Workforce

Trump expected to tap Schedule F architect promising widespread federal layoffs to head OMB

Russ Vought previously held the job and now says he wants federal workers to be "viewed as the villains."

Oversight

OMB needs to provide public details on its plan to finish federal programs inventory, GAO says

Under a revised deadline, OMB has until January 2025 to complete an inventory of federal programs. But the agency hasn’t provided a timeline to meet such a target.

Tech

Senate Dems ask OMB for more regulations, support to mitigate algorithm bias

Sens. Ed Markey and Chuck Schumer are seeking updated guidance and organizational structures to prevent artificial intelligence from discrimination.

Oversight

Watchdog urges OMB to prioritize implementation of anti-fraud recommendations

GAO updated the budget agency on the 172 recommendations that it has not completed.

Management

OPM and OMB unveil a new plan to improve the federal hiring ‘experience’ for both workers and HR managers

The Biden administration’s latest effort to improve the federal hiring process provides a roadmap for implementing decades-old calls for reform.

Workforce

Teleworking feds are spending 60% of their time working in person, OMB says

In a congressionally mandated report, the Office of Management and Budget rebuffed many common complaints by congressional Republicans about the popular workplace flexibility.

Workforce

OMB leader defends administration’s approach to telework

House Republicans continued to demand better data from the Biden administration regarding the prevalence and effectiveness of telework at federal agencies.

Management

OPM launches a new one-stop shop for agency HR needs

Federal agencies can now directly compare shared service providers, as well as more easily find assistance on human capital challenges, thanks to a new online marketplace.

Management

OMB overhauls federal grant guidance to simplify it for recipients

The Biden administration offered new updates to the Uniform Guidance that governs federal grant programs, aiming to slice red tape and simplify the language recipients use to apply for funding. 

Management

Biden administration finalizes first demographics data standards update in nearly 30 years

No longer will “race” and “ethnicity” be bifurcated into separate questions in federal datasets and questionnaires such as the U.S. Census, and people of Middle Eastern or North African ancestry will have their own distinct category.

Management

A new federal office to gameplan for future crises?

A cadre of federal and industry officials are on a mission to scale the practice of strategic foresight across the federal government to help improve agency response to future challenges. 

Workforce

Biden administration details strategic plan to hire military spouses

Improving the recruitment and retention of spouses of servicemembers has been a bipartisan priority in recent years, as military families report economic precarity as a reason to leave public service.

Workforce

One agency’s Trump-era plan included stripping protections from 68% of its workforce

The Office of Management and Budget appeared to have taken a maximalist approach to the controversial job category, proposing to strip the civil service protections from IT workers, recruiters and even executive assistants.

Workforce

Efforts to right-size agency real estate portfolios are often stymied

COMMENTARY | “There is a path forward and relevant, recent examples exist,” writes one former federal real estate official who urges the Biden administration to embrace the hybrid work model.

Management

New bill seeks to codify Trump-era regulation cut rule

Rep. Mike Gallagher’s (R-Wisc.) legislation aims to make permanent the Trump executive order that sought to repeal two regulations for each one introduced.

Management

White House updates interagency group tasked with protecting federal facilities

The Biden administration issued an executive order Monday updating the committee tasked with establishing security policies for installations across the federal government, now including best practices for a mobile workforce.

Management

The White House launches a contractor initiative centered on better data and performance

The Office of Management and Budget detailed an enterprise-wide government contracting plan Wednesday centered on data-based buying and projected to save $10 billion annually. 

Management

OMB should set office space benchmarks accounting for telework reality, GAO says

The watchdog followed up its September testimony on underutilized federal offices to call for the Office of Management and Budget to set the standard for optimizing federal real property portfolios in an increased telework environment. 

Management

What does post-pandemic telework look like during a shutdown?

As agencies begin planning for funding to stop on Sept. 30, federal telework guidance will be tested in a post-COVID environment. 

Management

'Long, long overdue': An oral history of the Government Performance and Results Act

Thirty years ago this month, a landmark piece of legislation aimed to change the very culture of the federal government.