Author Archive
Carten Cordell
Managing Editor, Government Executive
Carten Cordell is the managing editor at Government Executive. Cordell has covered federal government, technology and acquisition for Federal Times, FedScoop, Washington Business Journal and Nextgov/FCW. An Alabama native, Cordell holds bachelor’s degrees in history and journalism from Auburn University and a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. His work has also appeared in USA Today, Writer's Digest and many other publications. He came to GovExec after a stint at Sage Communications, a marketing services agency that focuses on the government contracting market.
Carten Cordell is the managing editor at Government Executive. Cordell has covered federal government, technology and acquisition for Federal Times, FedScoop, Washington Business Journal and Nextgov/FCW. An Alabama native, Cordell holds bachelor’s degrees in history and journalism from Auburn University and a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. His work has also appeared in USA Today, Writer's Digest and many other publications. He came to GovExec after a stint at Sage Communications, a marketing services agency that focuses on the government contracting market.
Management
Some federal agencies utilize 25% or less of their headquarters office space, GAO says
As federal employees continued use of telework remains contentious, the watchdog highlighted in a new report that age-old office space problems have become more pronounced.
- Carten Cordell
Management
OIG: Interior Department backdated discrimination determinations and applied incorrect standards
Officials at the department’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights backdated discrimination decisions for up to 15 days prior to their issuance and erroneously ruled in five cases, according to a new report.
- Carten Cordell
Management
5 longest government shutdowns in U.S. history
Budget disputes have practically made shutdown threats a fall tradition on Capitol Hill, but these impasses left lasting impressions on the history of the federal government.
- Carten Cordell
Management
What does it take to end a government shutdown?
The end of past budget impasses have often played out as calculations of policy goals versus the political pain needed to achieve them, but when the goal is unclear how do you know who wins?
- Carten Cordell
Workforce
OIG: Tech demand remains a talent challenge for the federal home loan agencies, but telework can help
A report spotlighting the potential risks of recruiting and retaining talent at the agencies overseeing federal home loans shows tight competition for tech talent.
- Carten Cordell
Management
ICE officials didn’t accurately report how they disrupted transnational criminals, OIG says
Immigration officials didn’t know how many transnational criminal organizations they impacted over five years due to a data filing misstep, according to the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general.
- Carten Cordell
Management
White House debuts a new climate-based workforce initiative
President Joe Biden called for new executive action Wednesday to establish what the White House calls an American Climate Corps to help train and qualify people for clean energy jobs.
- Carten Cordell
Management
What does post-pandemic telework look like during a shutdown?
As agencies begin planning for funding to stop on Sept. 30, federal telework guidance will be tested in a post-COVID environment.
- Carten Cordell
Management
State dives deep into data
The State Department is increasingly capitalizing on advances in data analytics to inform diplomacy and funding efforts.
- Carten Cordell
Management
FLRA’s contract management system lacked documents, OIG says
The agency that oversees labor-management relations for the federal government was missing key information from its acquisition files and previously “had no formal contract file management policy in place,” according to leadership.
- Carten Cordell
Defense
DOD lag on enacting business system recommendations may slow clean audit, GAO says
The Defense Department has still yet to fully implement 18 recommendations that the watchdog said could facilitate the decades-long pursuit of completing an enterprisewide audit.
- Carten Cordell
Workforce
Amid shutdown anxiety, federal agencies are running up against an IT security deadline
While budget negotiations play out on Capitol Hill, federal agency CIOs are also on the clock to ensure the bulk of their information technology is reported through the CDM program.
- Carten Cordell
Oversight
FDIC needs to sharpen its cyberthreat sharing with financial institutions, OIG says
Despite recent improvements, a watchdog report claims the agency still has more it can do to make threat-sharing policies more effective.
- Carten Cordell
Defense
Biden selects NSA veteran as national cyber director nominee
White House officials named former National Security Agency official Harry Coker Jr. as the nominee to replace former National Cyber Director Chris Inglis amid the ongoing implementation of the new National Cyber Strategy.
- Carten Cordell
Tech
GAO Identifies New Information Security Deficiencies in IRS System Controls
The watchdog's annual audit of the agency turned up new recommendations on system access controls and security configurations, alongside a limited release report and previous recommendations.
- Carten Cordell
Oversight
Veterans Affairs Committee Dems Offer Bills to Streamline VA Operations
The two proposals would seek to consolidate business functions at the agency and independently verify and validate IT modernization efforts.
- Carten Cordell
Management
Inflation, Workforce Issues Challenge Defense Contractors Amid Security Pivot
The defense industrial base is facing workforce and inflationary headwinds just as the U.S. is refocusing its strategic lens on competition with China and Russia.
- Carten Cordell
Oversight
House Lawmakers Want VA's $20 Billion-Plus Electronic Health Record Program to Improve or Else
Senior Republicans on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee are backing legislation to end the troubled program to replace the Veterans Affairs Department's homegrown electronic health record system with commercial software from Oracle-Cerner -- unless the program can hit performance targets and satisfy top hospital officials.
- Carten Cordell
Tech
FAA Attributes Ground-Stop Glitch To Contractor Error
The agency said there is no evidence of a cyberattack or malicious intent behind last week's system outage.
- Carten Cordell
Workforce
OMB Streamlines Contracting Officer Training with Certification Update
The update marks the first change to the certification process since 2014
- Carten Cordell