June 2010 Archives
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/30/10 02:24 pm ET
A California lawmaker is questioning whether the Homeland Security Department and other agencies should have more cybersecurity responsibilities, particularly given the shortage of qualified workers, FederalNewsRadio.com reports. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing that it may make more sense for the government to outsource some cybersecurity functions to contractors, despite a current trend in government to move more functions in-house. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/29/10 11:10 am ET
Last Thursday, I moderated a webinar on the current state of telework programs across the federal government. Joining me were two special guests - Jennifer Carignan, an associate manager for research at the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, and Danette Campbell, senior telework advisor at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - who both gave excellent presentations on what's next for federal telework.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/28/10 12:20 pm ET
The Office of Personnel Management on Friday held a public meeting on its efforts to overhaul the federal hiring process, and my colleague Emily Long has all the details of the meeting at GovernmentExecutive.com.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/28/10 11:25 am ET
The Office of Personnel Management on Monday recognized the first graduates of its new Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) certificate program, and two notable technology leaders are among the program's graduates. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/25/10 08:30 am ET
Government agencies are falling short when it comes to using social networks, online communities and websites to engage with citizens, new research suggests.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/25/10 08:12 am ET
A Senate panel on Thursday passed legislation that would require federal agencies to provide managers and supervisors with interactive training within one year of promotion to a supervisory position.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/24/10 12:02 pm ET
GovLoop has announced the winners of a recent video contest that asked participants to create a short and inspiring video on "Why are you the next generation of government?" It's no surprise that all of the winning entries included some focus on how technology and a flexible workplace are key to the next generation of government leaders. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/23/10 11:37 am ET
Computerworld on Monday released its 2010 list of the 100 Best Places to Work in IT. The list, which is compiled based on reader nominations, had only one federal winner -- the United States Postal Service -- which came in at 93. Several government contractors, such as CDW, Grant Thornton and Raytheon, also made the cut.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/23/10 12:16 pm ET
HP announced last week that it is launching a social network specifically aimed at IT professionals. The website, called 48Upper, includes popular social networking tools and collaborative knowledge sharing, all aimed at bringing down the stereotype of IT professionals as "being introverted, pessimistic loners," according to the website. The social network even includes a video showing IT professionals laughing, dancing and cartwheeling, leaving other workers asking, "What is up with IT?" and "Have you ever seen an IT guy happy?">>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/22/10 11:38 am ET
A new report suggests that federal spending on information technology will grow significantly over the next five years, and that could result in the federal government having to rely more on outside expertise in order to meet increasing demand. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/21/10 10:54 am ET
Ninety-three percent of federal employees believe it is important that they continue working during an emergency or disaster, and a clear majority of those employees believe they have the tools and resources to function remotely, according to a new study by the Government Business Council and CDW Government. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/18/10 12:26 pm ET
Human resource leaders overwhelmingly believe that social media and Web 2.0 technologies can improve communication, bringer greater efficiency to the workplace and provide insight about workers' interests and motivations, according to a recent study by Birkman International.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/18/10 08:50 am ET
The Senate on Thursday rejected an amendment that would have frozen the 2011 pay increase for federal workers and cut the size of the government workforce. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/17/10 10:38 am ET
On Thursday, June 24, I'll be moderating a webinar on federal telework initiatives and what's next for telework across the federal government. As I've written about before in Wired Workplace, Congress is considering legislation that would eventually require 20 percent of the eligible federal workforce to telework at least one day per week. The Office of Personnel Management also is piloting a Results-Only Work Environment program that allows 400 federal employees to decide when and where to work, as long as they meet high performance standards.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/16/10 10:39 am ET
The federal government must create robust training standards for cybersecurity workers and continually validate that those standards are effective, an expert on cybersecurity issues told a Senate committee on Tuesday.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/15/10 10:54 am ET
Legislation introduced in the House on Tuesday would require federal managers and supervisors to undergo more extensive leadership and mentorship training. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/15/10 09:59 am ET
A forthcoming report that will recommend new standards for testing cybersecurity skills and create cyber career paths in the federal government is a positive step for securing the talent necessary to ensure computer networks and systems are protected, an expert on cybersecurity issues said last week.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/14/10 02:29 pm ET
The Office of Personnel Management on Monday finalized a regulation that expands the definition of "family member" for purposes of determining leave and long-term care benefits. The regulations, published in the Federal Register, modify definitions of "family member" and "immediate relative" for determining use of sick leave, funeral leave, voluntary leave transfer, voluntary leave bank and emergency leave transfer. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/14/10 10:52 am ET
A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Thursday unveiled yet another bill that would help the government respond to a major cybersecurity attack. >>
By Allan Holmes
06/11/10 01:14 pm ET
National Journal, a Nextgov sister publication, will be hosting a discussion on "The American Workforce is Changing: Can the Business and Education Sectors Keep Up?" The panel will discuss "the changing demographics of the new generation that is entering today's workforce." An e-mail promoting the discussion, which will take place June 17 at the Newseum, says minorities now "comprise two-fifths of this new wave of workers.">>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/10/10 08:21 am ET
The Pentagon said Wednesday that it will temporarily cut pay raises in half for more than 11,000 civilian workers transitioning out of the derailed National Security Personnel System.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/10/10 07:25 am ET
Nearly three-quarters of private sector technology recruiters and hiring managers expect to add more staff in the second half of 2010, with 30 percent saying salaries are increasing for new hires, according to a new report by Dice.com.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/09/10 08:11 am ET
A new report by the libertarian Cato Institute marks the latest call for the government to freeze or cut federal wages and start overhauling federal benefits to reduce costs. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/08/10 12:14 pm ET
The differences among the four generations in the federal workforce has been a hot topic for quite some time, with much of the chatter focused on the so-called drastic differences in the way the Millennial generation works and communicates. The younger cadre of federal workers have been talked about as having different goals, ideas and expectations in the workplace, and many have come to work for the government because they are passionate about the mission and affecting change. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/07/10 10:12 am ET
My colleague Jill Aitoro wrote on Friday about a forthcoming draft report that details ways to expand the qualified pool of job candidates for federal cybersecurity jobs. The report, to be released by the Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency, will include a set of recommendations to ensure federal employees and contractors receive the ongoing training necessary to ensure computer networks and systems are protected. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/04/10 10:09 am ET
The majority of employers and recruiters anticipate hiring more professionals in the second half of 2010, according to a new survey by Dice Holdings, a provider of career websites for professional communities, including information technology and security clearance.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/03/10 11:37 am ET
Amelia Gruber at Government Executive writes about a new report from the National Academy of Public Administration that endorses the implementation of a performance-based pay system for intelligence employees at the Defense Department. The current program - the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System - is soundly designed and shows no evidence that it contributes to problems with diversity, NAPA noted in the report to Congress and the Defense Secretary. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/03/10 10:06 am ET
The Obama administration on Wednesday ordered federal agencies to extend several benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of federal employees. In a memo to agency heads, Obama identified several benefits that could be provided to same-sex partners under existing law and ordered the Office of Personnel Management to issue regulations that would:>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/02/10 12:05 pm ET
Freezing the 2010 pay raise for civilian federal workers is not the only target of several lawmakers in Congress. A bill unveiled in the House late last month would stop agencies from hiring during any year the Office of Management and Budget projects a budget deficit for the federal government.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/02/10 09:42 am ET
The Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday released final regulations that broaden the definition of "family member" for purposes of determining long-term care benefits. The final rules, published in the Federal Register, modify the definition of relatives qualified to participate in the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program to include the same-sex domestic partners of federal employees and retirees. The final rule is the same as a September 2009 draft version. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/02/10 08:39 am ET
The Partnership for Public Service is recruiting federal interns to serve as ambassadors of federal service on college and university campuses. Those chosen to participate in the program will participate in events, networking sessions and meetings with key faculty and staff members, all with the goal of raising awareness of the opportunities and benefits of federal service, the Partnership announced Tuesday.>>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/01/10 10:16 am ET
Younger Internet users are actually more careful about protecting their online privacy than their older counterparts, according to a new study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. >>
By Brittany Ballenstedt
06/01/10 08:17 am ET
GovLoop's featured project of the week is the campaign to create a U.S. Public Service Academy, on par with the nation's military academies, to inject prestige into federal service and highlight the importance of government work. The post touts the need for such an institution, particularly as the government faces a serious shortage of public servants as more than 90 percent of the federal government's leadership becomes eligible to retire over the next decade. >>
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