People
Overheard on Twitter
Traffic and shopping aren't the only things that have ground to a standstill during Washington's blizzard of 2010. Add the federal Office of Personnel Management Web site to the list.
People
Feds stay connected in aftermath of 2010 blizzard
Many federal employees say they are continuing to work even though they can't get into the office.
People
In defense of teleworking
Blogger John Klossner writes that federal managers' worries about telework should be overcome by the fact that teleworkers are highly motivated professionals who don't take snow days, work through lunch and maximize the hour(s) they save each day by not commuting.
People
Do federal managers play favorites in career advancement?
Many workers think their managers promote based on favortism, but that's not necessarily so.
People
Obama proposes expanding acquisition workforce
The administration says the government's spending has doubled, but the size of the workforce has remained generally constant.
People
What's hot on campus? Performance measurement
Blogger Steve Kelman is happy to report that the Kennedy School of Government has seen a serious uptick in the number of students interested in the issue of performance measurement in government.
People
Transition office established to hasten end of pay for performance
The Defense Department has created its National Security Personnel System Transition Office, which will oversee the conversion of about 200,000 DOD employees from the NSPS pay-for-performance system to a pre-NSPS personnel management system.
People
Recommended Reading: Candi on Content, down with privacy, and job interview tips.
Former govie on improving federal Web sites; Facebook CEO's argument for less privacy; tips for acing a job interview.
Cybersecurity
Assessing a training program
NIST Special Publication 800-16 recommends four ways to evaluate the effectiveness of a cybersecurity training program.
Cybersecurity
5 tips for cybersecurity-training your employees
Government security managers recommend several techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of employee cybersecurity training and improving the odds that the lessons will sink in.
People
Motivating workers is easier than you think
Private-sector researchers have recently uncovered a way to improve employee satisfaction that's within managers' control, writes John Kamensky.
People
Insourcing is about strategy, not numbers
Contractors help the government fill a critical gap, and that gap must be the central focus of any debate on insourcing and managing a blended workforce, writes Jaime Gracia.
People
December snowstorm highlighted policy disconnect
FCW readers say agencies have no excuse for not making it easier for employees to work from home.
People
One mother’s case for performance measurement
Steve Kelman is amused to find that his mother knows intuitively what federal agencies need to learn: One of the best ways to motivate employees is to give them concrete goals.
Modernization
GAO raps FCC for communication breakdowns
The Federal Communications Commission needs to better manage the way it obtains policy input from the public and from its own staff experts, according to the Government Accountability Office.
People
The funniest thing about mandating security certifications
The current push for mandatory security certifications reminds cartoonist John Klossner of America’s Funniest Home Videos.
People
Does pay-for-performance harm women?
Some readers argue that performance-based pay systems run the risk of exacerbating personal biases in the federal workplace.
People
How insourcing would work as a New Year's resolution
FCW cartoonist John Klossner envisions what goals an office could meet if it had 100 additional employees.
People
Survey reveals discontent with pay-for-performance plans
Respondents to a Federally Employed Women survey said they were largely dissatisfied with government attempts to replace the General Schedule with pay-for-performance personnel systems.
People