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Top News
- VA chipping away at oldest disability claims in backlog
- What's the latest on phased retirement?
- New mobile tools gives agencies ‘giant innovation permission slip'
- Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
- Furlough Friday: Multiple agencies took advantage of holiday weekend
- Data breach puts DHS employees at risk of ID theft
- IRS replaces official in Tea Party controversy
- Commerce nominee sails through hearing
- Obama nominates Archuleta as next OPM director
- FedRAMP achieves another cloud security milestone
- Tangherlini to be nominated as permanent GSA chief
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- OMB reworking financial system requirements
- Federal retirement funds temporarily tapped
- Friday federal headlines - May 24, 2013
Conference investigation leaves some questioning GSA IG's aggressive tactics
The General Services Administration's inspector general investigated the agency's recent SmartPay Training Conference and found no wrongdoing or elaborate spending. But the approach taken by the GSA inspector has left some at the agency uneasy. According to a draft memo obtained by Federal News Radio, tactics used by the investigator included a late night awakening and interrogation of the GSA executive in charge of the conference.
GSA now offering cloud email services to agencies
The General Services Administration announced it's now offering cloud-based email services for federal agencies. GSA issued 20 blanket purchase agreements to 17 companies, which the agency said would help streamline the purchasing of cloud services across the government.
GSA expects $11M savings from travel, conference cuts
The General Services Administration projects it will save $11 million from April to September from reforms to employee travel and agency conferences. Since April, GSA canceled 47 conferences.
USAcess and SmartBuy programs
Larry Hale, director of GSA's Center for Strategic Solutions and Security Services, will talk about some of the agency's most important programs and initiatives.
August 28, 2012
Proposal would alter cybersecurity requirements for contractors
A proposed rule would make contractors responsible for securing networks that store any type of government information. It defines key terms like information and "information system."
Fired GSA Buildings Service commissioner finds new job
Bob Peck, who was fired in April after an inspector general's report revealed excessive spending at a GSA conference, was hired by the Gensler consulting group to lead its D.C.-based office.
'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.
Issa probing conferences that exceeded GSA price tag
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is probing more than 150 conferences hosted by 11 agencies since 2005 where wasteful spending or excessive spending may have have occurred, according to a committee release. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the oversight chairman, said the committee is using the lavish $823,000 regional conference hosted by the General Services Administration in 2010 as a "benchmark" to compare other agencies' conference spending. The committee found the Defense Department has held 64 such conferences.
GSA targets small businesses for new IT contracts
The agency said it will release a draft request for proposals no later than Sept. 18 for the integrated professional services IT multiple award contract.
GSA opens public portal to governmentwide social media registry
The General Services Administration wants to collect all government social media accounts in one single database so the public can trust they are engaging with an official government site. GSA hopes the registry will also provide a better picture of how federal agencies are using social media.
Former GSA official Prouty fights back against firing
The former Public Buildings Service Region 8 commissioner filed an appeal with the Merit Systems Protection Board against GSA for wrongful termination.
GSA freezes feds' 2013 travel per diem rates at 2012 levels
Per diem rates for work-related federal travel in 2013 are frozen at 2012 levels, according to the General Services Administration. GSA sets the allowances for lodging, meals and other incidental expenses for federal employees who must travel for work. The standard per diem rate is $123 ($77 lodging, $46 meals and incidental expenses).
Federal Drive interviews - Aug. 13
The Project on Government Oversight evaluates whether defense contractors would be hit hard by sequestration. Plus, what are best practices for creating PDFs that are accessible by people with disabilities?
Taskforce extends deadline for ideas on cloud ID management
The goal is for federal websites to accept third- party ID management credentials. The Federal Cloud Credential Exchange (FCCX) Tiger Team wants to know more about existing commercial products and services that can help.
Q&A with ITS's Kevin Page
Kevin Youel Page, deputy commissioner for the Office of Integrated Technology Services, will talk about the agency's goals and initiatives.
August 7, 2012
Issa seeks closer relationship between IGs, Congress
Too often Congress is left "in the dark" when it comes to inspector general investigations of agency misconduct, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee wrote in a letter to 73 inspectors general. Issa said he wanted to "establish an understanding between Congress and the IG community" for more rapid reporting of agency misdeeds uncovered by their offices. In his letter, Issa asked the inspectors for more information about their reporting practices to Congress and whether any serious problems were ever not shared with lawmakers.
OGE missed signs of GSA ethics violations, memo says
A memo by a government watchdog group finds the General Services Administration's ethics program received high marks in a November 2010 study from the Office of Government Ethics. The report was issued shortly after GSA threw the lavish Las Vegas conference that has led to the firings of top officials and the resignation of Administrator Martha Johnson and a slew of congressional hearings.
Lawmakers putting GSA's new conference spending rules to the test
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee lawmakers were expected to ask the agency's inspector general to look into the 14th Annual SmartPay conference happening this week in Nashville. GSA says all conferences must go through a multi-step approval process, including those already in the planning stages for 2012 and beyond.
VA not doing enough to verify service-disabled veteran owned firms
GAO highlights a need for tighter controls to fix the contracting program.
Fed pay, the postal service, and more
NTEU president Colleen Kelley and Steve Watkins
and Andy Medici from the Federal Times will talk
about some of the big a wide variey of issues
affecting federal workers.
August 1, 2012
