Acquisition

How VA can succeed with its EHR mega-program

The former CIO of the Department of Veterans Affairs offers some ideas for course correction in the agency's flagging $20 billion–plus Electronic Health Records Modernization program.

People

HHS looks to reset labor relations

Some federal agencies are leveraging a Biden administration executive order to change the tone of labor-management relations but unions say a few departments aren't taking the order to heart.

People

Unions press SSA leaders for a new contract, workplace safety plan

Biden ousted top leaders at the Social Security Administration last month, but some union officials say more personnel change is needed further down the ladder.

Acquisition

DOD could face $4 billion in pandemic reimbursement payments for contractors

According to a GAO report, the Defense Department may have $4 billion in eligible reimbursements for contractors under the CARES Act.

Modernization

Bipartisan bill looks to get acquisition workforce on board with AI

The leaders of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee are looking to get the federal workforce – particularly program managers and acquisition specialists – on board with artificial intelligence.

People

White House says agencies will pay for COVID tests as needed for feds

Under a new COVID prevention regime, civilian federal employees will have to either attest to their vaccination status or get regular tests. The federal government will organize and pay for testing for feds.

People

Biden tells civilian feds to get vaccinated or take regular COVID tests

As expected, the Biden-Harris administration rolled out new COVID-19 guidelines for the federal workforce as part of an overall strategy to increase the U.S. vaccination rate.

Cybersecurity

DHS recent hiring sprint shows promise, but lawmakers still see gaps in the federal cybersecurity workforce

The federal government continues to face challenges in recruiting a skilled cybersecurity workforce, amid heavy private sector demand and obstacles built into the hiring process, but there are some recent signs that longstanding efforts to improve the situation are starting to pay off.

People

A vaccine requirement for feds could get complicated

Unions and other employee groups are taking a look at what a vaccination requirement might mean for their members.

People

Move of BLM headquarters to Colorado still under review

Deb Haaland, secretary of the Interior, told a Senate panel on Tuesday that a decision on whether to keep the Bureau of Land Management's headquarters in Grand Junction, Colorado needs to come "fairly soon."

People

New OPM guidance addresses locality pay and travel costs for remote workers

A new document addresses a range of considerations for post-pandemic workforce planning in the context of current regulations.

People

VA mandates vaccines for clinical staff

Agency chief Denis McDonough cited the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 as part of the reason behind the new vaccination policy.

Modernization

The workforce and mission arguments for modernizing human capital management systems

HCM software can help improve efficiency through self-service and automation, enable HR to better understand and address employee wellbeing and engagement, and prepare for the future while aligning people resources with the organization’s mission today.

People

OPM takes back control of CHCO Council

The move reestablishes Office of Personnel Management's central role in leading governmentwide human resources policy.

Modernization

Lawmakers balk at cost-overruns, transparency issues with VA's $21 billion health record program

At a Senate hearing last week, Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough noted deficiencies in training including the lack of a real system available for use by clinicians in advance of the go-live date for a new, integrated health care software system.

People

Labor Department seeks funding for staffing surges

During testimony on the hill this week, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh also gave lawmakers insight into the department’s work to combat unemployment insurance fraud.

People

OPM grapples with questions about travel reimbursements for remote workers

Officials at the Office of Personnel Management are mulling the potential impacts of an increasingly dispersed federal workforce. One is the question of who foots the bill for remote workers occasionally required to come back to the office.

People

House bill would add demographics to the Plum Book

Currently there is no single source for summary information about the demographics of political appointees.

People

Could increasing telework make government employment more accessible?

The pandemic pushed over half of the federal workforce into telework. Disability rights advocates say maintaining more access to telework could make the federal workspace more accessible.

Modernization

Cloud after COVID

More than a year of pandemic operations has altered government’s view of cloud-centric modernization