Management

Underfunding presents operations and cybersecurity challenges for FLRA in fiscal 2024, OIG says

The independent agency tasked with overseeing labor issues within the federal government is currently operating at the same budget level it was 20 years ago, while its unfair labor practice case load has risen 62% in the last four years. 

Management

Agencies can begin submitting congressionally mandated reports to online system this month

Reports mandated by federal law will be uploaded to a centralized online portal maintained by the Government Publishing Office on Oct 16.  

Management

With shutdown uncertainty still in the air, agency leaders need plans to support employees, expert says

The federal budget process is awash in volatility following the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and one health expert says agency leaders should not just plan for a shutdown, but also how to best support their employees through one.

Management

National lab isn’t properly tracking sensitive and high-risk property, OIG says

A new report from the Energy Department’s inspector general found that Brookhaven National Laboratory hadn’t adequately classified crucial property, including “lasers, oscilloscopes, chemical /biological equipment … that accounted for approximately $183 million” in value. 

Pay & Benefits

Report reveals differing federal employee insurance withholding information between USDA, OPM 

An OIG audit found differences of federal employee withholding reporting between the two agencies, leading to several employees being charged incorrect life insurance amounts and another wrongly waived from coverage.

Management

Some federal agencies utilize 25% or less of their headquarters office space, GAO says

As federal employees continued use of telework remains contentious, the watchdog highlighted in a new report that age-old office space problems have become more pronounced. 

Management

OIG: Interior Department backdated discrimination determinations and applied incorrect standards

Officials at the department’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights backdated discrimination decisions for up to 15 days prior to their issuance and erroneously ruled in five cases, according to a new report.

Management

5 longest government shutdowns in U.S. history

Budget disputes have practically made shutdown threats a fall tradition on Capitol Hill, but these impasses left lasting impressions on the history of the federal government.

Management

What does it take to end a government shutdown?

The end of past budget impasses have often played out as calculations of policy goals versus the political pain needed to achieve them, but when the goal is unclear how do you know who wins? 

Workforce

OIG: Tech demand remains a talent challenge for the federal home loan agencies, but telework can help

A report spotlighting the potential risks of recruiting and retaining talent at the agencies overseeing federal home loans shows tight competition for tech talent.

Management

ICE officials didn’t accurately report how they disrupted transnational criminals, OIG says

Immigration officials didn’t know how many transnational criminal organizations they impacted over five years due to a data filing misstep, according to the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general.

Management

White House debuts a new climate-based workforce initiative 

President Joe Biden called for new executive action Wednesday to establish what the White House calls an American Climate Corps to help train and qualify people for clean energy jobs.

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

State dives deep into data

The State Department is increasingly capitalizing on advances in data analytics to inform diplomacy and funding efforts.

Management

FLRA’s contract management system lacked documents, OIG says

The agency that oversees labor-management relations for the federal government was missing key information from its acquisition files and previously “had no formal contract file management policy in place,” according to leadership.

Defense

DOD lag on enacting business system recommendations may slow clean audit, GAO says

The Defense Department has still yet to fully implement 18 recommendations that the watchdog said could facilitate the decades-long pursuit of completing an enterprisewide audit.

Workforce

Amid shutdown anxiety, federal agencies are running up against an IT security deadline

While budget negotiations play out on Capitol Hill, federal agency CIOs are also on the clock to ensure the bulk of their information technology is reported through the CDM program.

Oversight

FDIC needs to sharpen its cyberthreat sharing with financial institutions, OIG says

Despite recent improvements, a watchdog report claims the agency still has more it can do to make threat-sharing policies more effective. 

Defense

Biden selects NSA veteran as national cyber director nominee

White House officials named former National Security Agency official Harry Coker Jr. as the nominee to replace former National Cyber Director Chris Inglis amid the ongoing implementation of the new National Cyber Strategy.

Tech

GAO Identifies New Information Security Deficiencies in IRS System Controls

The watchdog's annual audit of the agency turned up new recommendations on system access controls and security configurations, alongside a limited release report and previous recommendations.