Acquisition

CMMC board clarifies assessor training timeline

Training materials and certification exams for the assessors and instructors are at least four months away from delivery.

Acquisition

House Dems look to ramp up oversight of DHS operations

A bill introduced by the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee addresses law enforcement functions, acquisition, leadership and more.

Cybersecurity

DHS workforce sprint brings in nearly 300 cyber employees

Cybersecurity vacancies totaled about 2,000 at the start of the hiring sprint in May.

People

Unions seek a new contract at SSA, press Biden to fire Trump holdovers

President Joe Biden reversed much of his predecessor's workforce agenda in the first days of his administration via executive order, but unions at the Social Security Administration are unhappy with the pace of implementation of new policies.

People

House Dems press for 3.2% pay raise for feds

The House Appropriations Committee is going along with appears the 2.7% raise recommended by the president, but Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and other Democrats say that that isn't enough.

Cybersecurity

Federal job satisfaction continues to lag behind private sector

The annual 'Best Places to Work' report indicates that almost 60% of the federal workforce teleworked full-time during the peak lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

People

Task force clears the way for vaccinated feds to travel

There are no more governmentwide limits on official travel for vaccinated federal employees.

People

Sweeping executive order covers diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility in the federal workforce

An executive order issued last Friday directs the federal government to ramp up diversity training, rethink the use salary history as a basis for pay determinations and supply gender non-conforming and non-binary and transgender feds with employee credentials that reflect their current names, pictures and pronouns.

People

Lawmakers spar over paid family and medical leave for feds

Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee want the federal government to be a leader in providing paid family and medical leave to employees.

Cybersecurity

Coast Guard confronts harassment and retaliation in the ranks

The U.S. Coast Guard wants to build out its cyber workforce, but will have to contend with budget restraints and culture issues surrounding sexual harassment and retaliation.

People

Biden nominates MSPB vice chair

The agency has lacked a quorum since 2017 and currently faces a backlog of over 3,000 appeals

People

Biden HR strategy features new agency 'talent teams'

New talent teams aimed at bettering hiring strategies are part of the Biden administration's multi-year strategy for the federal workforce, said OMB official on Tuesday.

Cybersecurity

How NGA is handling hybrid telework

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has begun to relax some of its COVID-19 safety procedures, but the challenge has been managing workers across different physical locations, networks and work schedules.

People

DOD watchdog says DDS director didn't mistreat employees

A probe found that Defense Digital Service Brett Goldstein did condone the use of unapproved encrypted communications apps and also identified discussion among staffers about programming a script to rig an online competition.

People

VP Harris breaks tie to confirm Ahuja to lead OPM

No Republicans supported the nomination of Kiran Ahuja to lead the Office of Personnel Management.

People

Feds to get Juneteenth off as a federal holiday, starting Friday

The signing of a new law to commemorate Juneteenth as a federal holiday will give many federal employees the day off on Friday June 18.

People

Interior plans year-round federal firefighter workforce

The permanent federal firefighting force should help combat a longer fire season, the department says.

People

USDA looks to staff up with funding boost

The Department of Agriculture is considering how and when to bring feds back to the office, but more telework might be in the offing, the agriculture secretary said Tuesday at a budget hearing.

People

Is it time to go back to the office?

Steve Kelman considers the pros and cons of continuing maximum telework.

Cybersecurity

DHS poised to remake federal hiring in September to confront cybersecurity gap

The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity Talent Management System has been years in the making, but officials say it will finally come online this fall.