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READ THE CURRENT ISSUE OF THE FEDERAL MANAGER MAGAZINE!
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- FMA Washington Report: August 12, 2019
- This report communicates what FMA’s professional staff is doing on behalf of FMA members in Washington, D.C., and provides an update on issues affecting federal managers. Click here to view the August 12, 2019 edition of FMA's Washington Report. In this issue, we discuss the status of Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations, and the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act, among other items. As always, we encourage you to visit www.fedmanagers.org on a regular basis for information on these and other matters.
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- FMA Seeks to Restore Leadership and Resources At The Merit Systems Protection Board - August 7, 2019
- Hear It from FMA, FEDmanager.comThe Senate has a lot of business to tend to when it returns from its State Work Period on September 9. Most notably, it will have barely three weeks before the end of the current fiscal year to pass appropriations to fund the federal government for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) and prevent another government shutdown. Among the other important priorities on the Senate’s plate is finally confirming nominees for the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the primary appeals board for federal employees.
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- Federal Managers Association Participates in 31st Annual Clean the Bay Day - July 9, 2019
- By Kristi Britt – Norfolk Naval Shipyard Public Affairs SpecialistMembers, families, and friends of Chapter 3 of the Federal Managers Association (FMA) braved the stormy weather June 1 at Paradise Creek Nature Park to participate in the 31st Annual Clean the Bay Day. The team joined more than 6,000 volunteers across Virginia to clean the rivers, streams, and beaches of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and remove harmful litter and debris.
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- House passes 2020 federal pay raise, takes steps to block OPM-GSA merger June 28, 2019
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkThe House has advanced a federal pay raise for civilian employees next year. The House passed the financial services and general government appropriations bill Wednesday afternoon with a 224-196 vote.Specifically, the bill includes a 2.6% across-the-board pay raise with an additional 0.5% in locality adjustments to total 3.1%. The raise would apply to civilian federal employees,Like NARFE, the Federal Managers Association also applauded the House’s decision to keep OPM intact.“While some components of the proposal have merit toward making government function more effectively and efficiently, FMA’s concern with removing OPM’s status as an independent establishment outweigh the potential benefits,” the association’s president, Renee Johnson, said in a statement.
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- FMA Pushes to Empower Managers to Make Successful Hires - June 19, 2019
- Managerial Groups Want to Keep Longer Probationary Period at DoDFedWeekFive federal managerial groups have asked Congress not to return the standard probationary period at DoD to the one year applying at most agencies from the two years in effect at that department since a 2015 change in law.Says a letter to House members from groups including the Federal Managers Association and Senior Executives Association, “The change was created based on the understanding that one year often does not allow sufficient time for a supervisor to form conclusions regarding the performance of a new employee. It is our belief that many positions do indeed require more than one year to assess employee fit and job performance, providing that time sets the employee, the supervisor, and the agency up for success.
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- FMA REITERATES SUPPORT FOR TWO-YEAR PROBATIONARY PERIODS - JUNE 14, 2019
- Longer probationary periods, more student interns target of new OPM legislative proposalsBy Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkThe Office of Personnel Management has offered up three legislative proposals this spring for congressional consideration, which the agency said will “improve, expand and harmonize” government’s efforts to restructure and reshape the federal workforce.OPM has suggested statutory changes that would eventually allow agencies to use longer probationary periods for employees.
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- FMA URGES HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE TO OPPOSE CHANGE TO DOD PROBATIONARY PERIOD - June 12, 2019
- In 2015, Congress granted the Department of Defense (DOD) a two-year probationary period as part of the FY2016 NDAA (P.L. 114-92). FMA strongly supported the effort, as extending the probationary period has long been one of the association's legislative priorities. Regrettably, language in the House Subcommittee on Readiness Mark for the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act would change DOD's probationary period to one year.When DOD announced the extended probationary period in October 2016, it explained the reason for the extension was “one year often does not allow sufficient time for a supervisor to form conclusions regarding the performance of a new employee.” It cited examples that a new hire “spends much of the first year in training before beginning work,” and “don’t have an opportunity to demonstrate all the skills associated with their positions.” Further, DOD noted “the longer probationary period offers employees a greater opportunity to showcase their talents and for supervisors to properly assess their capabilities.” FMA agrees with this assessment.
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- FMA LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS - MAY 3, 2019
- Bill Would Allow Catch-Up Retirement Contributions for Former Temporary Federal EmployeesBy Scott Thompson, My Federal RetirementHouse Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Tom Cole (R-OK) introduced Thursday legislation that would ensure federal employees who started their careers as temporary workers — meaning they did not have the ability to make retirement contributions — are granted the opportunity to make catch-up retirement contributions so that they can retire on time.“FMA strongly endorses Representatives Kilmer and Cole’s leadership and bipartisan effort to allow FERS employees to buy back temporary time,” said Renee Johnson, National President of the Federal Managers Association. “Our members fully understand they would be responsible to bear the bulk of the costs, but welcome the opportunity to buy back this time and be rewarded for their years of hard work. This solution would provide an excellent option for many feds, especially those who were ‘temporary’ for many years. We urge Congress to consider and pass this legislation.”
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- FMA, OTHER MANAGER GROUPS SUPPORT PICK FOR OPM - May 26, 2017
Federal Managers Groups Largely Support Trump OPM Pick
By Erich Wagner, Government Executive
The Trump administration’s nomination of George Nesterczuk to serve as director of the Office of Personnel Management is already making waves among groups that represent federal workers.
While groups representing managers voiced varying levels of support for the announcement Wednesday, a union official was warier of the choice.
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- The Pentagon Embraced Flexibility To Up Its Acquisition Workforce - August 16, 2019
- By Jessie Bur, FederaltimesThe expansive list of federal hiring authorities has seen mixed responses from agency human resource offices, with some saying that options help them to fill critical positions, while others say that the increasing number and complexity of hiring authorities does more damage than good.But according to the Government Accountability Office, the Department of Defense has had success over the past five years in using such authorities to expand their substantial civilian acquisition workforce.
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- Feds Suggest 3 Ways to Improve Cybersecurity At Home - August 15, 2019
- By: Andrew Eversden, Federaltimes Strong cyber hygiene makes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s job easier.The organization within the Department of Homeland Security is tasked with protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure from cyberattacks and as part of the lead up to National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, the agency released a toolkit Aug. 14 for preventing attacks. Created in partnership with the National Cyber Security Alliance, the toolkit contains best practices for citizen to protect themselves online.
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- NIST Lays Out Roadmap for Developing Artificial Intelligence Standards - August 13, 2019
- By Jack Corrigan, NextgovFederal standards for artificial intelligence must be strict enough to prevent the tech from harming humans, yet flexible enough to encourage innovation and get the tech industry on board, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.However, without better standards for measuring the performance and trustworthiness of AI tools, officials said, the government could have a tough time striking that balance.
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- Moving USDA Employees to Kansas City Becoming a Reality - August 12, 2019
- By Ralph R. Smith, FedSmithThe American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) have reached agreement on moving some federal employees out of the Washington, DC area to Kansas City. That is unusual as moving federal agencies out of the DC area rarely happens.Under the new agreement, affected Agriculture Department employees have until September 27th to decide whether or not to relocate. For employees who do relocate, the agreement between the agency and union provides a financial incentive equal to one month’s salary.
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- FHFA Wants an App to Guide Employees During Emergencies - August 8, 2019
- By Brandi Vincent, NextgovThe Federal Housing Finance Agency wants a mobile app that provides instantaneous, in-hand instructions regarding what to do during active shootings and other dangerous situations, according to a recently released request for quotations.The app will also be equipped with intuitive guides that can strengthen emergency response practices across the agency’s workforce. “The electronic guides will be used ... to facilitate understanding of the agency’s incident response training program and to ensure personnel are provided with a wide range of emergency scenarios and the appropriate steps to take to safeguard individuals, reduce the possibility of injury to persons and damage to FHFA Headquarters at Constitution Center,” FHFA officials said in the announcement.
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- Feds Clarify Change On Opioid Meds For Government Workers - August 7, 2019
- WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is clarifying a policy change that will limit the prescribing of opioid painkillers to federal workers.The Labor Department issued a statement Tuesday saying the limitations will apply to employees injured on the job and covered under the government’s workers’ compensation program.Last week at a White House briefing a senior administration official suggested the change would apply to the federal health plan, which is a much bigger program.Beginning this fall, workers injured on the job will be limited to an initial seven-day supply of opioid painkillers, with a maximum of three refills. Additional prescriptions beyond the first 28 days will require medical certification.
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- Federal Plan For One Award Schedule Gets Industry Thumbs Up - August 6, 2019
- By Jessie Bur, Federal TimesGovernment contractors see promise in the General Services Administration’s plan to consolidate the current 24 multiple award schedules into a single schedule over the next couple years, according to preliminary results from the agency’s request for information on the plan, released Aug. 1.The current system requires agencies using the program to purchase certain goods and services from pre-negotiated contracts that have been separated by topic areas, such as human capital, information technology and professional services.GSA announced in late 2018 that they would begin the process of consolidating the schedules, citing problems with the current system that sometimes require agencies to purchase multiple services off of different schedules to complete a single project.For example, an agency looking to reform its call center might have to make purchases off of an IT schedule for new technology, the professional services schedule for a consulting solution and the office management schedule for the call center’s furniture and carpeting. The agency would then have to cobble together the purchases from those separate schedules into a single project.
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- Big Changes Are Coming to the TSP - August 5th, 2019
- By Tammy Flanagan, Government ExecutiveTimes are changing for the Thrift Savings Plan—and for all of the federal employees and retirees who have invested their retirement savings in it.One recent change was the formal announcement that the TSP will no longer require a separate election for catch-up contributions for those age 50 and older. Instead, once a participant hits his or her annual limit for regular contributions, the TSP will automatically shift paycheck deductions to catch-up contributions. You can read more about what is known the “spillover method” in this TSP bulletin.Even bigger changes are coming to the TSP next month with the implementation of the TSP Modernization Act, which will affect all participants.
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- New data shows the soaring cost of government contracts - August 2, 2019
- By Andrew Eversden, Federal TimesPentagon spending on federal contracts soared in fiscal year 2018, accounting for about $373 billion of $559 billion in overall contracting spend from federal agencies, according to Bloomberg Government’s 8th annual top 200 contractors report.The spending by the Pentagon is a $40.5 billion increase from the previous fiscal year and over $90 billion rise since FY2015. Total government spending increased 9 percent from the previous fiscal year, from $512 billion in FY2017.The $559 billion in FY2018 spending is the most since FY2010, when the government spent $562 billion.
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- Shutdown Had Deep Financial and Mental Health Impact on IRS Workers, Study Finds - August 1, 2019
- By Courtney Buble, Government ExecutiveResearchers studying a Utah community with a high concentration of International Revenue Service employees found that the partial government shutdown that ended in January significantly affected the financial and mental well-being of federal workers.Of the furloughed workers surveyed, more than 35% missed a rent or mortgage payment, 30% went to a food pantry, 72% experienced mental health issues, 42% wanted to make a career change and 65% were very or somewhat concerned about their finances post-shutdown. The most-used services by workers during the shutdown were food pantries, free meals at restaurants and skip-payment programs.The initial results were first released in May; researchers now are gearing up for the next phase of the study this fall.
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- White House Sees Path for Less Interference in Implementing Its Government Reorganization - July 31, 2019
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveThe White House on Tuesday expressed confidence it can continue to move forward unilaterally on key provisions of its efforts to reorganize federal agencies, thanks in part to an agreement tucked into the recent budget deal.The Trump administration has made significant progress in implementing its proposals to reorganize government, Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director for Management Margaret Weichert told reporters, though she conceded many of those reforms are still in the preliminary or planning phases. She expects more progress going forward, and she does not anticipate that Congress will block agencies from instituting changes in forthcoming appropriations bills for fiscal 2020.The White House unveiled 32 reorganization proposals in June 2018, most of which remain largely unimplemented. Lawmakers from both parties have pushed back on key elements of the plan and the administration has repeatedly faced criticism for failing to provide details and justifications for the reforms. The original implementation memorandum calling for reorganization proposals from agencies also requested plans to slash their workforces, but the administration has since wavered on whether that is still a priority.
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- VA Migrates 23.5 Million Veteran Patient Records To Cerner Data Center - July 30, 2019
- By Aaron Boyd - NextgovThe Veterans Affairs Department is getting ready to pilot the first instances of its new electronic health records system next spring but took the first major step this week, migrating millions of veterans’ health records to a third-party data center.The department announced reaching a “critical milestone” Monday with the transfer of 23.5 million records to a shared data center managed by Cerner Corp., the health IT company awarded the 10-year, $10 billion contract to overhaul VA’s electronic health records system and integrate it with the Defense Department’s MHS GENESIS system.The migrated records account for some 78 billion data points compiled from across the VA, totaling about 50 terabytes of information. The data includes “lab results; pharmacy prescriptions; inpatient and outpatient diagnoses and procedures; and other medical data of both living and deceased veterans,” according to the release.
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- The Old College Try: Getting Students Into Government - July 29, 2019
- By Laura Maggi, Route FiftyWhile college students are often idealistic and driven to get into public service when they graduate, they frequently don’t consider working for government agencies.To help repair this disconnect, the Volcker Alliance is rolling out a new initiative that focuses in large part on the university to government pipeline. The aim is to make it easier for agencies at the federal, state and local levels to find fresh talent, while getting leaders from different branches of government together in different regions around the country to identify what they need locally.A glance at the statistics shows the importance of such an effort, said Thomas W. Ross, president of the Volcker Alliance, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve government. While 25% of the private sector workforce is younger than 30, less than 7% of the federal workforce comes from that cohort. In state government, a recent report found that even though job postings grew 11% between 2013 and 2017 in 27 state agencies, 24% fewer people actually applied for the positions.
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- Senator Says He Has Trump and McConnell's Support for Bill to End Shutdowns Permanently - July 26, 2019
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveA bill to permanently end government shutdowns and protect federal employees from being sent home during spending fights is gaining momentum in Congress, with key leaders promising to support the reform.Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., are renewing their push for the legislation after receiving a stamp of approval from Senate leadership and the White House. The bill is one of many lawmakers have advocated in order to end shutdowns for good since the 35-day partial appropriations lapse that ended earlier this year. Those measures have included automatically cutting lawmakers’ pay, or agency spending levels, as shutdowns drag on. One Democratic proposal would increase agency spending until the government reopens.The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act (S. 589) would instead ban official travel for members of Congress, their staffers and Office of Management and Budget personnel until appropriations bills are signed into law. It would institute a stopgap continuing resolution to keep agencies funded at their existing levels until a spending agreement is reached. The bill would require a recorded quorum call each day the CR is in effect to motivate lawmakers to show up to the Capitol daily and would prevent non-appropriations bills from receiving a vote during appropriations stalemates, except for national security emergencies.
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- The Pay Raise State of Play, and TSP Contribution Changes - July 25, 2019
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveAlthough developments regarding the prospect of a pay raise for federal civilian employees next year have been sparse in recent weeks, that could soon change, now that officials have agreed to top-line spending levels for fiscal 2020.Earlier this week, President Trump announced that he and congressional leaders in both parties had reached a two-year budget deal that would lift spending caps as well as the debt ceiling. The deal gets rid of sequestration, and increases discretionary spending at non-defense agencies by $27 billion.Although the House last month approved an appropriations package that provides an average 3.1% pay raise for civilian federal workers—a 2.6% across the board raise, and an average 0.5% increase to locality pay—the Senate has not introduced any of its appropriations bills for consideration. Senate Republicans said they would wait until a decision had been made on top-line spending amounts before advancing their spending bills. Now that a budget deal has been reached they can proceed with the appropriations bills.
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- Bill Denying Bonuses to Misbehaved Federal Workers Advances - July 24, 2019
- By Courtney Buble, Government ExecutiveA Senate oversight committee on Wednesday advanced a bill that would prevent agencies from giving bonuses to federal employees with conduct violations.The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the "Stop Improper Federal Bonuses Act" (S. 2119) by a voice vote. This was the fourth time the panel has taken up the legislation.The bill, sponsored by Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., mandates that agencies wait five years before giving bonuses to employees who have violated workplace policies.“Under my bill, bonuses to federal workers will only be given on the basis of merit,” Fischer said in a statement. “This will help ensure we are using taxpayer dollars in a wise and responsible manner.”
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- White House and Lawmakers Agree to Two-Year Budget Deal - July 23, 2019
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutivePresident Trump announced late Monday the administration had reached an agreement with House and Senate leaders to lift spending caps and raise the debt ceiling with a two-year budget deal.The deal would raise discretionary spending at non-defense agencies by $27 billion in fiscal 2020 and boost defense spending by $22 billion, according to multiple reports. Compared to fiscal 2019, domestic agencies would see an increase of $10 billion more than their defense counterparts. Compared to the spending caps that would have been in place absent a deal, defense spending is set to increase by $20 billion more than the boost to non-defense. The funding caps, which first went into effect in 2013 as a result of the 2011 Budget Control Act, will no longer apply going forward.The deal avoids $125 billion in automatic spending cuts that would have taken place in fiscal 2020 across both defense and non-defense agencies had Congress not acted. Lawmakers agreed to offset about $77 billion through increases to customs user fees and extending automatic cuts to mandatory spending.
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- Why the 2020 Census Will Have Fewer Personnel and Offices - July 22, 2019
- By Jesse Bur, Federal TimesThe vast majority of censuses conducted throughout U.S. history have relied heavily on physical people, offices and forms to collect an accurate count of the number of people living in the country.But next year, the Census Bureau plans to scale back the number of personnel and offices it relies on, while changing how the people they do hire are trained.“Counting the nation’s approximately 140 million households is an enormous undertaking requiring such essential logistics as the opening of hundreds of area offices to conduct essential field activities, recruiting and hiring hundreds of thousands of temporary workers to carry out those activities, and developing an approach to training those employees,” a July 19 Government Accountability office report on census preparation activities said.“To help control costs while maintaining accuracy, the Bureau is making significant changes in each of these areas compared to prior decennials.”
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- Does funding for cyber and tech in civilian agencies help enough? - July 19, 2019
- By Kelsey Reichmann, Fifth Doman CyberThe federal government’s National Security Strategy and the Department of Defense’s National Defense Strategy make the case that funding for cybersecurity and technology within federal agencies is essential to advance U.S. strategic interests, but a new analysis from big data firm Govini found that federal agencies are still lacking resources to meet those standards.The report, titled “The 2019 Federal Scorecard,” was released in July.“What we’re seeing is an overall reduction in science and technology investments on the federal side, but within the budget that does exist you’re seeing an increase in the kinds of technologies that are critically important for what those departments do and how they fit into DoD," said Kathryn Harris, senior vice president strategy and growth at Govini.
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- OPM Suggests Teleworking to Beat the Summer Heat - July 18, 2019
- By Ian Smith, FedsmithThe Office of Personnel Management is encouraging agencies to let federal employees telework on hot days this summer.OPM acting director Margaret Weichert issued a memo in which she reminded agencies of workplace flexibilities as the Washington, DC area faces an intense heatwave this week.Weichert said in the memo:"During days with severe heat and humidity, agencies are reminded of OPM’s workplace flexibilities that may be used to reduce health risks. With supervisory approval and to prevent work disruptions, a telework-ready employee may telework from home on a day when air quality conditions are poor. Additionally, if permitted by agency policy, an employee working a flexible work schedule may choose to adjust arrival and departure times to avoid commuting during the hottest periods of the day. Employees may also request annual leave, earned compensatory time off, or credit hours on a day when severe heat and humidity are threatening to the employee’s health and welfare."
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- Norton Reintroduces Recover Act - July 15, 2019
- Norton Continues Push for Lifetime ID Theft ProtectionBy Ian Smith, FedSmithCongresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has reintroduced legislation to provide free lifetime identity theft protection to victims of the two data breaches that hit the Office of Personnel Management a few years ago.The the Reducing the Effects of the Cyberattack on OPM Victims Emergency Response (RECOVER) Act was last introduced in 2018 and has been introduced one time prior to that as well. Norton reintroduced the bill (H.R. 3726) this past week in her ongoing effort to provide the lifetime benefits to victims of the data breaches.
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- Defense Budget Bill Could Carry Changes For Feds - July 12, 2019
- By Jessie Burr, Federal TimesHouse Democrats have moved to add provisions to the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that would impact federal employees beyond those that work in the Pentagon.Two amendments to the NDAA, which were approved by the Rules Committee July 9, would prevent the Trump administration’s plan to break up the Office of Personnel Management and provide federal employees with 12 weeks of paid family leave in the case of a new child or family member in need of care.“If Congress takes seriously the recruitment and retention challenges facing the federal government, such as a well-documented skills gap and the need to fill mission-critical positions, then implementing a paid family leave policy that is a human resources best practice is a no-brainer. With the federal workforce aging, recruitment of young workers is more important than ever, and offering paid family leave is a good step towards meeting these challenges,” said National Active and Retired Federal Employees National President Ken Thomas in a statement.
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- Important Federal Records Remain At Risk Of Being Lost Or Destroyed - July 11, 2019
- By Chloe Rogers, Federal TimesThe government’s archivists are not doing enough to safeguard and preserve essential and important federal records among agencies, according to a watchdog report released June 26.And one of the explanations given by the National Archives and Records Administration for its poor performance? It can’t quite figure out how many federal agencies actually exist to monitor.Though NARA has made progress in addressing weaknesses and modernizing its electronic records management activities, “permanent electronic records are still at a significant risk of loss and destruction,” according to the report from the NARA inspector general.The IG found that NARA has not identified all federal agencies subject to the Federal Records Act, resulting in the NARA having “limited assurance all federal electronic records of historical or other value are preserved as required.”
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- Pentagon Looks into Virtual Reality to Prepare Troops for Nuclear War - July 10, 2019
- By Jack Corrigan, NextgovThe Defense Department is considering investing in virtual reality platforms to prepare troops to face nuclear threats.The Defense Threat Reduction Agency on Tuesday began seeking information on virtual reality training systems that would allow troops to rehearse different scenarios involving “radiological threats.”The agency, which focuses on countering weapons of mass destruction, could one day use the tech to train troops to intercept radiological weapons on the battlefield, respond to radioactive contamination and even prepare for full-fledged nuclear war, officials wrote in the solicitation.
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- The Agencies Behind The FITARA 8.0 Ball
- By: Andrew Eversden, Federal Times The new Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act scorecard showed mediocre grades in overall IT modernization for 24 federal agencies and Congress is pressing agencies to come up with ways to do it better.Since the last report in December 2018, five federal agencies improved their overall grade. Fourteen remained stagnant and five decreased. No agencies received an overall “A” rating, continuing a trend of the highest score given since November 2017 being a “B-plus.”The new scorecard, released June 26, included updated requirements for chief information officer authority and a new section on Federal Information Security Management Act, both of which were factored into the final grade on a non-preview basis for the first time.
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- AI, Cyber Get Big Boost in Senate-Passed NDAA - July 1, 2019
- By Jack Corrigan, NextgovA massive defense policy bill approved by the Senate on Thursday is loaded with provisions to advance the Pentagon’s tech and protect the country against digital threats posed by Russia and China.The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the upper chamber with a vote of 86-8, would direct some $750 billion to fund the Defense Department, intelligence community and national security programs at the Energy Department in 2020. The legislation would authorize hundreds of millions of dollars for artificial intelligence and cyber research, and support efforts to lock down the government supply chain, fight foreign misinformation and bolster the Pentagon’s tech workforce.
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- Senate Report Finds Security Failures at Federal Agencies are Leaving Personal Data Vulnerable - July 1, 2019
- By Ian Smith, FedSmithA new report from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has found that numerous vulnerabilities exist in federal agency computer networks which is leaving Americans’ personal data at risk.Data breaches at federal agencies are nothing new and have put on display the security vulnerabilities that exist within the federal government. The most notable recent example was the data breaches at the Office of Personnel Management that left the personal data of over 20 million current and former federal employees at risk. The breach occurred because OPM failed to properly secure its computer systems, something that continues to be a problem at the agency.
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- House Approves 3.1% Pay Raise and Blocks OPM Furloughs, Merger- June 27, 2019
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe House on Wednesday voted to block the Trump administration from acting on a threat to furlough 150 Office of Personnel Management employees if Congress does not agree by the end of June to support a plan to merge OPM with the General Services Administration.
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- DoD Expected to Take Over Background Checks in October - June 25, 2019
- Ian Smith by FedSmithThe Department of Defense is expected to fully take over responsibility for background investigations for federal employees and contractors at the beginning of the 2020 fiscal year starting on October 1.DoD made the announcement this week. The decision is an “economical, business-smart and process-smart solution,” said one senior defense official during a background briefing at the Pentagon, June 24.
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- Interior Department Announces Modest Cutback to Telework - June 24, 2019
- Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveOfficials at the Interior Department informed employees this week that it will be curtailing the availability of telework beginning next month, although the plan is more modest than other agencies’ initiatives to reduce the practice.In a memo to staff obtained by Government Executive, Interior Department Chief Human Capital Officer Raymond Limon said it was time to modernize its approach to telework. The department’s current policy on allowing employees to work remotely has been in place since 2012.“DOI will continue to support and promote telework, but much has changed since 2012 when the policy was first adopted, necessitating an update to modernize our practices,” Limon wrote. “Accordingly, DOI has revised the departmental telework program policy . . . to bring better clarity, transparency and organization to the program.”
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- Bill Resurfaces to Expedite Process of Firing Federal Employees- June 24, 2019
- By Ian Smith, FedSmithLegislation has been reintroduced in both house and Senate this week that would make it easier to remove underperforming federal employees.
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- Bill Advances to Create Vulnerability Disclosure for Federal Internet of Things - June 21, 2019
- By Aaron Boyd, NextgovFederal agencies will have to do some extra due diligence before buying smart devices that can connect to the internet under legislation now before the full House and Senate for consideration.The legislation only covers internet of things devices, which it defines as those able to connect to the internet and collect, send or receive data, but “not a general-purpose computing device,” such as computers, smartphones and mainframes.
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- House passes $983 billion spending package 226-203 - June 20, 2019
- By Joe Gould, DefenseNewsWASHINGTON - The Democratic-controlled House passed a $985 billion appropriations package for fiscal 2020 that aims to fund national security at $17 billion less than the White House requested, end the post-2001 war authorizations after eight months, pull military support in Yemen and defund the W76-2 nuclear warhead.The vote was 225-203, with seven Democrats voting with the Republican minority. Zero Republicans voted for the bill.
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- Trump administration threatens furloughs, layoffs if Congress doesn’t let it kill personnel agency - June 19, 2019
- By Lisa Rein, The Washington PostThe Trump administration is threatening to furlough- and possibly lay off- 150 employees at the federal personnel agency if Congress blocks its plan to eliminate the department. The Office of Personnel Management is preparing to send the career employees home without pay starting on Oc. 1, according to an internal briefing document obtained by The Washington Post. The employees could formally be laid off after 30 days, administration officials confirmed.
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- OPM-GSA Merger Plan Would Create ‘Additional Uncertainty’ in Retirement Processing Reform - June 17, 2019
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveA government watchdog agency reported Friday that the Trump administration's plan to merge the Office of Personnel Management and the General Services Administration might complicate rather than jumpstart efforts to improve the retirement claims process.
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- House appropriators advance 2020 federal pay raise, reject OPM-GSA merger- June 12, 2019
By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Network
A 3.1% federal pay raise is another step closer to reality.
The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday cleared the raise as part of the 2020 financial services and general government spending bill. The measure, either on its own or as part of a package of other appropriations bills, now heads to the full House for a vote.
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- Lawmakers Want Government to Help Workers Prepare for Automation- June 7, 2019
- By Jack Corrigan, NextgovA bipartisan pair of lawmakers wants the government to do a better job helping U.S. workers navigate the job market as automation becomes more widespread.
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- HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE PUSHES FOR 3.1% RAISE FOR 2020 - JUNE 2, 2019
- House Appropriators Propose 3.1% Civilian Pay Raise for 2020, Reject OPM-GSA MergerBy Amelia Gruber, Government ExecutiveThe House Appropriations Committee on Sunday evening unveiled a draft spending bill that would grant civilian federal employees a 3.1 percent pay raise in 2020, ignoring President Trump’s request for a pay freeze.The pay raise is part of the broader fiscal 2020 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill, which contains a total of $24.6 billion in discretionary spending for the Treasury Department, Judiciary and several other independent agencies including the Office of Personnel Management and Small Business Administration. That represents a $1.4 billion increase over the enacted level of funding for this year and $355.5 million over Trump’s fiscal 2020 budget request, the committee said in a summary of the bill.
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- Government Operations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Proposed OPM merge - May 22, 2019
- Congress not yet convinced of Trump administration’s proposed OPM-GSA mergerBy Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkLawmakers on Tuesday afternoon expressed bipartisan concern and skepticism for the Trump administration’s proposed merger of the Office of Personnel Management with the General Services Administration.And they weren’t alone.
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- AGENCY REORGANIZATION PLANS IS LIGHT ON DETAILS - February 13, 2017
- Transferring Responsibilities and Consolidating Offices Highlight Trump Reorganization PlanBy Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveMore than one year after President Trump issued an executive order calling on all federal agencies to submit a comprehensive plan to reorganize and reform themselves, the administration has proposed what it is now calling a “first step” toward submitting those changes.The proposals were laid out in Trump’s fiscal 2019 budget, often focusing on consolidating administrative functions or merging various programs with similar functions, but not every agency detailed its plans. Some agencies put forward more specific ideas, such as shifting bureaus to new locations or transferring responsibilities to other agencies. The administration said more details would be forthcoming, pledging to create concrete goals and trackable metrics with “senior accountable officials” to oversee them.
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- BOTH STAFF CUTS AND BUDGET INCREASES FOR FY 2019 - July 13, 2017
Staff Cuts and Budget Increases Are Both on Tap for 2019
By Eric Katz, Government Executive
The Trump administration has provided federal agencies with the latitude to request up to a 5 percent funding boost in fiscal 2019, saying the White House may accommodate a “limited number” of programmatic increases in its final blueprint.
Generally, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said in a memorandum to department and agency heads, agencies should keep their 2019 spending requests in line with what the White House spelled out in the fiscal 2018 budget submission. They should also, however, “identify additional investments in effective programs that further support their mission and fill a clear federal role.”
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- FMA COMMENDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL - June 26, 2019
- Alexandria, VA – On Wednesday, June 26, the House of Representatives passed the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2020 (H.R. 3351) by a vote of 224-196. The bill provides for a 3.1 percent pay raise for feds in 2020, and would prevent the administration’s proposed merger of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) with the General Services Administration (GSA). Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Renee Johnson made the following comments on the subcommittee passage of the legislation:"FMA commends the House of Representatives on passing this important funding bill for FY2020. We are particularly pleased the bill includes a reasonable pay raise for feds in 2020. As I’ve repeatedly stated, Congress and the administration must compensate federal employees fairly, show our country they are valued, and ensure our agencies receive the funds they need to execute their critical missions. The 3.1 percent pay raise included in H.R. 3351 demonstrates a well-deserved commitment to the federal workforce.
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- FMA DISMAYED BY REPORTS OF POTENTIAL FURLOUGHS AND LAYOFFS AT OPM - June 21, 2019
- Alexandria, VA – Earlier this week, The Washington Post published part of a briefing document from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) detailing furloughs and layoffs of 150 OPM employees beginning in August if Congress does not approve the administration’s proposed merger of OPM with the General Services Administration (GSA). Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Renee Johnson made the following comments on the news:"It is concerning to learn of OPM’s plans for furloughs if Congress does not enact the proposed merger of OPM and GSA. FMA expressed objections with the merger regarding the politicization of human resources, and there was clear skepticism and criticism shared by both Democrats and Republicans at the May 2019 Government Operations Subcommittee hearing on the proposal. The Government Accountability Office and OPM’s own Inspector General also pointedly offered criticism for the lack of detail and transparency regarding the proposal.
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- FMA APPLAUDS HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE VOTE ON FISCAL YEAR 2020 APPROPRIATIONS - June 4, 2019
- Includes pay raise for 2020 and blocks implementation of proposed OPM Merger with GSAAlexandria, VA – On Monday, June 3, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government passed a spending bill for Fiscal Year 2020 by voice vote. The bill provides for a 3.1 percent pay raise for feds in 2020, and would prevent the administration’s proposed merger of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) with the General Services Administration (GSA). Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Renee Johnson made the following comments on the subcommittee passage of the legislation:
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- FMA PROULDY SUPPORTS BILL TO ALLOW FERS EMPLOYEES TO BUY BACK TEMPORARY TIME - May 2, 2019
- ISSUE AND SOLUTION IDENTIFIED BY FMA MEMBERSAlexandria, VA – The Federal Managers Association (FMA) applauds the introduction of legislation in the House of Representatives to address one of its legislative priorities for the 116th Congress. On Thursday, May 2, Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Tom Cole (R-OK) introduced the Federal Retirement Fairness Act (H.R. 2478). The bill would allow Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) employees an opportunity to make catch-up retirement contributions for service in past temporary positions. This issue was originally brought to FMA by our members at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in McAlester, Oklahoma, and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. FMA National President Renee Johnson released the following statement on the introduction of the bill:
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- GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT LETTER (AUGUST 2019)
- ATTEND FMA REGIONS 1 & 2 CONFERENCE
- ATTEND FMA REGIONS 3 & 4 CONFERENCE
- OPM: GUIDANCE RELATING TO IMPLEMENTATION OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS
- OPM PROPOSED REGULATIONS ON GS LOCALITY PAY AREAS FOR 2019
- OPM GUIDANCE ON MANAGING FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' PERFORMANCE ISSUES
- FMA Seeks to Restore Leadership and Resources At The Merit Systems Protection Board - August 7, 2019
- Hear It from FMA, FEDmanager.comThe Senate has a lot of business to tend to when it returns from its State Work Period on September 9. Most notably, it will have barely three weeks before the end of the current fiscal year to pass appropriations to fund the federal government for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) and prevent another government shutdown. Among the other important priorities on the Senate’s plate is finally confirming nominees for the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the primary appeals board for federal employees.
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- FMA URGES CONGRESS TO MAINTAIN TWO-YEAR PROBATIONARY PERIOD AT DOD - JULY 9, 2019
- This article originally ran in the July 9 issue of FEDManager.com. To read the full article, please click here.In the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (P.L. 114-92), Congress gave the Department of Defense (DOD) authority to institute a two-year probationary period. FMA supported the change. Now there’s an effort currently underway to revert to a one-year probationary period via the FY2020 NDAA, and FMA is helping lead the charge for DOD to maintain its current policy.
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- Another Shutdown? Now Is The Time For Congress To Act To Protect Federal Workers And Contractors- June 25, 2019
- By Jeff Neal, FedSmithThe beginning of Summer means we are just over three months away from the end of Fiscal 2019. In the old days that would have meant Congress was moving along on appropriations bills and something would be on the President's desk for signature before September 30, 2019.In 2019 that is more of a fairy tale and about as likely to happen as pigs flying.
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- Better Government, Yes – Politicization Of The Civil Service, No - June 4, 2019
- This article was originally published in the June 4 issue of FEDManager.com.As you have no doubt read at FEDManager.com, it has been a busy time at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in recent months. OPM has been led by Acting Director Margaret Weichert – who also serves as the Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget – since October 2018. President Trump nominated Dale Cabaniss as director of OPM in March 2019, and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee favorably reported out her nomination in May. The full Senate has not yet acted on her nomination. FMA and our colleagues within the Government Managers Coalition offered support for her confirmation, noting the agency has only had a Senate-confirmed director for eight months out of the last four years.
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- ALLOWING FEDS TO BUY BACK CREDIT FOR TEMPORARY TIME IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO - MAY 7, 2019
- This article was originally published in the May 7 issue of FEDManager.com.On Thursday, May 2, Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Tom Cole (R-OK) introduced the Federal Retirement Fairness Act (H.R. 2478). The bill would allow Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) employees an opportunity to make catch-up retirement contributions for service performed in temporary positions. This has been one of FMA’s legislative priorities for several years.
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- FMA’s Take On The Agency Reorganization Proposals - July 3, 2018
- The Federal Managers Association, FEDmanager.comIt has been two weeks (as of writing) since the administration formally unveiled its long-awaited agency reorganization plan, called “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century.” We at FMA have heard from many of our members and continue to analyze the merits for reform.
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- FMA HONORS SENATOR DANIEL AKAKA - A TRUE FRIEND TO FEDS - April 12, 2018
- With the passing of Senator Akaka, the Federal Managers Association pays tribute to his life and workHaving worked with Senator Akaka for many years on innumerable issues of importance to federal employees and good government, we came to know him as a reliable leader. He led by example, never disrespectful of others, and always endeavoring to make America the best it could be. We were saddened when he left the U.S. Senate, and now feel we have lost a friend.
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- THE IMPORTANT BUT LESS SEXY SIDE OF INVESTING IN OUR MILITARY - December 19, 2017
The Federal Managers Association, FedManager.com
The Federal Managers Association (FMA) is featured in the latest edition of FedManager.com. Hear it from FMA is a regularly scheduled article that runs once a month in the publication. In this article, we write about investing in modernizing infrastructure and facilities across the government. It is sexy and splashy when headlines announce next generation of sophisticated aircraft and advanced ships, but we need to make the necessary investments to keep them viable.
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- Good Intentions Start a Slippery Slide to the Bottom - June 14, 2017
Todd Wells, Executive Director
Federal Managers AssociationThe members of the Federal Managers Association (FMA) remain steadfast in their desire to work with Congress and the President to identify more effective and cost-efficient ways to ensure our veterans receive the treatment they deserve. However, we are extremely concerned by the erosion of due process for federal employees included in the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act.
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