Survey Finds Feds Less Innovative – Plus the DorobekINSIDER’s 7 Stories

On GovLoop Insights’ DorobekINSIDER:

• Consider an online resource where you could search for the best after-school programs for your kids? It seems pretty obvious right? But so far the government hasn’t been able to build a comprehensive online database. That’s where NYU’s Wagner School comes in, they’ve developed a new website called CluedIn.

The SEVEN Stories That Impact Your Life

1. A new survey finds that feds are less likely to innovate now. The Partnership for Public Service’s survey found that while 91 percent of employees said they are always looking for ways to do their jobs better, only 57 percent said they feel encouraged to do so, according to the analysis. And only 36 percent of employees said creativity and innovation are rewarded at their agencies. That number is down from 38.8 percent in 2011.
2. 108 government contractors died on the job last year. Federal News Radio says the figures from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries show that in 2011 only 11 were federal contractors, the rest were working for state and local government. Deaths involving all contractors, public and private, numbered 542. Numbers are compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
3. The Smithsonian Institution has chosen which galleries it will close because of sequestration budget cuts. Federal News Radio says the Smithsonian will shutter sections of three buildings starting May 1 until Sept. 30. A spokeswoman said a section of the National Museum of African Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and the Commons area of the Castle will close. The Smithsonian is trying to reduce its spending by $41 million. It plans to leave all of its major exhibitions open.
4. The Defense Department has quietly shifted management and oversight of health information technology, including procurements from the Military Health System and the TRICARE Management Activity, to Frank Kendall, under secretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, Nextgov has learned.
5. The Office of Personnel Management announced Monday it has suspended all overtime for its employees working on processing federal retirees’ pensions. Federal Times reports, OPM will reduce its call center hours by nearly three hours each weekday to save money. The overtime suspension took effect Sunday, and OPM did not say when overtime might be resumed.
6. The Senate won’t take up a cybersecurity bill that just passed overwhelmingly in the House. But recent signals by the administration suggest that the contours of a compromise cybersecurity package may be coming into focus. After passing by a vote of 288 to 127 in the House, the next stop for the Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) is the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, chaired by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), reports FCW.
7. And on GovLoop, you can now register for the May 15th DorobekINSIDER Live panel. This time around we are talking about the one year anniversary of the Digital Government Strategy. The free online webinar will feature government and industry experts.

Related Links:

• Sometimes the Best Innovations Are the Most Obvious
• Are Big Data and Cybersecurity A Perfect Match?
• The Social Media Experiment in Government

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