OMB News 
Top News
- 5 percent of federal workers to be furloughed Friday
- Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
- Katherine Archuleta chosen as next OPM director
- Data breach puts DHS workers at risk of identity theft
- DoD chooses interoperability over integration for new e-health record system
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- OMB fuels synergy between mobile, open data
- IRS official Lerner: 'I did nothing wrong'
- Accountability breakdown leading factor in DoD sexual assaults
- OMB reworking financial system requirements
- Federal retirement funds temporarily tapped
- VanRoekel to lead OMB management team
- Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal finalists
- Thursday federal headlines - May 23, 2013
Can innovation survive budget cuts?
Join thought leaders from Department of Homeland Security, Government Accountability Office, National Institute of Standards and Technology and Noblis as they discuss future Science and Technology innovation for first responders. This Noblis Insights Panel is titled "Can Innovation Survive Budget Cuts?" In today's budget-constrained environment, how can government agencies do more with fewer resources?
Agencies must work together to reduce improper payments
The Association of Government Accountants recently released recommendations on how federal agencies can cut improper payments as a way to cut costs.
Cutting government waste starts with 'little stuff'
John Kamensky is a senior fellow and associate partner at the IBM Center for the Business of Government.
23 of 24 agencies get financial audit opinions
For the first time in 20 years, audits reviewed and gave an opinion for every civilian agency. Only DoD doesn't have a qualified or clean audit opinion.
New strategy gives agencies a "springboard" for increasing diversity
Agencies have four months to develop diversity and inclusion plans under a broad, brief governmentwide strategy released Thursday. Proponents say, by making the President's Management Council responsible for progress, the strategy will succeed where past measures have failed.
GAO: OMB contracting data has problems
John Hutton is Director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management Issues at the Government Accountability Office
NASA employee wins 2011 SAVE Award
Matthew Ritsko earned more than 19,000 votes for his idea to create a lending library of tools bought by the space agency for developing and building flight projects.
CFOs, CAOs get 2012 marching orders to cut service contracts
OMB details the 12 product service codes and specific steps agencies must take over the next year to cut 15 percent of their management service contracts next year. Agencies spent $44 billion on these contracts in 2011.
How agencies cut $18B in improper payments
The White House says federal agencies stopped nearly $18 billion in improper payments in fiscal 2011. Danny Werfel, controller at OMB, explained how agencies did it.
OMB, non-profits urge Senate to keep E-Gov whole
Statement of Administration Policy and letter to Senate recommends keeping the E-Government Fund separate from the Federal Citizen Services Fund. The Sunlight Foundation and OMBWatch also want lawmakers to fully fund the E-Government Fund.
GAO pokes holes in OMB's acquisition savings claims
A new report finds agency data is dubious and lacks reliability. OFPP disagrees with GAO's findings.
Agencies cut improper payments by $18 billion
Most of the fiscal 2011 reductions came from the departments of Education, Agriculture and Health and Human Services. The administration also announced new steps aimed at improving how agencies use suspension and debarment to deal with unreliable contractors and grant recipients.
New Executive Order squeezes more savings from federal agencies
The order directs agencies to cut spending on travel and reduce their fleets, limit the number of devices — such as smartphones, laptops and tablets — it issues to employees and even orders agencies to stop unnecessary printing.
GAO: OMB can improve oversight of IT investments
David Powner, director of information technology management issues at GAO, shares highlights from the recent report.
House committee passes workforce reduction, whistleblower bills
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved H.R. 3029, which would cut the workforce by 10 percent by September 2014.
OMB's Lew says shutdown unlikely, no decision on longer pay freeze
Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew said he's optimistic Congress will keep the government running when the CR runs out later this month. But he said the administration is undecided about whether to extend the federal pay freeze. Lew said budget cuts are an opportunity for all agencies to get better.
Agencies using cloud to de-clutter IT systems
The Homeland Security Department and NASA moving to the cloud to support mission needs and reduce the cost and effort to support back-office systems. Federal Chief Information Officer Steven VanRoekel said he is focusing on four areas of cloud: agencies, procurement, international and cybersecurity.
How OMB can improve IT investments
Mark Forman is a principal at Government Transaction Services and former e-gov administrator at the Office of Management and Budget.
OFPP Administrator Daniel Gordon leaving
The administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy will join the George Washington University Law School as an associate dean. Gordon spent two years at OFPP working on a variety of issues from improving the workforce to reducing the use of high risk contracts to advocating for more collaboration between industry and government.
Analysis: DoD spending cuts small in context of history
Gordon Adams, a professor of international relations at American University and former associate director at the Office of Management and Budget, outlines how draw downs have impacted DoD budgets since World War II.
