People
The hidden force in acquisition
Changing contracting priorities are elevating the position of the contracting officer’s technical representative.
Modernization
Science site sees training potential
Education and outreach have been the motivation behind SciLands.org, a virtual community in Second Life dedicated to science and technology, whose members include NASA and NOAA, among others.
Modernization
Federal Consortium: Something for everyone
The Federal Consortium for Virtual Worlds is looking to address basic challenges with virtual world technology.
Modernization
Virtual training has risks
Second Life and similar virtual environments have a share of dangers for the unwary agency.
Modernization
Virtual learning gets second wind from Second Life
Despite resistance, some agencies are finding fruitful uses for virtual worlds.
People
Kelman: Rethinking fixed-price contracting
It makes sense to convert some work to fixed-price contracts, but agencies will need more acquisition staff.
People
Government needs wide net to recruit talent
Undergraduate and graduate business schools could help the federal government fill its need for contracting professionals.
People
OPM prods agencies to speed telework
The Obama administration lays out a plan to increase the number of federal employees that regularly telecommute.
Cybersecurity
Swine flu hearings set; OPM issues guidance
Senate and House panels have scheduled hearings on the disease outbreak, and the Office of Personnel Management has issued advice to federal employees.
People
Get a Life!: The perfect storm
Swine flu adds to a perfect storm of challenges for the new administration and federal workers, writes blogger Judy Welles.
Modernization
Postal Service software wins award
The optimization software allows the service to accept multiple bids from contractors and then pick the best deal.
Modernization
Analyst: Virtual workspaces will come
Growing demands for energy and a need to retain aging workers will make virtual workspaces a necessity in the near future, a technology analyst said.
People
OPM director sees major problems, bright spots
John Berry recognizes that little progress has been made since the 1980s in simplifying the hiring process and keeping federal pay equal to that in the private sector.
Modernization
GAO: Retirement program modernization lags
OPM’s attempt to modernize a paper-intensive and antiquated retirement system is only partially complete, according to GAO.
People
Get a Life!: All in the family
Public service is sometimes a family affair with parents and children working for government, writes blogger Judy Welles.
People
Get a Life: Recruiters can tweet, too!
The Merit Systems Protection Board finds tweeting may be a useful way to recruit federal employees, blogger Judy Welles says.
Modernization
New performance self-assessment tool launched
The developers say the application calculates a federal employee’s strengths, weaknesses and potential for a pay raise in an annual evaluation.
Cybersecurity
CIOs urge more telework programs
Officials also say managers need different skills to supervise employees who work at remote locations.
People
FCW Insider: Overworked feds and acquisition reform
There's no getting away from it, readers say: The federal acquisition workforce is overworked and everybody's paying the price.
People