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Federal Council News 
Top News
- SES bonuses under fire at GSA, other agencies
- VA's Gould moves the needle on VA challenges
- Obama appoints Danny Werfel acting IRS head
- Photo Gallery: Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal Finalists
- Next-gen Apple devices cleared to join Defense IT networks
- In fight over intelligence IT system, Army prioritizes access to data
- White House wants to root out copycat programs - starting with STEM
- Pentagon furloughs to begin July 8
- Causey: Don't work or we'll fire you!
- House bill protects homeland security budget
- Intelligence Community free from furloughs
- DoD aims to speed approval process for mobile devices
- OMB fuels the passion, synergy between mobile, open data
- GAO, OMB spar over whether to measure data center cost savings
- Agencies craving STEMM talent should bolster skills of persuasion
- DoD wants to know real costs of IT business systems
'1600 Penn' showcases Oval Office, Josh Gad
'1600 Penn' aims for fun, not politics, with slapstick and 'Book of Mormon' star Josh Gad
Ex-Mass. US Sen. Brown talking to Fox about job
Former Mass. US Sen. Brown talking to Fox about contributor job, joins board of paper company
Super Bowl tops ratings; outage highly viewed, too
Super Bowl dominates ratings; less than 2 percent of viewers stopped watching during blackout
Medina advocates better CHCO communication to stop budget axe
Federal chief human capital officers should develop a consistent message about the effects of budget cuts on human resources, said CHCO Council Executive Director Kathryn Medina. The goal is to explain the tangible effects of spending reductions on core agency missions.
Acquisition workforce, contract management top CAO priorities
Improving contract management and workforce development and training the most important areas federal chief acquisition officers and senior procurement executives are focusing on in 2012.
OFPP boosts requirements for contracting reps
A new memo details three classifications for the new contracting officer's representative position, which replaces the contracting officer's technical representatives as of Jan. 1. The goal is to improve acquisition oversight, especially of high risk contracts.
OMB: Agencies to speed pay to small contractors
The Office of Management and Budget has issued new guidance to agencies that would accelerate payments to small-business contractors. OMB Director Jacob Lew directed Executive Branch agencies to cut the payment processing time from 30 days to 15 days.
Measuring up: New SES framework will help evaluate managers
A new governmentwide framework for evaluating the top career employees in the Senior Executive Service will be rolled out at the end of September. Steve Shih, a deputy associate director in the Office of Personnel Management, said it will bring uniformity and predictability to a process that now seems uneven.
HUD finds program success in review sessions
The agency is using HUDStat sessions to set, oversee and accomplish performance goals. HUD and VA are using these meetings to ensure they are meeting their joint goal to reduce homelessness among veterans. HUD's Peter Grace said getting program managers to talk honestly about their challenges has been among the biggest changes.
SESers to have new metrics by September
A new memo from OPM details the efforts to standardize and improve the Senior Executive Service's performance management system. A task force of 10 agencies will develop the new process using public and private-sector best practices. Once finished, OPM expects agencies to implement the system over the next two years.
OMB pushes CFOs to lead cost-cutting effort
In a memo to agency financial managers, Danny Werfel set a July 31 deadline for three broad initiatives to reduce spending. Agency CFOs also must rank their employees' SAVE Award ideas for implementation and begin sharing best practices to root out waste, fraud and abuse.
Performance symposium no longer just for DoD
JD Sicilia, Director of Strategic Management and Performance at DoD and Rosye Cloud, director of Performance Improvement Council join Francis Rose for the Executive Hour on In Depth
Agencies announce 78 cloud projects
The Federal CIO Council released Thursday a list of 78 cloud projects being completed by the 25 largest federal agencies. Starting in December 2010, each agency was required to identify three projects to move to the cloud within 18 months as part of the Obama administration's 25-Point Plan to Reform Federal IT Management.
OPM touts transformation of federal hiring
One year after the President called for improvements to how agencies hire workers, OPM Director Berry said KSAs, long job descriptions and the rule of three are mostly a thing of the past. On average, agencies are hiring new employees in 105 days and most job descriptions are five pages or fewer.
How to communicate with feds to calm shutdown fears
A fast-approaching budget deadline is creating increasing anxiety among federal workers that government could shut down if Congress does not reach a deal.
CHCOs to develop HR certification program
The launch of phase two of the HR University moves the standardization and professionalization of federal human resources workers closer. The CHCO Council wants to expand the number of training courses and the specific types of classes for agencies. The HR University also provides a career path for federal HR workers.
CHCOs have 30 days to improve appraisals
A council working group will deliver recommendations and options to the Office of Personnel Management for how to improve the way managers rate employee performance. OPM Director John Berry said appraisals need to be simplified and happen more frequently.
CIO Council to build a community for all
New vice chairman of the CIO Council Richard Spires said he wants small and large agencies to learn from each other when it comes to implementing IT reforms. Small agencies have a different type of challenge than larger ones in implementing OMB's 25-point plan.
OPM, Republicans continue battle over federal pay
Director John Berry pushes back against claims from members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that federal employees are overpaid. Rep. Issa called the pay freeze a "farce" and wants step-increases frozen for this year. Berry and Democrat lawmakers continue to make the case that feds deserve their salaries.
OPM's new cyber worker definition to improve hiring
The agency and the CIO Council creates a list of the competencies cybersecurity workers need. OPM's Kichak said agencies will have a common understanding of the skills and abilities these employees need.
