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- 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
BRAC cost 67 percent more than DoD's original estimates, GAO finds
The BRAC Commission of 2005 had estimated one- time costs would be $21 billion. The actual cost was $35.1 billion. In contrast, DoD spent $25 billion for the four previous BRAC rounds combined, GAO said.
GAO dismisses protest over huge TRICARE contract
The Government Accountability Office has turned back a protest over a multibillion dollar contract to administer part of the military's TRICARE health insurance system, the losing bidder said Monday. The Comptroller General's decision was not publicly released as of Monday afternoon, but TriWest officials said they had been notified of the rejection.
GAO: Faulty system lists rat-infested federal buildings in excellent condition
The administration has set steep goals in slashing the number of excess federal properties and the costs associated with operating them. But the main resource for tracking federal properties is plagued by unsound data collection efforts, inconsistent standards and inaccuracies, according to a new Government Accountability Office review.
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.
GSA considers alternatives to track contractors
For decades, the General Services Administration has contracted with the company Dun & Bradstreet to provide unique identifying numbers for businesses. These numbers — called Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS numbers — allow GSA to track contractors and other recipients of federal funds. But the cost of using this service has grown from $1 million in 2002 to about $19 million per year under the current contract.
Federal Drive interviews -- June 19
Avinash Kar of the Natural Resources Defense Council discusses an FDA decision on cattle feeding processes. Attorney Joseph Petrillo offers his perspective on burgeoning bid protests. GAO's Bill Woods talks about GSA's reliance on "dun" numbers. Jamison Cush discusses Microsoft's new tablet device. Charles Scoville works with amputee veterans.
GAO: Feds lose $80M looking for Medicaid fraud
Private contractors received $102 million to review Medicaid fraud data, yet had only found about $20 million in overpayments since 2008, according to a new report by the federal government.
GAO: Feds lose $80M looking for Medicaid fraud
Private contractors received $102 million to review Medicaid fraud data, yet had only found about $20 million in overpayments since 2008, according to a new report by the federal government.
Assessing acquisition rules a full-time pursuit
Rules and regulations are supposed to help the government make the smartest, fairest purchases are often complex. For Bill Woods, director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management Issues at the Government Accountability Office, federal procurement rules are a full-time pursuit.
GAO helps agencies make most of acquisition process
The Government Accountability Office is one of the government's most robust watchdogs, especially when it comes to acquisition. Bill Anderson, GAO's controller and administrative services officer, discussed the ways GAO helps agencies get the most out of the acquisition process.
Federal Drive interviews -- May 31
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell discusses today's House hearing considering a proposal to reign in the Internet. Yvonne Jones of the Government Accountability Office explains why agencies are falling short in hiring more workers with disabilities.
Senators call for GSA chief to look at PBS structure
In a letter to Acting Administrator Dan Tangherlini, a bipartisan group of senators called for an evaluation of the structure of GSA's Public Buildings Service, tying it to the wasteful spending of the Las Vegas scandal.
Reports indicate federal workers' comp long overdue for update
The federal workers' compensation program has long targeted by agency inspectors general, who have cited the program's lack of oversight and susceptibility to improper payments Some members of Congress also argue the program's benefit structure, which hasn't been meaningfully updated since the mid-1970s, has led to widespread inefficiencies.
OMB says VA should be exempt from sequestration cuts
The Veterans Affairs Department should be exempt from the automatic across-the-board cuts — or sequestration — laid out in last summer's Budget Control Act, according to an April 23 letter from the Office of Management and Budget.
Congress to take on billions in duplicative programs
A bipartisan team in the House and Senate introduced legislation on Monday to take on "wasteful" duplication in the federal government. The bill would create a "duplicative score" for all bills introduced to Congress, similar to a potential cost estimate
Analysis: GSA's scandal pales in comparison to historical misdeeds
From Darleen Druyun to Jack Abramoff to wartime contracting, history shows the Public Buildings Service's lavish spending is small potatoes. Experts say the energy and time Congress has put into hearing on the GSA conference near Las Vegas could be better used to address bigger, most costly problems.
Bid protests
Anne Perry and Jonathan Aronie, partners at Sheppard Mullin, will answer questions about the bid protest process.
April 17, 2012(Encore presentation May 22, 2012)
GAO: Lack of guidance stymies efforts to review DoD service contracts
In 2008, Congress mandated the Pentagon to keep an inventory of service contracts and review it annually to make sure government work wasn't being improperly outsourced. But the Government Accountability Office, in a recent report, found a lack of guidance from the top has led to challenges in implementing that requirement.
Antiquated systems slowing down IRS modernization, GAO says
David Powner, GAO's Director of Information Technology Issues, said the problem is not that IRS does not have enough funding for technology — the problem is the agency is still relying on antiquated systems.
VIDEO: Agencies embrace mobile app explosion
The development of mobile applications or apps is expanding within the federal government. The General Services Administration showcased some of the apps coming out of agencies at last week's FOSE Conference in Washington.
