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Special Reports
Top News
- Furlough Friday: Multiple agencies take advantage of holiday weekend
- New mobile tools gives agencies ‘giant innovation permission slip'
- VA chipping away at oldest disability claims in backlog
- Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
- Data breach puts DHS employees at risk of ID theft
- What's the latest on phased retirement?
- 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
- Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal finalists
- Thursday federal headlines - May 23, 2013
Rise of the Money People
In Federal News Radio's on-air and online series, "Rise of the Money People: Financial management moves front and center as agencies make the final assault on wasted billions," we shine the light on chief financial officers and their soldiers in the financial wars, their strategies and tactics for waging the fight, the current and emerging weapons in their arsenal, and how their future battles will unfold.
Top Leaders in Federal Service
During tough times, great leadership is key. In our special report, Top Leaders in Federal Service, Federal News Radio profiles five of the greatest leaders in government today to find out what their secrets are to success. We also reveal the results of our survey examining federal employees' morale.
FERS: 25 Years Later
Federal employees who came into government after Jan. 1, 1984 were part of a grand experiment. Could the government transition to a private-sector-like retirement system? The answer, 25 years after the creation of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), is a resounding yes. FERS, according to many experts, has lived up to the expectation of providing federal employees a three-piece retirement plan: a small defined pension, Social Security and a 401k-like investment opportunity in the Thrift Savings Plan. In our special report, we explore whether moving from the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to FERS was a success and how FERS has evolved over the last quarter century.
Gov. 3.0: It's Mobile
The mobile revolution isn't new to many agencies. Laptops and BlackBerrys have been standard issue for many government executives for the last decade. What is different, however, is the widespread use of smartphones and tablet computers. Both agencies and citizens hold new and more immediate expectations, and the government must adapt to this technololgy. In our special report, Gov 3.0: It's Mobile, Federal News Radio explores how some agencies are meeting the demand internally and externally for mobile devices and apps. The challenge, like any new technology, is ensuring these devices actually help meet mission goals and don't become just another shiny toy.
Election 2012
Federal News Radio follows the races and election outcomes important to federal employees and government contractors.
Cybersecurity Rising
Two events in 2006 changed the way federal agencies and contractors viewed and understood cybersecurity. In January, the Defense Department's Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations gave military services and DoD agencies six months to implement smart card readers for all computer systems and networks, and required employees to log onto those systems using their Common Access Cards. In May, an employee of the Veterans Affairs Department had a laptop stolen out of the trunk of his car containing the data on 26 million veterans.
The Small Business Dilemma
The federal government has missed its 23 percent small business contracting goal for the past six years. Federal News Radio explores the dynamics that make small business contracting a challenge for agencies - specifically the Defense Department, the government's biggest spender. We explore what the Pentagon is doing to increase opportunities for small firms, highlight agency successes and examine why agencies are struggling to find contractors in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones).
The Obama Impact: Evaluating the Last Four Years
The Obama administration's legacy over the past four years consists of major wins, missed opportunities and large scale busts. In this special report, Federal News Radio evaluates 23 initiatives behind which the administration flexed its performance and management muscle. In our special week-long multimedia series, we review how well the administration was able to go from concept to strategy to implementation to success in the areas of management, technology, workforce and acquisition.
Trial by Fire: Overseas Contracting in Transition
The transition in Iraq from the Defense to the State Department was the largest civilian logistics operation since World War II. The State Department absorbed hundreds of functions traditionally undertaken by DoD, and a robust new role in contingency contracting. Federal News Radio's special report examines how key officials at DoD and State planned the transition and how they reformed contingency contracting management over the past decade.
Inside the World's Biggest Buyer
The federal government takes more than $1 trillion per year to operate, with nearly half of its operating budget spent on the acquisition of goods and services. Congress, executive branch political leadership and career federal managers all agree — federal acquisition needs to be a lot more efficient and effective. Federal News Radio's week-long special report, Inside the World's Biggest Buyer, takes a look at acquisition from every perspective: agency, industry, workforce, oversight, and suspension and debarment.
GAO: A watchdog muzzled?
The Government Accountability Office issues hundreds of reports each year detailing billions of dollars in cost-savings. Its role, which has evolved since it was first created as the General Accounting Office in 1921, is considered essential to the congressional oversight process. But last year, Congress cut the GAO's budget and officials announced it was on track to hit its lowest staffing levels since the 1930s. Employees and oversight advocates worry how reduced a reduced budget and staff will impact the agency's effectiveness.
Shakeup at GSA
On Monday, April 2, 2012, General Services Administration chief Martha Johnson stepped down from her post after firing Bob Peck, the commissioner of the Public Buildings Service, and GSA adviser Stephen Leeds. The shakeup in the administration came on the heels of an inspector general report that detailed excessive spending by the agency at a conference in 2010. Read Federal News Radio's full coverage of the Shakeup at GSA.
Managing Morale
From federal pay freezes to tightening budgets and a shrinking workforce, federal employees and managers have had to deal with their fair share of changes the last few years. But what kind of toll has it taken on the workforce? Managers and employees alike tell Federal News Radio their morale has been affected drastically - and not in a good way. We find out from feds just how bad the problem is; we speak with federal managers and leadership experts on what can be done to fix morale issues; and we hear straight from members of Congress what they expect from the federal workforce during these difficult times.
Federal Voices
Inspired by President John F. Kennedy and the desire to make a difference in society, a generation of Americans has made the federal government their career. The post-World War II generation makes up about 25 percent of today's federal workforce — the focus of a new Federal News Radio series, Federal Voices. We will bring you the stories of long-time federal employees who began their careers when smoking in the office was common, where every desk had a typewriter and when no one was addicted to a Blackberry.
2011 and Beyond
Federal News Radio looks back at the top stories of the year and predicts the big federal stories of 2012. Series includes top 10 Federal News Radio stories, top 10 Mike Causey columns, top 10 Federal Drive interviews and top 10 In Depth interviews.
9/11: A Government Changed
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks forced the government to transform. The change has been both subtle and dramatic, encompassing everything from building security to computer security to how agencies hire and perform background checks. Federal News Radio evaluates the impact these changes have made on how the government meets its crucial mission and on the employees and contractors who are called upon daily to protect the homeland.
Cool Jobs in Government
Thousands of feds have one thing in common - they perform work most people don't associate with the government. In our ongoing series, Cool Jobs in Government, Federal News Radio uncovers and highlights some of the most interesting and unorthodox ways feds spend their days.
Service to America Medals
The Service to America Medals (Sammies) awards program pays tribute to America's dedicated federal workforce, highlighting those who have made significant contributions to our country. Federal News Radio interviews each of the finalists.
Talk Back to Washington
About 90 percent of federal employees live and work outside of Washington. We wondered what they would say if they could talk to headquarters. So, we asked them. In Federal News Radio's special report, Talk Back to Washington, we provide insight for the federal manager on the workforce outside the Beltway. We get perspectives of federal employees in different regions around the country and around the world. And, we find out about their working conditions, what they think of policy decisions made in Washington, and what they want Washington to know about the work they do day-in and day-out.
New Face of Government
People in their 20s and 30s - often called Generation X'ers, Y'ers and Millenials - are sparking a cultural transformation in the federal workplace. The series explores the relationship between long-time and newer coworkers, and how the generations can help each other.
150 Years at GPO
March 4, 1861 was a day of two inaugurations - Abraham Lincoln took office and the Government Printing Office opened for business. In our special report, 150 Years at GPO, Federal News Radio examines GPO's technological evolution over the years. We also take a multimedia tour inside GPO's plant operations where the agency prints the Congressional Record and Federal Register.
BRAC Impact
The Defense Department is spending more than $35 billion to move 123,000 employees and change the makeup of more than 8,000 bases across the country under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) initiative. The impact on military personnel, their families, their communities and the agencies that work with DoD is just beginning to be understood. In our special week-long report, BRAC Impact: A Federal News Radio and WTOP In Depth Series, we will explore the effect moving hundreds of thousands of workers across DoD will have on the military and the contractors that support them.
Discouraged and Disrespected at SBA
Something is going on at the Small Business Administration. Federal News Radio has heard accusations of whistleblower retaliation, turkey-farming, hostile work environments, and widespread morale problems. The Office of Special Counsel investigated. Meanwhile, SBA says it is trying to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. What's the real story? Federal News Radio executive editor Jason Miller investigates.
Need for the Next Generation
For more than a decade, the threat of a retirement wave has loomed over the federal government. So what is the government doing to bring young people into the federal workforce? This series highlights some of the innovative ways that agencies are recruiting and retaining the next generation of federal employees.
Greening of Government
It's been a year since President Barack Obama issued the executive order requiring agencies to reduce the amount of energy they use. Over the past 12 months, agencies have been putting the infrastructure in place to begin to tackle these goals. So, just how much of a difference are these mandates making? Is it lip service or real change? All this week, Federal News Radio analyzes the impact the programs and policies are having in making the government more green.
Contract Overload
The proliferation of multiple award contracts across the government has reached a tipping point. The Office of Federal Procurement Policy is on a listening tour trying to figure out how to tame this unwieldy beast. The administration's efforts come as several agencies plan to recompete or issue new procurements for MACs in the coming year. Federal News Radio's Jason Miller explores all sides of this complex issue.
HReInvented
For decades, the government's HR systems have been one of the biggest scapegoats for agency performance problems. There have been scores of criticisms. Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry now gets his turn to try to reform many long-standing federal HR challenges. In our series, HReinvented, Federal News Radio asks experts what would it take to build a better personnel system? We find where innovation already exists in government, and ask could these examples be a model for the rest of the agencies?
Agency Instability at GSA
In April, it will have been two years since the General Services Administration has had a permanent leader. Federal News Radio's Jason Miller examines what effect the lack of permanent leadership is having on the agency - and other agencies in the federal government.
2010 and Beyond
Federal News Radio takes a look at the top stories affecting the federal community in 2010 and how these issues will impact the government in 2011.
Top 5 for 2010
Federal News Radio is polishing its crystal ball to give you some of our predictions for the upcoming year. In no particular order, our news team has chosen the five issues that you'll want to watch in 2010. Also, read on to find out how you can participate in this series.
Stories of the Decade
The decade is coming to an end ... and Federal News Radio is taking a look at the biggest stories that have impacted the federal government since 2000.
Smart Grid, Smart Future
The Smart Grid will completely overhaul our current electricity infrastructure. Some say it could completely change the world while others worry about security and privacy. Federal News Radio's Amy Morris takes an in-depth look at the Smart Grid - what it is and how it's being developed - in her week-long series, Smart Grid, Smart Future?
5 Fallacies of Government
Go to any conference and listen to different speakers, or hear what those in Congress say and invariably someone will perpetuate a stereotype of the federal government. The government wastes money. Federal employees don't work hard. Over time, these statements have developed their own lives. But are they really true? Federal News Radio analyzes five common observations about the government and lets you decide if the depictions are deserved.
Beneath the Green Dome
Going green in the government isn't just a trend. It is a mandate. But lawmakers say they can't expect the rest of the nation to become environmentally friendly if they don't set the example. Federal News Radio takes a look at what Capitol Hill is doing to reduce its carbon footprint in our series, Beneath the Green Dome.
DHS: Vision of What's Possible
The series examines how the Homeland Security Department's Science and Technology Directorate advances through funding and other cutting-edge technology to address some of the biggest problems in the public sector.
