Archive
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimonies
Source: Government Accountability Office
Reports
1. Diversity Management: Trends and Practices in the Financial Services Industry and Agencies after the Recent Financial Crisis. GAO-13-238, April 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-238
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653815.pdf
2. Medicare: Legislative Modifications Have Resulted In Payment Adjustments for Most Hospitals. GAO-13-334, April 17.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-334
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653854.pdf
3. Defense Management: Additional Information Needed to Improve Military Departments’ Strategies for Corrosion Prevention and Control. GAO-13-379, May 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-379
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654676.pdf
4. K-12 Education: States’ Test Security Policies and Procedures Varied. GAO-13-495R, May 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-495R
Testimonies
1. Elder Justice: Federal Government Has Taken Some Steps but Could Do More to Combat Elder Financial Exploitation, by Kay E. Brown, director, education, workforce, and income security, before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, House Committee on Energy and Commerce. GAO-13-626T, May 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-626T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654664.pdf
2. Government Efficiency and Effectiveness: Strategies for Reducing Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieving Cost Savings, by Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, before the Senate Committee on the Budget. GAO-13-631T, May 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-631T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654669.pdf
3. Oil and Gas Management: Continued Attention to Interior’s Revenue Collection and Human Capital Challenges Is Needed, by Frank Rusco, director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care, and Entitlements, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-13-647T, May 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-647T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654668.pdf
Defense Officials Aim to Reduce Adverse Effects of Furloughs
Defense Officials Aim to Reduce Adverse Effects of Furloughs
Source: U.S. Department of Defense
Following Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s announcement yesterday that most Defense Department civilian employees will experience up to 11 furlough days from early July through September, senior defense officials emphasized their goal to reduce adverse effects on the workforce and the mission.
Speaking to Pentagon reporters on background, two senior defense officials discussed details of the furlough, exemptions and stressed their intent to lessen its effects.
One official said it appears that about 15 percent — 120,000 of the department’s roughly 800,000 civilian employees — will be exempt from the furlough, and that number could rise once issues involving intelligence personnel are resolved.
While the furloughs will save the Defense Department $1.8 billion, “it’s not something that we wanted to do,” the official said.
Part of the department’s plan to reduce the furlough’s effects is to ask Congress allow shifting funds from one account to another, the official said.
The services previously had taken steps in an attempt to avoid furlough, the official noted, with the Air Force stopping flights for 12 combat-coded squadrons and the Army canceling most of its combat training rotations.
While all the services will experience furloughs, the official said, the Navy is getting a critical exemption for its civilian employees that work in shipyards and do nuclear maintenance, citing long periods required for maintenance and very little ability to catch up with maintenance on submarines and carriers.
The official acknowledged furloughs will reduce efficiency across the department.
+ Furlough memorandum (PDF)
+ OPM Frequently Asked Questions: Furlough
+ Special Report: Sequestration
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office
1. Defense Headquarters: DOD Needs to Periodically Review and Improve Visibility Of Combatant Commands’ Resources. GAO-13-293, May 15.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-293
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654639.pdf
2. Strategic Sourcing: Leading Commercial Practices Can Help Federal Agencies Increase Savings When Acquiring Services. GAO-13-417, April 15.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-417
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653771.pdf
3. Temporary Assistance For Needy Families: Potential Options to Improve Performance and Oversight. GAO-13-431, May 15.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-431
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654616.pdf
4. Financial Audit: Congressional Award Foundation’s Fiscal Years 2012 and 2011 Financial Statements. GAO-13-554, May 15.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-554
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimony
Source: Government Accountability Office
Reports
1. Climate Change: Future Federal Adaptation Efforts Could Better Support Local Infrastructure Decision Makers. GAO-13-242, April 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-242
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653740.pdf
2. Data Center Consolidation: Strengthened Oversight Needed to Achieve Cost Savings Goal. GAO-13-378, April 23.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-378
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654091.pdf
3. Defense Infrastructure: Communities Need Additional Guidance and Information to Improve Their Ability to Adjust to DOD Installation Closure or Growth. GAO-13-436, May 14.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-436
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654598.pdf
Testimony
1. Data Center Consolidation: Strengthened Oversight Needed to Achieve Billions of Dollars in Savings, by David A. Powner, director, information technology management issues, before the Subcommittee on Government Operations, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-13-627T, May 14.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-627T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654606.pdf
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office
1. Agricultural Research: Two USDA Agencies Can Enhance Safeguards against Project Duplication and Strengthen Collaborative Planning. GAO-13-255, April 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-255
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653753.pdf
2. Management Report: Improvements Are Needed to Enhance the Internal Revenue Service’s Internal Controls. GAO-13-420R, May 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-420R
3. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief: Shift toward Partner-Country Treatment Programs Will Require Better Information on Results. GAO-13-460, April 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-460
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653767.pdf
4. Defense Logistics: The Department of Defense’s Report on Strategic Seaports Addressed All Congressionally Directed Elements. GAO-13-511R, May 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-511R
Executive Compensation at Public Colleges, 2012 Fiscal Year
Executive Compensation at Public Colleges, 2012 Fiscal Year
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education
From article: 4 Public-College Presidents Pass $1-Million Mark in Pay
Public higher education’s million-dollar club just got bigger. Four public-college presidents earned more than $1-million in 2011-12, up from three a year earlier, a Chronicle analysis has found. The median total compensation for public-college leaders rose to $441,392, an increase of 4.7 percent from 2010-11.
The top earner was Graham B. Spanier, who received $2.9-million. Mr. Spanier, who was fired in 2011 in connection with a child-sex-abuse scandal involving a former assistant football coach, received most of his money in severance pay and deferred compensation, which is money he earned during his 16-year presidency that was not previously paid out.
The Chronicle’s analysis included 212 college leaders at 191 public institutions.
On a First-name Basis with Success? Your Mom Chose Your Name Wisely.
On a First-name Basis with Success? Your Mom Chose Your Name Wisely.
Source: The Ladders
Happy Mother’s Day! In celebration of all the hard-working mothers out there, we recently conducted a study to see if the names they choose for their children could have possibly dictated their future success in the workplace. First, we analyzed data around first names from TheLadders’ nearly 6 million members against variables such as industry, salary level, and location. We wanted to prove the null hypothesis that what your mother names you makes a difference.
Second, we populated a few lists, hoping they would generate some additional questions. We started by aggregating and sorting names that were at the top of each list…
Both lists are normalized for frequency (not just absolute counts) giving a ratio of [C-level first names]/[all first names]. Here are a few quick takeaways:
- Christine was the only name that showed up on both the top five C-level and highest paid lists
- The top 10, highest-paid, C-level executive names earn, on average, 10% more than other names
- The top 25 most-popular names make about $7,000 more, on average, than the rest of the list
- Females make, on average, 22% less than their male counterparts in all comparisons
One point we noticed was that shorter names seemed to be higher ranked across all categories and metrics, so we investigated further. It turns out we were right, and there is a correlation between the number of letters in your name and the average salary…
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimonies
Source: Government Accountability Office
Reports
1. Bureau of the Public Debt: Areas for Improvement in Information Systems Controls. GAO-13-416R, May 9.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-416R
2. Federal Reserve Banks: Areas for Improvement in Information Systems Controls. GAO-13-419R, May 9.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-419R
3. Preliminary Results of Work on FAA Facility Conditions and Workplace Safety. GAO-13-509R, May 9.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-509R
Testimonies
1. Transportation Worker Identification Credential: Card Reader Pilot Results Are Unreliable; Security Benefits Should Be Reassessed, by Stephen M. Lord, director, homeland security and justice, before the Subcommittee on Government Operations, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-13-610T, May 9.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-610T
2. Federal Retirement Processing: OPM Is Pursuing Incremental Information Technology Improvements after Canceling a Modernization Plagued by Management Weaknesses, by Valerie C. Melvin, director, information management and technology resource issues. GAO-13-580T, May 9.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-580T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654450.pdf
3. Missile Defense: Opportunity to Refocus on Strengthening Acquisition Management, by Cristina T. Chaplain, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Senate Committee on Armed Services. GAO-13-604T, May 9.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-604T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654457.pdf
New From the GAO
New From the GAO
Source: Government Accountability Office
Reports
1. Transportation Worker Identification Credential: Card Reader Pilot Results Are Unreliable; Security Benefits Need to be Reassessed. GAO-13-198, May 8.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-198
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654432.pdf
2. Internal Revenue Service: Preliminary Observations on the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request. GAO-13-599R, May 3.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-599R
Testimonies
1. Social Security Administration: Preliminary Observations on the Death Master File, by Daniel Bertoni, director, education, workforce, and income security issues, before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. GAO-13-574T, May 8.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-574T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654412.pdf
2. Homeland Security: DHS and TSA Continue to Face Challenges Developing and Acquiring Screening Technologies, by Stephen M. Lord, director, forensic audits and investigative services, before the Subcommittee on Transportation Security, House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-13-469T, May 8.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-469T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654420.pdf
3. Department of Energy: Observations on Project and Program Cost Estimating in NNSA and the Office of Environmental Management, by David Trimble, director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Senate Committee on Armed Services. GAO-13-510T, May 8. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-510T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654424.pdf
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office
CAPITAL PURCHASE PROGRAM
Status of the Program and Financial Health of Remaining Participants
GAO-13-458, May 7, 2013
PAKISTAN
Reporting on Visa Delays That Disrupt U.S. Assistance Could Be Improved
GAO-13-427, May 7, 2013
VA CONSTRUCTION
Additional Actions Needed to Decrease Delays and Lower Costs of Major Medical-Facility Projects
GAO-13-556T, May 7, 2013
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office
1. Federal Employees’ Compensation Act: Case Examples Illustrate Vulnerabilities That Could Result in Improper Payments or Overlapping Benefits. GAO-13-386, April 3.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-386
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653523.pdf
2. VA Construction: Additional Actions Needed to Decrease Delays and Lower Costs of Major Medical-Facility Projects. GAO-13-302, April 4.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-302
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653586.pdf
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office
1. Medicaid: Enhancements Needed for Improper Payments Reporting and Related Corrective Action Monitoring. GAO-13-229, March 29.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-229
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653457.pdf
2. CMS: Activities, Staffing, and Funding for the Center for Strategic Planning. GAO-13-377R, April 1.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-377R
3. Capitol Preservation Fund: Audit of Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012 Transactions. GAO-13-489R, May 1.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-489R
4. Senate Preservation Fund: Audit of Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012 Transactions. GAO-13-490R, May 1.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-490R
Deloitte Report Uncovers Seven Crucial Leadership Conversations
Deloitte Report Uncovers Seven Crucial Leadership Conversations
Source: Deloitte
Success in most organizations depends on the commitment and talent of its workforce. According to Deloitte’s third annual Human Capital Trends report, Leading Indicators, C-level executives need to take a critical look at how their company’s talent is driving its business and address seven specific issues in order to remain successful over the next 18 to 24 months.
…
The following seven Human Capital trends examined in the report offer leaders the opportunity to make more informed talent decisions going forward:
- The open talent economy – An organization that embraces the emerging concept of the open talent economy – a collaborative, technology-driven, rapid-cycle way of doing business – can be poised to exploit its opportunities and immerse itself more effectively in the global talent market.
- Creating an elastic workplace – Leading organizations are taking a fresh look at workplace flexibility through the lens of business strategy as the issue evolves into an opportunity that impacts all employees.
- Innovating the talent brand – In order to effectively retain and attract the best talent, companies should focus on their talent brand by building leading talent practices and communicating them in innovative ways.
- Finding the silver lining in the talent gap – The nature of retirement along with the changing ability of a generation to retire early is shifting the demographics of the workforce again. In fact, Deloitte found in a previous study that 34 percent of U.S. employees plan on delaying their retirement age. The combination of an aging workforce remaining actively employed, even when facing retirement age to an influx of talent from Generation Y, means that organizations need to determine the best way to continue to get value from older workers without holding younger workers back.
- Debunking the Superman myth – Given the ever-changing pressures on businesses today, including adopting new technologies, entering an emerging market country or adapting to new regulatory environments, companies need a bench of leaders who can operate across different environments and adapt to the unexpected.
- The performance management puzzle – To effectively motivate employees, some leading organizations are considering new performance management tools with social media characteristics that incorporate peer, customer and other stakeholder feedback.
- Thinking like an economist – HR and talent leaders should adopt an economist’s mindset and expand their use of economic data to make fact-based decisions, which not only increases their alignment with the other business leaders in their organization, but also helps put people in the right positions to unlock their most valuable talents.
New Report: Famine risk is well understood and badly managed
New Report: Famine risk is well understood and badly managed
Source: Chatham House
Food crises are the deadliest natural disasters, resulting in up to 2 million deaths since 1970, yet responses to them are reactive, slow and fragmented.
A new report, Managing Famine Risk: Linking Early Warning to Early Action argues that whilst famine early warning systems have a good track record of predicting food crises, they have a poor track record of triggering early action to protect lives and livelihoods.
Major improvements in the sophistication and capabilities of famine early warning systems provide the opportunity for decisive early action, but also the opportunity for prevarication, delay and buck-passing among governments and humanitarian agencies.
There is also added political pressure not to report food crises, says Rob Bailey, the report’s author.
‘Governments in at-risk countries may suppress famine early warnings if they are concerned it will challenge their record on hunger reduction,’ he said.
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimonies
Source: Government Accountability Office
Reports
1. Offshore Tax Evasion: IRS Has Collected Billions of Dollars, but May be Missing Continued Evasion. GAO-13-318, March 27.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-318
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653370.pdf
2. VA and IHS: Further Action Needed to Collaborate on Providing Health Care to Native American Veterans. GAO-13-354, April 26.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-354
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654224.pdf
3. Missile Defense: Opportunity to Refocus on Strengthening Acquisition Management. GAO-13-432, April 26.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-432
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654234.pdf
Testimonies
1. Department of Homeland Security: Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Efficiency and Effectiveness, Achieve Cost Savings, and Improve Management Functions, by Cathleen A. Berrick, managing director, homeland security and justice, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency, House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-13-547T, April 26.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-547T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654210.pdf
2. Social Security Administration: Preliminary Observations on Key Management Challenges, by Daniel Bertoni, director, education, workforce, and income security issues, before the Subcommittee on Social Security, House Committee on Ways and Means. GAO-13-545T, April 26.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-545T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654214.pdf
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimony
Source: Government Accountability Office
Reports
1. Office of National Drug Control Policy: Office Could Better Identify Opportunities to Increase Program Coordination. GAO-13-333, March 26.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-333
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653355.pdf
2. Air Force Electronic Systems Center: Reorganization Resulted in Workforce Reassignments at Hanscom Air Force Base, but Other Possible Effects Are Not Yet Known. GAO-13-366, April 25.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-366
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654163.pdf
3. Explosive Ordnance Disposal: DOD Needs Better Resource Planning and Joint Guidance to Manage the Capability. GAO-13-385, April 25.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-385
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654171.pdf
4. Internal Revenue Service: 2013 Tax Filing Season Performance to Date and Budget Data. GAO-13-541R, April 15.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-541R
Testimony
1. Federal Real Property: Excess and Underutilized Property Is an Ongoing Challenge, by David Wise, director, physical infrastructure, before the Subcommittee on Government Operations, House committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-13-573T, April 25.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-573T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654160.pdf
Workplace Violence Against Government Employees, 1994-2011
Workplace Violence Against Government Employees, 1994-2011
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics
Presents information on both nonfatal and fatal forms of violence in the workplace against government employees, based on the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. This report describes violence against government employees and compares violence in the workplace against government and private-sector employees. It includes information on type of workplace violence, violence by occupation, and victim and crime characteristics, such as sex and race distribution, offender weapon use, police notification, and victim injury.
Highlights:
- In 2011, about 1 in 5 victims of workplace homicide was a government employee.
- From 2002 to 2011, the annual average rate of simple assault in the workplace against government employees (18.9 per 1,000) was more than three times that of private-sector employees (4.6 per 1,000).
- Serious violent crime accounted for a larger percentage of workplace violence against private-sector employees (25%) than government employees (15%).
- From 2002 to 2011, about 96% of workplace violence against government employees was against state, county, and local employees, who made up 81% of the total government workforce.
- Male government employees were more likely than female government employees to face a stranger in an incident of workplace violence from 2002 to 2011.
- From 2002 to 2011, female government employees were more likely than male government employees to be attacked in the workplace by someone with whom they had a work relationship.
New From the GAO
New GAO Testimonies
Source: Government Accountability Office
1. Spectrum Management: Preliminary Findings on Federal Relocation Costs and Auction Revenues, by Mark L. Goldstein, director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Senate Committee on Armed Services. GAO-13-563T, April 24.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-563T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654117.pdf
2. Space Acquisitions: DOD Is Overcoming Long-Standing Problems, but Faces Challenges to Ensuring Its Investments Are Optimized, by Cristina T. Chaplain, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Senate Committee on Armed Services. GAO-13-508T, April 24.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-508T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654138.pdf
New From the GAO
New GAO Report
Source: Government Accountability Office
1. Managing For Results: Agencies Should More Fully Develop Priority Goals under the GPRA Modernization Act. GAO-13-174, April 19.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-174
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654040.pdf
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimonies
Source: Government Accountability Office
Reports
1. Acquisition Workforce: Federal Agencies Obtain Training to Meet Requirements, but Have Limited Insight into Costs and Benefits of Training Investment. GAO-13-231, March 28.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-231
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653438.pdf
2. Managing For Results: Agencies Have Elevated Performance Management Leadership Roles, but Additional Training Is Needed. GAO-13-356, April 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-356
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653796.pdf
3. Grants Management: Oversight of Selected States’ Disbursement of Federal Funds Addresses Timeliness and Administrative Allowances. GAO-13-392, April 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-392
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653806.pdf
4. IRS Website: Long-Term Strategy Needed to Improve Interactive Services. GAO-13-435, April 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-435
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653777.pdf
Testimonies
1. Federal Support for Renewable and Advanced Energy Technologies, by Frank Rusco, director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittees on Oversight and Energy, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. GAO-13-514T, April 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-514T
2. Aviation Safety: FAA Efforts Have Improved Safety, but Challenges Remain in Key Areas, by Gerald L. Dillingham, Ph.D., director, physical infrastructure, before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. GAO-13-442T, April 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-442T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653802.pdf
