Management briefs

Bill calls for job swapping

A bill to make public- and private- sector job swapping possible for up to two years was introduced this month in the Senate by Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio). The same legislation was introduced last summer in the House by Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) but hasn't moved beyond the inbox at a House subcommittee.

The Digital Tech Corps Act would let information technology managers from corporations move into comparable federal jobs but retain their private-sector pay and benefits. Meanwhile, government IT workers at the GS-12 to GS-15 levels could take corporate jobs but keep their government pay and benefits.

Employee database boosted

President Bush's 2003 budget proposal for the Office of Personnel Management includes $24 million for the development of an advanced prototype for the Human Resources Data Network, which would turn federal employees' paper personnel records into electronic records accessible governmentwide.

Last year, development work for the network — launched by an interagency task force in 1999 — received $3.2 million. OPM would also receive $27.6 million for efforts to modernize federal retirement systems through automated recordkeeping and $2.5 million for a project to consolidate federal payroll systems.

Energy taps permanent CIO

After more than a year of rotating temporary appointments to fill its chief information officer position, the Energy Department has named Karen Evans as its permanent CIO. Evans officially took over Jan. 28, replacing DOE's acting CIO, Linda Cureton.

Before joining DOE, Evans was director of the Information Resources Management Division in the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs.