Open government groups are hailing a new executive order requiring federal agencies to review and justify markings used to designate numerous types of “controlled unclassified information. “ Under the reviews, agency officials must define each “category and subcategory” of CUI and link it to a specific law, regulation or government-wide policy. The National Archives’ Information Security Oversight Office will have to sign off on the results. The order–published Tuesday, Nov. 9 in the Federal Register–labels the current system of markings—such as “For Official Use Only”—an “inefficient, confusing patchwork” that “has resulted in inconsistent marking and safeguarding of documents, led to…
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In proposed guidance posted in Tuesday’s Federal Register, the Office of Management and Budget is elaborating on President Obama’s June memorandum barring lobbyists from serving on federal advisory commissions and other boards and commissions. In keeping with Obama’s memo, registered lobbyists already on such panels will not be booted immediately, but cannot be reappointed once their current terms are up, according to the guidance, which is presented in handy question-and-answer format. No waivers are permitted and anyone who becomes a federally registered lobbyist while serving on a federal board or commission will have to resign or face removal. One small…
The Obama administration has made measurable strides in simplifying the federal hiring process, Jeffrey Zients, acting chief of the Office of Management and Budget, said Monday afternoon. More than 80 percent of job descriptions are now “short and written in plain English,” compared to 19 percent before the start of an administration streamlining drive, Zients told attendees at an Excellence in Government conference at the Ronald Reagan Building. Almost 70 percent of job postings no longer require essays, he said, up from about 40 percent beforehand. “Improving the hiring process will help us attract great talent,” Zients said. His presentation,…
The Defense Department released a free smart phone application for service members, veterans and their families to track emotional health issues, according to a DoD news release. The T2 MoodTracker application differs from others on the market in that it focuses on deployment-related behavioral health issues such as post-traumatic stress, brain injury and depression. Using a set of 10 descriptions or feeling anchors for each health issue, users can rate their feelings and make note of events or experiences that affect their health. This information can be tracked over days, weeks or months and used as a self-help tool or to share…
One unknown at the Pentagon has finally been answered. Teri Takai, President Barack Obama’s nominee to be the Defense Department’s chief information officer, will finally assume her new role on Nov. 7, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Tuesday. “The new CIO position will be central to these efforts as the DoD continues to transform its IT capabilities to meet the enormous mission critical needs of the U.S. military,” according to a DoD news release There was some uncertainty about Takai filling the position after her nomination hearing, set for Aug. 3, was canceled. Under Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ cost-saving plan, it’s unclear whether the…
Top government officials agree that far more cybersecurity professionals are needed to defend the nations networks and solve one of its most pressing issues: hiring and retaining a qualified cyber workforce. But defining exactly what those roles are and what skills are needed is the challenging part. “That’s really the issues,” said Nancy Kichak, associate director of strategic human resource policy at the Office of Personnel Management at the Executive Leadership Conference on Tuesday. “Despite the fact that we all use the terminology cybersecurity, just what does it mean? And how do you definite it, and how do you identify…
Starting early next year, federal agencies will have access to telepresence centers at General Services Administration buildings across the country. The technology will initially span across 14 GSA buildings including 11 regional offices and central offices, GSA Administrator Martha Johnson told reporters today at the Executive Leadership Conference in Williamsburg, Va. “People appear much more life like” and “they engage in eye contact with each other,” said Johnson about the new technologies. “The sound really works, and you feel as if you’re sitting at the same table even though you’re sitting virtually.” The systems will be set up in rooms throughout…
It’s happy trails time for OMB Watch Executive Director Gary Bass, who plans to leave the influential watchdog group he founded in 1983 to head the Bauman Foundation, according to a mass e-mail sent out this afternoon. From his experience in the nonprofit sector, Bass said in the message, “I have learned there comes a time when an organization’s founder needs to move on in order to strengthen the very organization the founder loves.” Bass added that he is “confident that the group’s commitment to high-quality work and smart policy advocacy will continue, and I have no doubt that OMB…
Yes, political passions are at fever pitch this election season, but federal workers are risking their jobs if they cross in the line into activity banned by the Hatch Act, the Office of Special Counsel warns in a news release. The agency is responsible for enforcement of the act, which generally bars partisan politicking on government time. As evidence, the agency cites two cases that it took to the Merit Systems Protection Board. Both involved workers who in 2008 sent fund-raising e-mails while at work on behalf of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama. In one of those cases, involving an IRS…
The Office of Personnel Management is hosting a series of focus groups to garner solutions for beefing up the government’s cybersecurity workforce. Starting today, OPM called on dozens of cybersecurity professionals and hiring managers to discuss strategies and best pratices for recruiting and retaining highly skilled workers. During the three-hour sessions, participants were given a list of potential solutions and asked to rank them as being the best or worst options for attracting cybersecurity workers. Possible areas of focus include: -Establishing a governmentwide cybersecurity certification process -Mapping a governmentwide cybersecurity career path -Create a new occupation definition, classification, qualification and standards -Invest more in…