John Kamensky

A Commitment to Be Nicer to Feds? Government Executive reports that “Lawmakers vowed to change their rhetoric to show their appreciation for the federal workforce during a congressional hearing on Thursday on low employee morale.” GAO: Employee Engagement Can Improve. At the same congressional hearing, GAO weighed in. Recent declines in employee engagement has been documented through annual governmentwide surveys. But a new GAO report identifies six practices that contribute to better engagement. New Guidance on Use of Social Media.

By law, agency inspectors general are given a great deal of independence from pressures from both their agencies and Congress. But to be effective, they need to develop positive relationships with both. Some are more effective than others. What makes the difference? In January 2015, Michael Horowitz, chair of the cross-agency Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, highlighted “independence” as their most-cherished attribute. But what steps can the IGs, agency heads, and Congress take to make sure that the work of the IGs is not ignored?

Rating Federal Mobile-Friendly Websites. Google implemented a new policy regarding the ranking of mobile-friendly websites on its search engine. NextGov tested Google’s ranking criteria on 28 large federal agency websites and found that about half met the criteria and half didn’t. Where is your agency on the list? Bloomberg and Big Data – The “What Works” City Initiative.

Risk experts Doug Webster and Tom Stanton think not. Writing in a new report for the IBM Center for The Business of Government, they observe: “The front pages of national newspapers constantly report on actions by private companies, federal leaders, or agencies that do not appear to have considered the risks associated with various decisions and actions.

Greg Godbout, the chief technology officer at the Environmental Protection Agency, suggests as much when he keynoted an AFCEA roundtable in Bethesda a couple weeks ago. According to Federal Times, he told the audience how Walt Disney World delivers a seamless experience: “Visitors to the theme park who are staying at a connected hotel can get a "Magic Band," a wrist band that unlocks the hotel room, grants admission to the park, reserves access to certain attractions and allows the guest to buy items at shops and charge them to the room.” He went on to say that it is “. . .

A recent study by two psychologists, Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, concludes: “If you focus on supporting the daily progress of people working in your organization, you will not only foster the success of the organization but also enrich the everyday lives of your employees.”

Sequestration’s Long Tail. Federal News Radio reports that the 2013 sequester led the Defense department to suddenly cancel contracts or delay the development or fielding of new systems. This led to hundreds of millions in longer-term additional costs, to be felt in upcoming years. Standardizing Administrative Leave. Federal News Radio reports that the Office of Personnel Management has released a memo outlining steps it will take to standardize how agencies will report administrative leave costs.

DATA Act Implementation Status. FedScoop sums up interviews with Treasury and OMB staff regarding the progress and upcoming deadlines for the implementation of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act. Federal Computer Week shares the enthusiasm of participants at a recent conference on the implementation of the DATA Act. Evolution of Federal Chief Operating Officers. Federal News Radio says a new report on the evolving role of agency chief operating officers, by the Partnership for Public Service, examines their challenges and priorities.

Last week, I attended a Senate hearing on wasteful spending in the federal government.  Some of the witnesses pointed to examples such as the legislative requirement that the Defense Department ship coal to Germany to heat American bases there.

CyberSprint Underway. Federal News Radio reports that federal CIO Tony Scott has given agencies 30 days to improve the security of their systems and data, following the data breech at the Office of Personnel Management. According to FNR: “Scott also announced the creation of a "Cybersecurity Sprint Team" to review current federal policies and procedures and recommend a new cyber strategy for civilian agencies.” Federal Personal Coaching Network Created.