Sorting Through Cybersecurity Part 2: The Internal Agency Perspective
Tune in to FEDtalk this week for a discussion on Cybersecurity Awareness Month. A few weeks ago we heard from industry leaders about top cybersecurity concerns. This week, the individuals leading efforts to combat cyber threats in government will join us to discuss their work.
Federal Whistleblowers – A Partnership To Protect
FEDS Protection and the Whistleblowers of America are proud to announce a new partnership to educate the federal community about whistleblowing.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton Announces Legislative Plan To Recruit More Federal Employees
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced last week that she would introduce the Federal Employee Recruitment Act of 2019 once Congress returns to session following the October recess, which ended today.
NSA Invites Media To Explore New Cybersecurity Directorate
The National Security Agency (NSA) is known for its secrecy, but last week the agency opened its doors to journalists to provide an inside look at the new Cybersecurity Directorate. Reporters were welcomed into the agency’s Fort Meade, Maryland headquarters for a tour of the operations underway to protect the U.S. against emerging cyber threats.
Select Committee on Modernizing Congress Receives Task Force Memo
Following the adoption of a House Resolution on improving the efficiency of Congress, Congress created a Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress to review ways to improve the chambers.
Federal Circuit: Cadet Service Cannot Help Satisfy Five-Year FERS Service Requirement
A political appointee retired from federal service after almost four years of civilian service, relying on advice from a human resources official that he could “buy back” time spent as a cadet at West Point and credit it towards the five years of civilian service required to qualify for a FERS retirement annuity.
TSA Moves Away from Legacy IT Systems
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced its intention to better manage data using cloud solutions.
Solitude and Sniffing in New Hampshire
Huey and Maya explore the White Mountains of New Hampshire and meet a census worker.
Department of Energy to Focus on Tribal Critical Infrastructure
The Department of Energy has announced its intention to issue a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) entitled Energy Infrastructure Development on Indian Lands-2020.
OPM Authorizes Emergency Leave Transfer Program for Federal Employees Impacted by Hurricane Dorian
The program allows employees to transfer their own leave time to employees who must take time to recover from the storm.
OPM Issues Agency Memo on Streamlining Performance Management
In a memo issued to agency leadership last week, OPM Director Dale Cabaniss provides agencies with a roadmap for streamlining performance management and dismissal policies and procedures.
The Risk Roundtable
Tune in to FEDtalk this week for a discussion on Enterprise Risk Management. The federal government is great at responding to problems, but experts across the federal community have ideas on how to make the government more proactive rather than reactive. Assessing and managing risk is an integral part of this mission.
Artificial Intelligence in the Federal Government: How AI Might Affect Federal Managers
On September 25, 2019, FMA attended the Kalaris Intelligence conference at Georgetown University. Sponsored by Georgetown’s Center for Security Studies, the theme revolved around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and national security. For federal managers and their employees, AI has the potential to become a useful tool for gathering data, sifting through that data, and accomplishing long term goals in an effective manner. FMA attended to learn more about this emerging technology, how it is currently being used, and how it can be used in the future.
Federal Managers Beware – Executive Order Implementation is Not All Good News for You
Last week, the Office of Personnel Management proposed new regulations to implement portions of President Trump’s May 2018 Executive Order on federal employee firing and discipline.
IRS Looks to BioCatch to Verify Users
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been testing several systems to authenticate the identity of individuals using their online systems to access information. The agency has pursued several authentication tools in the last few years and has now announced a sole-source contract with BioCatch for a proof-of-concept that would incorporate behavioral analytics into the agency’s eAuthentication (eAuth) system.
MSPB September Newsletter Highlights Ways to Improve Performance Appraisals
In the Merit Systems Protection Board’s (MSPB) September Newsletter, Office of Policy and Evaluation Director James Read made note of the current shortfalls of the performance appraisal system and encourages agencies to make improvements. Director Read used the results of the 2016 Merit Principles Survey (MPS) as a guide for getting more out of annual reviews.
By Land or By Sea: How the Federal Government Preserves and Protects in Maine
Huey and Maya begin their journey in the state of Maine, visiting current and historical federal sites.
Plan To Protect Federal Employee Credit In Shutdown Exits House Committee On Party Line Vote
The House Financial Services Committee voted on Friday to advance a measure that would protect the credit of federal employees impacted by a government shutdown. While the legislation has support in the House, privacy concerns voiced by Republicans could mean the bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate.