Management
DHS to Waive Contracting Regulations to Speed Up Border Wall Construction
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf is using a 2005 law to override certain requirements.
Oversight
Whistleblower Advocates Praise Pick to Lead New House Ombudsman Office
The office will train congressional staffers on handling disclosures of potential waste, fraud and abuse.
Management
IG: Federal Bureau of Prisons Should Review Enforcement of Policies on Reporting Misconduct
Managers may not be following the rules, watchdog notes.
Workforce
FBI Has Failed to Move the Needle on Diversity Over the Past Decade, Despite Efforts of Recent Directors
Percentages of women and minorities have remained virtually unchanged.
Management
Trump’s Budget Seeks to Increase Funding for the Internal Revenue Service
Staff would grow by a net 1,700 positions from 2020 levels, if $400 million in “cap adjustments” to exceed spending levels in the 2019 budget agreement is included.
Management
White House Budget Gives Election Agency More Funding, But Expert Says It's Not Enough
"A budget should be doubling down on funding [election-related] institutions," the observer argued.
Management
Trump’s Fiscal 2021 Budget Seeks to ‘Resize’ the Bureaucracy
Among other things, the White House wants to rein in “improper end-of-year spending” by agencies.
Management
Trump’s 2021 Budget Would Slash Civilian Agencies, Boost Defense and Veterans Affairs
The White House also reportedly will propose moving the Secret Service back to the Treasury Department.
Defense
Defense Secretary Reminds Employees to Remain Apolitical and Ethical
The statement was released right after Esper attended President Trump’s remarks following the president’s acquittal on impeachment charges.
Workforce
OPM Issues Guidance for Federal Employees Looking to Work for the Census
Helping with the count gives civil servants a chance to earn extra money and be part of history.
Management
House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Presidential Transition Team Ethics Requirements
The Senate-approved measure also has requirements for GSA and other agencies.
Management
Report: Federal Agencies Must Be 'Better Connected, More Collaborative'
Agencies need to work together and with the private sector to improve how they manage IT systems, data and their workforces, researchers say.
Management
Trump Presented an Optimistic View of Government in Third State of the Union
The president pointedly mentioned the administration’s support for the most important change in federal employee benefits in decades: paid family leave.
Management
GSA Praised for Progress on Contracting Schedule Consolidation
Compared to a 2015 merger, “phase two [of the current process] far exceeds the expectations,” said one observer.
Management
Homeland Security Kicks Off Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking, Other Risks at the Super Bowl
Department personnel are also working to prevent sales of counterfeit goods and head off any potential security threats.
Management
IRS Chief Acknowledges Budget Constraints, But Says He Is Confident the Agency Can Handle Tax Season
Two advantages over last year are that the agency is not recovering from a shutdown or implementing a new tax law, former commissioners note.
Oversight
Questions Linger on How State Dept. Employees Will Carry Out New 'Birth Tourism' Policy
The rule "almost demands discrimination in order for it to be implemented," said an expert.
Workforce
Senator Calls on Interior to Reintstate References to LGBTQ Employees in Workplace Discrimination Guidance
Department says its policies have not changed and cites support for LGBTQ workers.
Oversight
GSA Back in the Hot Seat Over Trump Hotel Oversight, Potential Sale
"The only thing I know is what I've read in the paper," agency chief says in reference to foreign expenditures at the hotel.
Management