Pay freezes, furloughs and bad publicity dominate federal discussions right now. No one is really surprised by the top story on Federal News Radio dot com right now...employee morale is low. Tim McManus, vice president for education and outreach at the Partnership for Public Service, joins In Depth to discuss how federal managers can keep their employees focused and motivated on the mission and getting the job done in these difficult times.

Federal IT reform will require new legislation. But more understanding and leadership will help too. Mark Forman, former U.S. Administrator for E-Government and Information Technology and the director of E-Z Grant Filing, joins In Depth to discuss the current climate for IT reform.

IT reform bill needs to 'beef up' people section, experts say (related link)

Great ideas in the Air Force now have a fast track to the top of the ranks. Air Force Global Strike Command's Strike Now program gets those ideas in front of leaders. Peter Ellis, the director of Global Strike Command Smart Operations, joins In Depth to discuss the new innovation system called Strike Now.

Global Strike Commander: 'Strike Now' with good ideas (related link)

A deal to end sequestration could happen tonight. But if you wake up tomorrow and a compromise wasn't reached — don't panic. Even if sequestration starts, your agency has some time to adjust. Patrick Lester, diirector of Federal Fiscal Policy at the Center for Effective Government, joins In Depth to discuss ways agencies can better the cuts.

White House, Agencies Can Manage Effects of Automatic Spending Cuts in Early 2013 (related link)

Sequestration is just one stop on the road to a smaller budget at the Defense Department. Michele Flournoy, former undersecretary of Defense for Policy, wrote in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed about the right way to cut the defense budget.

The Right Way to Cut Pentagon Spending (related link)