In Depth interviews – August 27

On the In Depth show blog, you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

This is the In Depth show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

Today’s guests:

Steve KelmanProfessor of Public Management, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government

It’s not a big surprise but government employees express lower job satisfaction in the face of large budget cuts. But the amount of decline in job satisfaction can differ depending on what kind of changes are being made.

Steve Kelman, a professor of public management at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and former administrator at the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, has written about a new study of employees in the British national government.

Kelman says there are two types of changes that result from budget cuts.


Paul WesterDirector of Modern Records Program, National Archives and Records Administration

All of your agency’s records, including emails, will need to be accessible in an electronic format by the end 2019, according to a new White House directive.

The National Archives and Records Administration will be helping with the transition that includes new technology, new job positions and a number of incremental milestones agencies must meet before the big deadline.

Paul Wester, the director of modern records programs at NARA, discusses his agency’s role in the overhaul.

Click here to read the full story


Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.)

Last week, President Barack Obama announced he’d use his authority to end the federal pay freeze. But not until Congress passes a budget.

Lawmakers have already reached a tentative agreement to fund the federal government under a continuing resolution for the first half of fiscal 2013, meaning the freeze would stay in place until next spring at the earliest.

Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) represents part of the D.C. suburbs, a district with a lot of federal employees. He tells In Depth the 6-month CR is all but a done deal.

Click here to read the full story


Debra DraperDirector of Health Care Issues, Government Accountability Office

After a series of potential safety problems at medical facilities run by the Veterans Affairs Department, the Government Accountability Office has been asked to look into VA’s processes for responding to “adverse events” — or medical mistakes.

There were some high-profile incidents that caught the attention of Congress. In 2010, for example, almost 2,000 veterans were notified that they might have been exposed to Hepatitis or HIV because of improperly sterilized equipment. But VA says a quality-improvement effort has led to a reduction in these adverse events. Debra Draper, a director of health care issues at GAO, discusses a recent report examining VA’s effort.


Also on the show:

General admits leading cyber attacks in Afghanistan

NIST seeks comments on securing BIOS

Army keeps traditional physical fitness test – for now

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