Defense

Pentagon to finish personnel system tweaks Friday

Working group is nearly done simplifying performance management system.

Management

White House unveils list of programs slated for cuts

List of 141 programs facing termination or reduction hits hard at Education, Health and Human Services, and Agriculture departments.

Tech

HUD irks managers with bar on teleworking

Policy forbids employees with supervisory responsibilities from working away from the office; other agencies have less strict rules.

Management

Budget assumes agencies will collect unlikely amount in fees

Congress may prove reluctant to enact key fee hikes incorporated into the 2007 budget, leaving money even tighter than it appears.

Management

Report: Agencies making little progress in tracking real property

Inventory identifies $9 billion in unneeded buildings.

Management

Federal spending on conferences soars

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., says agency expeditures on attending events have grown by about 70 percent in five years.

Defense

Iraq reconstruction funds may run out before projects finished

The less than $3 billion left is not enough to complete 87 water and 125 electric projects, inspector general says.

Management

Cosmic Downers

Astronaut's memoir reminds technology program managers that they can't ignore the human element.

Defense

DHS expects companies will have to verify workers’ immigration status

Department requests funding boost for Citizenship and Immigration Services in anticipation of new requirement.

Management

OMB touts progress at reducing improper payments

Agencies saved $7.8 billion in fiscal 2005 by reducing payment errors.

Defense

Pentagon’s business transformation effort moves forward

Agency created to bring Defense modernization programs under one roof unveils organizational structure and first budget request.

Management

Budget cuts may prove difficult in election year

Lawmakers praise effort to slow entitlement growth, warn that stringent cuts in discretionary spending may be hard to swallow.

Management

Bush makes new push for Patent Office to keep fees

Agency's proposed budget includes incentives to retain "highly qualified and productive workforce."

Tech

More R&D spending proposed, earmarks criticized

Overall science funding request is flat, but non-defense R&D nevertheless would be boosted 1.9 percent.

Management

President's budget seeks to rein in discretionary spending

Fiscal 2007 proposal promises continued focus on results and recommends significant cuts to 141 programs.

Defense

DHS budget emphasizes immigration reform, border security

Fiscal 2007 request also includes increases for efforts to detect weapons of mass destruction.

Management

Bush calls for 2.2 percent pay raise in 2007

In break with previous proposals, president seeks same increase for military service members and civilian employees.

Management

More requests to cut programs enacted, but some remain a tough sell

Congress is still reluctant to let some programs go, even if they are unable to show results.

Management

Report: VA uses faulty methods for savings calculations

Auditors find that savings projections and reports of actual savings cannot be substantiated.

Management

Unions devise ‘Plan B’ in Defense personnel challenge

Coalition of labor groups hires former FLRA general counsel to help develop alternative plan in case legal challenge to National Security Personnel System fails.