Author Archive
Oversight
Why plugging leaks sometimes means protecting leakers
COMMENTARY | Congress needs to establish a form of amnesty that, where appropriate, provides an exit ramp for individuals who have unwittingly violated the terms of a security clearance and wish to come clean.
Management
The 3 duties of public servants
COMMENTARY | With all that’s going on in Washington these days, public officials have three fundamental duties that they cannot shirk.
Oversight
Fixing accountability first: Another look at the Restore VA Accountability Act
COMMENTARY | If we really want to rid the VA (and the rest of the federal civil service) of poor performers, we need to find a middle ground between making every employee “at will” and defaulting to today’s status quo.
Tech
There’s something DHS can do to help civilian agencies fight cyberattacks
The Homeland Security Department has the power to do a lot more than just issue words of warning.
Workforce
Federal Retirees Could Be a Great Talent Source, If Only It Were Easier to Bring Them Back
There are lots of job ready federal retirees out there prepared and willing to return to work for Uncle Sam, but we need to eliminate the biases and disincentives that make it too hard for them to do so.
Management
Our Accountability System is Broken. Fix It First
The way we hold federal employees accountable for meeting reasonable standards of performance and behavior is badly broken, and it must be fixed before we can talk about additional reforms, argues one former federal leader.
Management
There’s No ‘Easy Button’ for Cutting Government
As tempting as they are, across-the-board budget cuts and hiring freezes are the worst way to reduce the size and cost of the federal bureaucracy.
Management
Say No to Politicizing the Civil Service, But Yes to More Flexibility
Banning exceptions to standard federal personnel rules could make agency-specific reforms more difficult.
Management
Beyond Czars: Meeting Bureaucracy-Spanning Challenges
We need a cadre of career professionals to take a whole-of-government approach to addressing key priorities.
Management
The IRS Will Need These 4 Things to Succeed After the Midterms
Commissioner-designate Danny Werfel has an opportunity to transform the tax agency, if given the right tools.
Workforce
How Existing Policy Can Help Fill the Cyber Workforce Gap
There's still time to retool the Cyber Talent Management System at DHS to create a cadre of cyber specialists to fill key roles at federal civilian agencies.
Pay & Benefits
The Government’s Pay System Needs to Be Fixed. The Federal Salary Council Can (and Should) Lead the Charge.
The former chair of the Federal Salary Council, on behalf of his fellow appointees from the previous administration, discusses why the council should take up unfinished business left over from that administration.
Workforce
Winning the War for Cyber – and Cyber Talent
A White House cyber director lacks budget and staff, and a cabinet-level "Department of Cybersecurity" risks alienating stakeholders, but there is a model already in place that could manage the "whole of government" cybersecurity approach.
Workforce
Shrinking the Tax Gap Requires a Renewed IRS Workforce
Congress must give the agency statutory authority to develop and implement a new set of civil service rules if it is to hire and hold accountable employees with the necessary skills.
Management
To Beat the Pandemic, Biden Needs to Take the Politics Out of It
The vast majority of recent survey respondents said “Politics has made it harder to learn the truth about COVID-19.”
Management
Coping with Transition Turbulence: A Survival Guide for Civil Servants
To state the obvious, these are not normal times. A veteran of five presidential transitions spells out the hard choices officials face today.
Management
Viewpoint: Move to Politicize the Career Civil Service is an Insider Threat to the Country
Two former-high-ranking intelligence community officials issue a stark warning about President Trump’s order creating a new category of federal employees.
Management
Balancing Freedom and Responsibility on the Front Lines of Public Service
The pandemic has amplified Americans’ love-hate relationship with their government.
Management
Leadership Matters, But Government Has a Deeper Problem
Federal management systems are in dire need of an overhaul.
Management
A Blueprint for SES Reform
A set of specific recommendations for transforming the government’s senior executive corps.
