Twenty-five years ago Congress passed the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act. This act marked the beginning of an era that incorporated necessary positions of oversight; ranging from CFOs to Chief Information Officers (CIOs). But, what do all these acronyms really mean? Have they been successful in helping government function more smoothly? Jim Taylor, Managing DirectorRead… Read more »
Over the past decade the men and women that filled critical skills positions in government have been retiring and as a result have taken a vast amount of knowledge with them
We all are awaiting the final decision: will the government shut down again? How could this happen? Didn’t we learn from the incident in 2013? It seems we haven’t. So now certain organizations like the Partnership for Public Service are evaluating the issues that seem to lead to a possible shutdown and how to preventRead… Read more »
With the upcoming deadline to pass the budget for the 2016 fiscal year, it’s a good time to revisit the impact of past shutdowns and Continuing Resolutions (CR) – both which can delay funding to agencies and cause uncertainty over future funding. Much has been written about the cost of these budget uncertainties, particularly aroundRead… Read more »
Working for a publication that almost exclusively serves the public sector and its partners, I routinely deal with practitioners and leaders at all three levels of government. Previously, I worked for an organization that archives data for government research projects. Along the way, I’ve picked up several tips and tricks for working effectively with electedRead… Read more »
Welcome to the second installment of this series on Congressional action that could impact federal customer experience (CX). As I said in my first post, the purpose of this series is to help federal CX advocates track bills that could impact federal CX. That way, we can suggest improvements, help good ideas become law, andRead… Read more »
By law, agency inspectors general are given a great deal of independence from pressures from both their agencies and Congress. But to be effective, they need to develop positive relationships with both. Some are more effective than others. What makes the difference? In January 2015, Michael Horowitz, chair of the cross-agency Council of Inspectors GeneralRead… Read more »
Everyday, cyberthreats are growing in number and sophistication. As each new exploit is exposed, it leads one to wonder what else is vulnerable in the federal government’s vast network architecture. And with limited resources and trained personnel, it is increasingly difficult for government to keep up with the advanced capabilities of cyber adversaries. In response,Read… Read more »
While the act of offering a GSA Contract expedite can be valuable in serving federal buyers, it could be mis-utilized. Congress will be reviewing this complex practice in the nearing months (or years), to guarantee that this is not mis-utilized, and fairness is practiced among the Federal Acquisition Community.
Women’s History Month presents us with an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the incredible achievements of women everywhere. One inspiring woman who is still making history today is U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland (pictured above). She is the longest serving woman in the history of Congress, extending her record with each passing day.Read… Read more »