Digital Government

OPM Cuts Security Clearance Backlog in Half, But Processing Delays Spell Trouble for Pentagon

The National Background Investigations Bureau is barreling through the backlog of clearance applications as the Defense Department prepares to take over the function in October.

Digital Government

House Passes Defense Policy Bill with Provision to Block OPM-GSA Merger

The must-pass legislation also includes amendments granting paid family leave and protecting feds’ health insurance during shutdowns.

Modernization

GSA's Centers of Excellence Wants Industry Feedback on Pending OPM Effort

The General Services Administration’s Centers of Excellence effort at the Office of Personnel Management is ramping up.

Digital Government

OPM Announces New ‘Data Scientist’ Job Title

Officials hope that an "unofficial" data science marker for federal jobs could help both with recruitment of new federal workers as well as improve evidence-based policymaking and data management efforts.

Digital Government

OPM Still Lacks Legal Analysis of Proposed Merger with GSA

Lawmakers in both parties expressed outrage at the lack of documents provided to support the Trump administration’s proposal.

Digital Government

House Approves 3.1% Pay Raise and Blocks OPM Furloughs, Merger

Lawmakers dealt the Trump administration’s proposal to merge OPM and GSA another setback.

Digital Government

'People Are Crying When They Come Into Work:' Unions Protest OPM-GSA Merger

Lawmakers said they will try to amend an appropriations bill to block the acting OPM director from following through on her threat to lay off 150 agency employees.

Digital Government

Federal Employees Suing OPM Score Win in Lawsuit Over Data Hacks

Appeals court overrules district-level finding, says federal employee unions have standing to sue.

Digital Government

OPM Leader Threatens Furloughs, RIFs if Congress Doesn’t Approve GSA Merger

The administration has given lawmakers until the end of June to greenlight the merger, or else roughly 150 OPM employees could lose their jobs this fall.

Digital Government

OPM-GSA Merger Could Cause Regulatory Bottleneck, Legal Challenges

Even if Congress were to pass the Trump administration’s proposal to reorganize OPM, it could still take years before policymakers could tackle other workforce issues.

Artificial Intelligence

OPM Offers Reskilling and Workforce Tools to Agency Heads

The Office of Personnel Management wants agencies to prepare for the workforce of the future.

Digital Government

OPM Encourages Agencies to Expand Telework Amid Summer Metro Station Closures

Six Metro stations in Virginia will shut down entirely for platform repairs, beginning next week and lasting through early September.

Digital Government

Labor and Management Share Dim View of OPM-GSA Merger Proposal

Officials fear a provision that would send rulemaking authority to a non-Senate confirmed White House official an attempt to politicize the civil service.

Modernization

GSA Selects OPM for Third Centers of Excellence

Under the program, OPM will work with industry to modernize its IT infrastructure and improve the government’s tech workforce planning.

Modernization

Many Americans Want to Join Civil Service Until It’s Time to Apply

A commission on public service wants to figure out what parts of the federal hiring process deter potential employees.

Digital Government

OPM Chief to Propose Legislation for Merger With GSA By Week’s End

The Trump administration claims OPM cannot function properly without revenue from the National Background Investigations Bureau.

Digital Government

OPM Nominee Defends Tenure at Labor Authority, Commits to Working with Lawmakers on GSA Merger

Dale Cabaniss dismissed her record-low employee morale scores at FLRA as backlash to efforts to make the agency “more fair” and effective.

Modernization

Watchdog: OPM CIO Isn’t Exercising Enough Authority Over IT Budgets

Department IT leadership was given significant budgetary authority under FITARA, but the government’s human resources department hasn’t been applying them properly, according to the inspector general.

Policy

Shifting the Pentagon’s Employee Training to OPM Could Save Millions

The move also establishes the Defense Department as a petri dish for OPM to obtain more data on how employees learn and where more training is needed.