Emily Kopp Reports 
Top News
- Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
- Data breach puts DHS workers at risk of identity theft
- DoD chooses interoperability over integration for new e-health system
- Obama to nominate Tangherlini as GSA administrator
- 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 to focus on outcomes, not inputs
- Retirement funds temporarily tapped to avoid debt limit default
- VanRoekel to lead OMB management team
- Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal finalists
Emily Kopp covers civilian agencies in the federal government with a focus on workforce issues. Emily's reports can be heard Monday - Friday on the Federal Drive and In Depth.
Postal Service posts $3.3B loss for the quarter
The Postal Service said large losses would continue until the agency can trim its workforce, close some facilities, and restructure its healthcare program. The Postal Service posted a total loss of $5.1 billion in fiscal 2011.
VA comes under fire for telework policy
AFGE has accused the Department of Veterans Affairs of failing to expand telework opportunities despite a new law designed to encourage the practice. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) has demanded an explanation. Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration John Sepulveda said managers aren't convinced that telework is good for the agency.
Lawmakers continue battle over federal retirement benefits
In the latest attempt to cut federal retirement benefits, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has reported out legislation that would make feds contribute more of their salaries to their pensions and end the FERS annuity supplement for people who retire before age 62.
Section 508 revision nears home stretch but compliance problems remain
The Access Board hopes to publish new accessibility standards this fall, known as Section 508, which agencies use to buy tech products. The agency has been working on the standards for six years. But some advocates of disabled employees say the update, while necessary, doesn't address the real problem: lack of enforcement.
Survey: Telework still elusive at many agencies
Many agencies are not as gung-ho on telework as the Obama Administration or lawmakers would have it, according to a recent Congressional Research Service survey. The Department of Veterans Affairs allows just one-tenth of its employees to telework. At other agencies, most workers who are eligible to telework do not.
Senators take OPM to task over long wait for pensions
The Office of Personnel Management has a new strategy for tackling its backlog of 62,000 retirement applications. But, after 25 years of hearing such promises, lawmakers are skeptical. The Senate Homeland Security and Government Reform Subcommittee on Oversight brought agency director John Berry to Capitol Hill to explain why this strategy is different.
OMB gives more details on agency consolidation plan
President Barack Obama will send Congress a bill in the coming weeks to reinstate the president's authority to consolidate agencies, said Lisa Brown, the Office of Management and Budget executive leading the government reform effort. She said the bill would require proposals to "reduce the number of agencies or save costs."
Senate committee to vet OPM annuity processing strategy
The Office of Personnel Management's new strategy to catch up on its backlog of retirement claims will be vetted publicly during a hearing Wednesday of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management.
OPM: Fixing retirement backlog 'vitally important'
It's not the easiest time to tackle the growing backlog of retirement applications from federal employees. The Office of Personnel Management has received more than 15,000 new applications this month, which is more than double the normal load, said Retirement Services Director Ken Zawodny.
OPM to extend viewpoint survey to all feds
All federal employees will have the opportunity to participate in this year's Employee Viewpoint Survey. The Office of Personnel Management's annual survey of federal workers' opinions often is used to set administrative policies at agencies. In past years, only a third of the workforce had been asked to participate.
Obama to push spectrum development for first responders
The White House will push Congress to "finish the job" on spectrum policy, Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra said. First responders still are using analog communications to talk to each other during emergencies.
OPM online training course aims to make telework more accessible
The Office of Personnel Management has updated the telework training offered through Telework.gov. Agencies must provide telework training to employees who are able and willing to work outside the office before the two parties sign a telework agreement. The upgrades will allow agencies to track which employees use and complete the training, according to the memo.
Agencies demo one-stop FOIA portal
Federal employees who respond to Freedom of Information Act requests got their first look today at a new web portal designed to improve efficiency and transparency. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Commerce Department and the National Archives and Records Administration are basing the portal on Regulations.gov.
FEHB program almost ready to welcome Indian tribe employees
Administrators are preparing to expand the Federal Employee Health Benefits plan in May to thousands of employees of Indian tribes and tribal organizations. Tribes have urged the change for a long time. It was mandated by the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and is just now becoming a reality.
Hubert Sparks reflects on four decades of auditing agencies
Appalachian Regional Commission Inspector General Hubert Sparks has tried to retire twice, but keeps coming back to government. After 43 years, this will be his last, Sparks said.
New SES appraisal system meant to align agencies
The White House has announced a new system for evaluating the performance of Senior Executive Service members. The system should establish greater consistency among agencies, according to a memo by the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management.
Postal Service's plan to close post offices hits roadbumps
The Postal Regulatory Commission has criticized the Postal Service's proposal to consider closing more than 3,600 post offices as part of its plan to avoid a projected $14 billion loss this year. The plan is causing anxiety in communities that depend on their post offices and it would not save that much money, PRC Chairman Ruth Goldway told Federal News Radio. The commission will be watching the agency's cash flow closely in the coming months.
Will 2012 be the year agencies focus on succession planning?
Pressure is growing on agencies to draft formal succession plans. There's good reason to believe more feds retired in late 2011 than in recent years, although the final count is not yet out.
HUD, VA collaboration succeeds in finding vets homes
President Barack Obama has promised to end homelessness among veterans within three years. He's made it a high-priority goal, challenging agencies to meet it without additional resources or laws. Officials say they're on track thanks to a unique collaboration between two agencies and dozens of local partners is focusing on the toughest cases.
Kane named 'CHCO of the Year' for online training, performance evaluation work
The Energy Department is one of six agencies testing a framework aimed at revamping one of the thorniest issues in government: how supervisors evaluate employees. Chief Human Capital Officer Mike Kane led a working group of more than 100 union, management and government representatives who drafted the framework. He earned the "Chief Human Capital Officer of the Year" award from the CHCO Council.
