FCW Insider: Oct. 10

The federal hiring process doesn't match the changing nature of agency work, inhibiting training, advancement and recruitment. Margaret Weichert, the senior OMB official fresh from a year-long stint as acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, said federal HR is designed for stability not agility. Lia Russell has more.

The General Services Administration hit a milestone on Oct. 1 with its plan to consolidate its sprawling Multi-Award Schedules, but as Mark Rockwell learned, many federal contracting officers won't see big changes until the middle of next year.

Vulnerabilities in the software supply chain may represent a larger cybersecurity threat over the long haul than threats to physical hardware, according to officials and industry experts. One National Security Agency official noted at a think tank event this week that "dumb" software supply chain attacks are prevalent. Derek B. Johnson reports.

The Navy awarded the first piece of its Next Generation Enterprise Network recompete contract. The 9-year, $1.4 ceiling award covers hardware for the Navy and the Marine Corps. The services portion of NGEN-R could have a ceiling value twice as high. Lauren C. Williams has the story.

Quick Hits

*** The White House announced it has appointed former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen as a member of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council. Nielsen, who oversaw DHS as its cybersecurity wing became more deeply involved in protecting critical infrastructure, was forced to resign by President Donald Trump earlier this year.

*** Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) are teaming up on a bill to require the intelligence community to reform the security classification process with an eye to finding technology solutions to help manage digital material. A recent report from the Information Security Oversight Office found that the intelligence community is overwhelmed by the proliferation of classified material originating in digital systems, putting declassification schedules at risk.

*** Russ Vought, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, announced in a Fox News op-ed a coming pair of executive orders designed to limit the regulatory authority of federal agencies. Among other things, the orders are intended to pare back the authority of guidance documents posted by agencies without being subjected to the public comment process.