Oversight

Why plugging leaks sometimes means protecting leakers

COMMENTARY | Congress needs to establish a form of amnesty that, where appropriate, provides an exit ramp for individuals who have unwittingly violated the terms of a security clearance and wish to come clean.

Management

The 3 duties of public servants

COMMENTARY | With all that’s going on in Washington these days, public officials have three fundamental duties that they cannot shirk.

Oversight

Fixing accountability first: Another look at the Restore VA Accountability Act

COMMENTARY | If we really want to rid the VA (and the rest of the federal civil service) of poor performers, we need to find a middle ground between making every employee “at will” and defaulting to today’s status quo. 

Tech

There’s something DHS can do to help civilian agencies fight cyberattacks

The Homeland Security Department has the power to do a lot more than just issue words of warning. 

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

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

There’s No ‘Easy Button’ for Cutting Government

As tempting as they are, across-the-board budget cuts and hiring freezes are the worst way to reduce the size and cost of the federal bureaucracy.

Management

Say No to Politicizing the Civil Service, But Yes to More Flexibility

Banning exceptions to standard federal personnel rules could make agency-specific reforms more difficult.

Management

Beyond Czars: Meeting Bureaucracy-Spanning Challenges

We need a cadre of career professionals to take a whole-of-government approach to addressing key priorities.

Management

The IRS Will Need These 4 Things to Succeed After the Midterms

Commissioner-designate Danny Werfel has an opportunity to transform the tax agency, if given the right tools.

Workforce

How Existing Policy Can Help Fill the Cyber Workforce Gap

There's still time to retool the Cyber Talent Management System at DHS to create a cadre of cyber specialists to fill key roles at federal civilian agencies.

Pay & Benefits

The Government’s Pay System Needs to Be Fixed. The Federal Salary Council Can (and Should) Lead the Charge.

The former chair of the Federal Salary Council, on behalf of his fellow appointees from the previous administration, discusses why the council should take up unfinished business left over from that administration.

Workforce

Winning the War for Cyber – and Cyber Talent

A White House cyber director lacks budget and staff, and a cabinet-level "Department of Cybersecurity" risks alienating stakeholders, but there is a model already in place that could manage the "whole of government" cybersecurity approach.

Workforce

Shrinking the Tax Gap Requires a Renewed IRS Workforce

Congress must give the agency statutory authority to develop and implement a new set of civil service rules if it is to hire and hold accountable employees with the necessary skills.

Management

To Beat the Pandemic, Biden Needs to Take the Politics Out of It

The vast majority of recent survey respondents said “Politics has made it harder to learn the truth about COVID-19.”

Management

Coping with Transition Turbulence: A Survival Guide for Civil Servants

To state the obvious, these are not normal times. A veteran of five presidential transitions spells out the hard choices officials face today.

Management

Viewpoint: Move to Politicize the Career Civil Service is an Insider Threat to the Country

Two former-high-ranking intelligence community officials issue a stark warning about President Trump’s order creating a new category of federal employees.

Management

A Blueprint for SES Reform

A set of specific recommendations for transforming the government’s senior executive corps.