Workforce
What the United States can learn from Australia’s recent catastrophic failure to listen to career government experts
COMMENTARY | A hastily launched 2016 program to reduce overpayment of government benefits was plagued by “unfairness, probable illegality and cruelty,” an Australian commission later found.
Management
A fresh look at the federal workforce and the skills needed to solve today’s pressing problems
COMMENTARY | A new book offers a roadmap for recruiting and training employees who can build bridges within government and across sectors.
Management
Trust in the federal government is in a tailspin. Here’s how agencies can rebuild it.
COMMENTARY | Agencies must prove they are competent and support values such as transparency.
Management
Transparency in numbers: Federal contractors must be held accountable for their diversity efforts
COMMENTARY | A more diverse talent pool will result in government services—and access to those services—that are more reflective of the constituents those services support.
Workforce
Adjusting Jobs to Protect Workers’ Mental Health is Both Easier and Harder Than You Might Think
The tasks employees perform are often not what leads to their mental health degradation. Instead, an employer’s culture and the way its jobs are designed play big roles.
Management
To Advance Equity in Contracting, Make It Easier and Cheaper to Sell to the Public Sector
COMMENTARY | The key to making procurement more inclusive will be to systemically reduce the cost of doing business with public entities—by an order of magnitude.
Workforce
Phil Kiviat, Long-Time Advocate for Better Government, Dies at 85
He will be remembered for his work to foster closer relationships between government and industry through building trust.
Management
It’s Time to Act on the Workforce Portion of the President’s Management Agenda
Despite human capital reforms being referenced in recent management agendas, not much has actually changed.
Management
It’s Time to Rethink Degree Requirements for Federal Contractors
Outdated mandates that job candidates have 4-year educational degrees create barriers to getting the best people on the job.
Workforce
Federal Retirees Could Be a Great Talent Source, If Only It Were Easier to Bring Them Back
There are lots of job ready federal retirees out there prepared and willing to return to work for Uncle Sam, but we need to eliminate the biases and disincentives that make it too hard for them to do so.
Management
The General Schedule System Needs An Upgrade, Now
We shouldn’t use 70-year-old products to manage the 21st century workforce.
Management
The Gathering Storm Threatening the Civil Service
Conservatives are gearing up for a big debate and attacks that could upend the civil service as we know it.
Management
OMB’s Latest Workplace Guidance Goes Beyond Asking Agencies to Cut Back Telework
The memo requires agencies to undergo periodic health checkups to make sure they are meeting their performance goals.
Management
Our Accountability System is Broken. Fix It First
The way we hold federal employees accountable for meeting reasonable standards of performance and behavior is badly broken, and it must be fixed before we can talk about additional reforms, argues one former federal leader.
Management
Let’s Rethink the Management of Our Civil Service
In this op-ed, the executive vice president of the Partnership for Public Service posits that we should build up public servants and hold them accountable to improve government performance.
Management
The Veterans Benefits Administration is a Good Candidate for Tailored Reforms
Additional hiring flexibilities and compensation changes would allow the agency to respond faster to new legal requirements.
Management
Government Reform Isn’t Dead. It’s Just Changed.
There isn’t much appetite for large-scale governmentwide reforms right now, but there’s still movement at individual agencies.
Management
The Federal Workplace Is Changing Rapidly, But Merit Principles Must Remain Untouched
The merit system should be at the core of any reforms agencies make to adapt to fast-changing workplace dynamics.
Management
Guardrails Are Needed to Help Protect the Integrity of the Post-Election Presidency
A few restrictions would help prevent aggrieved lame duck presidents from hijacking the functions of the executive branch.
Management