federal | Voter.org

This group says the federal government, for all the auctions, is still a spectrum hog

February 22, 2023 auctions, says, still, federal, government, This, group, Spectrum0 comment

A technology trade association is urging Congress to update the law that lets the [Federal Communications Commission (FCC)] auction off radio spectrum held by the government. In fact, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation basically said the government continues to hog much spectrum that could be more efficiently used by industry. For details, Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Joe Kane, ITIF’s Director of broadband and spectrum policy, Joe Kane. Interview transcript: Tom Temin It seems like we’ve been talking about spectrum for 25 years now. Joe Kane Yeah,…

What the FAA messaging system debacle said to all federal contractors

February 2, 2023 'Messaging', debacle, System, Said, federal, Contractors0 comment

Few people heard of the FAA’s NOTAM system until it crashed and brought aviation to a standstill earlier this month. The FAA blamed a contractor for accidentally deleting files, such that the system failed to synchronize. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin next guest says the incident speaks to all contractors about the need to supervise their people. Federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen joins me now. Interview transcript: Tom Temin Somebody wasn’t watching the watcher or something broke down here in a procedure, Larry, the files were deleted.…

Omnibus silently endorses 4.6% pay raise for federal employees in 2023

December 20, 2022 federal, employees, 2023, Omnibus, silently, 4.6%, endorses, raise0 comment

For federal employees, the most significant part of the $ 1.7 trillion omnibus spending package that Congress unveiled this week may not be contained in the text of the legislation itself, but rather found in what’s not said. The 4,155-page bill, which House and Senate lawmakers released in the early morning hours of Dec. 20, doesn’t make any reference to the 4.6% across-the-board federal pay raise, in effect silently endorsing the Biden administration’s proposal for 2023. The bill additionally supports a 4.6% pay raise for military members in 2023. But…

Can a 10-year federal infrastructure plan really sustain itself for 10 years

November 10, 2022 plan, federal, really, Years, itself, infrastructure, 10year, sustain0 comment

Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on Apple Podcasts or PodcastOne. The action plan from the Biden administration for the Infrastructure Bill seeks to ensure projects across the nation get done on time and on budget. They’ve already hired 2,500 people to help state, local and tribal governments. But the plan has a 10-year horizon. And that could spell trouble. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin gets analysis from Professor Bob Tobias of American University. Interview transcript: Tom Temin: And Bob, this…

Survey: Half of federal chief data officers are unclear about responsibilities

November 2, 2022 about, federal, survey, Chief, half, data, Unclear, Officers, responsibilities0 comment

Chief data officers in federal agencies have been in the government for a long time, but that doesn’t mean they are clear on their responsibilities. That’s according to a recent survey of CDOs conducted by the Data Foundation. The chief data officer role in federal agencies was established in 2018 by an act of Congress. In the four years since, the Data Foundation has conducted surveys of the people who fill these roles responsible for data governance. This year, the survey sponsored by Guidehouse found that while CDOs tend to…

For 2023, federal retirees will see largest COLA increase in over 40 years

October 13, 2022 Over, increase, federal, Years, retirees, largest, 2023, COLA0 comment

Federal retirees and Social Security recipients are about to get the largest increase in their cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in over four decades. The COLA will increase 8.7% for 2023, the Social Security Administration announced on Oct. 13. But not all federal retirees will see that amount added to their checks. Those in the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) will receive a 7.7% COLA starting in January. The large COLA announcement for 2023 is no surprise, given high rates of inflation and climbing consumer prices this year, said Ken Thomas, national…