Buzz Factor

Telework: The future is on hold
SUMMARY: Managers ignore OMB mandates to let employees telework.
OUTLOOK: A new concept, the Results-Only Work Environment, could promote telework, but might be even less likely to gain management's acceptance.

NOAA interactive map tracks Gulf oil spill
SUMMARY:  A geospatial application lets the public track the spill's spread.
OUTLOOK: It's transparency in action — for BP. The Obama administration's own record is still sketchy.

Feds: Don't come work for us!
SUMMARY: Readers think the government is its own worst enemy when it comes to recruiting new employees.
OUTLOOK: Outdated technology, rundown offices and no sign of improvement discourage many young professionals from government employment.

Interior loses CD with personal data for 7,500 employees
SUMMARY: When a procurement specialist reported that the CD, sent by a third-party service provider, could not be found, Interior notified the employees involved.
OUTLOOK: Although data breaches still occur with frightening frequency, the data on this CD was encrypted and password-protected, so maybe agencies are getting the message.

5 top security suites for teleworkers
SUMMARY: We review antivirus tools teleworkers should consider using.
OUTLOOK: Security concerns keep many agencies from letting employees work from home, but the right antivirus tools could help the phenomenon spread.

Who owns data in the cloud? The answer could get tricky 
SUMMARY: A panel discussion hashes out the relationships between agencies and public cloud providers and explores the evolution of private clouds.
OUTLOOK: Moving to the cloud is a scary proposition for agencies that prefer to retain full control over their data, so private clouds could become more popular.

Most transitioned NSPS workers get a pay hike. How about you? 
SUMMARY: Most of the employees who were part of the National Security Personnel System got a raise when they moved to the General Schedule pay system.
OUTLOOK: NSPS' failure will be an albatross for pay-for-performance advocates.

No pulse, no pay: How the 'do not pay' list will work
SUMMARY: The Obama administration has ordered the creation of a comprehensive list to stop federal payments to debarred contractors, dead people and other ineligible recipients.
OUTLOOK: The project is part of an effort to reduce fraud and waste, but creating the list poses some serious logistical problems.