Best Practices News 
Top News
- OMB reworking financial systems to focus on outcomes, not inputs
- Lew taps government retiree pension fund to avoid default
- OMB taps VanRoekel to lead management team
- PHOTOS: Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal Finalists
- Hagel: Accountability breakdown was leading factor in sexual assaults
- Former IRS commissioner faces questions about Tea Party
- SBA starting new lending program for veterans
- New Apple devices cleared to join DoD IT networks
- Army prioritizes access to data in fight over intelligence IT system
- DoD upends slow approval process for mobile devices
- Senior execs' bonuses under fire at agencies
- Gould moves the needle on many of VA's toughest challenges
- Tuesday federal headlines - May 21, 2013
Tips for creating a data-driven workplace
A new report from the Partnership for Public Service and the IBM Center for the Business of Government says data analytics could transform federal management much the way the proliferation of smartphones and mobile technology has reshaped society at large. But that will require a full-scale culture change at agencies, with both managers and rank-and-file employees willing to sign on.
USDA fighting discrimination legacy with more training, accountability
The Agriculture Department is addressing long- standing discrimination claims by minorities and women with better workforce training, more accountability and a deeper look at its data. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack shares with The Federal Drives recent efforts to address the agency's shaky civil rights history.
EPA, USDA break through small business contracting barriers
The federal government as a whole has consistently missed its goal to award 23 percent of its contract dollars to small businesses. But the government also has examples of agencies bucking that trend. In part two of our special report, The Small Business Dilemma, Federal News Radio speaks with several agencies' about how they're succeeding in the small business contracting arena.
Presidential appointees face long, winding road to confirmation
No matter who wins the Presidential election, non-career officials who might one day serve in either an Obama or Romney administration will face a cumbersome appointment process that is just starting to be reformed. Linda Springer, who served as the head of the Office of Personnel Management during the George W. Bush administration told In Depth with Francis Rose the onerous Senate confirmation process for political appointees has been a longstanding issue.
'Hunt' for cost-cutting ideas at GSA nets $5M in savings
The General Services Administration announced it will five cost-saving ideas generated by GSA employees. The ideas will save the agency more than $5.53 million and include phasing out a redundant employee survey and changing the default settings on printers.
Report: Lack of encouragement causes agency innovation to fizzle
The federal government is saddled with the reputation of a stodgy, stunted work environment where the status quo rules the day. But the problem isn't that federal employees don't have bright ideas for doing business differently. The problem is that too often agency leadership fails to encourage employees to think outside the box or to reward them when they do so.
How managers can salvage training during tight budgets
One of the first victims of the budget axe is often professional training, says Linda Petersen, a former longtime Office of Personnel Management official now with Graduate School USA. Petersen, who joined In Depth with Francis Rose said too often training, which carries long-term benefits is not viewed as being part of an agency's strategic vision.
Building personnel face new green training expectations
Employees and contractors must demonstrate core competency skills released today by the General Services Administration. GSA developed the competencies and related curriculum recommendations to meet legislative requirements.
DoD leads the way in student loan repayment program
DoD attracts and retains more employees through an increased involvement in the student loan repayment program.
NSA shares leadership secrets to mission success
Chris Inglis, the deputy director of the National Security Agency, said agencies need good managers and leaders, as well as employees with specific skill sets. He said NSA's balance between the three is helping it succeed at its core missions.
Agencies rethink business as usual in face of budget, workforce challenges
In the face of decreasing resources and increasing workloads, agencies are searching for ways to become more efficient. John Palguta, vice president for policy at Partnership for Public Service, said agencies should consider utilizing tools developed by others. Steve Lenkart, executive director and chief operating officer at the Merit Systems Protection Board, said agencies can structure procedures to manage risks of uncertainty.
Devaney: 'Long past due' for governmentwide spending oversight
Agencies and lawmakers, seeking to implement accountability and transparency practices governmentwide, are taking a page from the Recovery Board's playbook. One of the successes of the RAT Board was in changing the way agencies dealt with erroneous or improper payments, said Earl Devaney, the former chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board and now a senior adviser at Reznick Government.
GAO gives Congress a hand for using data to make decisions
The 34-page guideline details how lawmakers can use performance information to ensure agencies are meeting their missions.
What causes 'leadership deficit' at agencies?
Two former federal human-capital experts joined In Depth with Francis Rose for a for a conversation about leadership and management at federal agencies: Jeff Neal, former CHCO at the Homeland Security Department, now a senior vice president at ICF International; and Ron Sanders, the first CHCO of the Intelligence Community, who's now a senior executive adviser at Booz Allen Hamilton.
Think tank points to valuable Recovery Act lessons
The IBM Center for the Business of Government released a report examining the lessons from the execution of the stimulus over the last three years.
Treasury's FMS proving shared services works
The Financial Management Service moved many of its day-to-day IT operations to the Bureau of Public Debt. FMS is providing oversight and guidance for IT systems in return. John Kopec, FMS's chief information officer, said his next set of priorities is to use business intelligence and analytics tools on the data from the shared service providers.
May 24, 2012
Recovery Board is model for governmentwide oversight efforts
The RAT Board is a model for government-wide spending oversight, and bipartisan legislation in both the House and Senate could make the RAT Board a permanent fixture in overseeing federal spending.
Military Health System must balance old, new health IT
Karen Guice, the acting CIO for the Military
Health System, said her office is working the
Veterans Affairs Department to ensure the
transition to the new electronic health record
from legacy systems is as seamless as possible.
She said DoD and VA are working on a data
taxonomy.
April 5, 2012(Encore presentation June 14,
2012)
Contractors chart path for 'bring your own device' programs
Federal agencies may be behind the times when it comes to "bring your own device" programs for employees, but federal contractors have been doing it for years. Sheila Jordan from Cisco told the Federal Drive about her company's program, security concerns and benefits beyond savings.
NAVSEA program lets new hires dive into careers
The Naval Sea Systems Command—the division of the Navy responsible for the building, purchase and maintenance of ships—has won an award for its year-long program for new hires, which offers seminars, etiquette training and even tours of submarines. Emily Grauwiler, the manager of the program, told Federal News Radio that onboarding is about more than just getting a manual and a desk.
