthening the federal government’s organizational health and performance, the National Academy of Public Administration included the tools and best practices agencies can deploy for recruitment and retention in a post-pandemic world.
Management
Ethics office clears federal official for his Project 2025 involvement
The agency leader wrote a chapter for the document but did not break any ethics laws in doing so, OGE says.
Defense
White House issues AI guidelines for national-security agencies
The new memo requires agencies to monitor, assess, and mitigate AI risks related to invasions of privacy, bias, and other human rights abuses.
Management
OPM announces a program to make it easier for ex-interns to get full-time federal work
A new feature within USAJOBS’ Agency Talent Portal will allow agencies to hire former interns from other agencies into term or permanent federal positions.
Management
The government needs to up its game on technology and use of data to better serve the public
COMMENTARY | Despite pockets of progress, the government is still behind the curve when it comes to modern technology and AI, writes one good government observer.
Workforce
Facing tight budgets, agencies turn to workforce restrictions to rein in costs
Biden began his presidency seeking to boost the civil service and improve federal hiring. At many agencies, he is ending it by cutting back.
Management