Federal Drive with Tom Temin

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One of the best things a politically appointed agency head can do, but too often he or she does not, is what this guest will address. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Bob Tobias, professor of good government and long-time labor-management observer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Because of military aid to Ukraine and, presumably Israel, the U.S. defense industrial base is strained right now. Manufacturers of platforms and ammunition must deal with a list of regulatory and legal challenges. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with attorney Justin Chiarodo, a partner at Blank Rome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a program with a long name: Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery and Mitigation. It entails a lot of money from Housing and Urban Development grants: $82 billion over 10 years. But the HUD office of inspector general has found some oversight challenges in preventing duplication of benefits. For Details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke In Studio with Deputy IG Stephen Begg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin: HUD has work to do, to stop duplication of benefits. How exporting weapons becomes risky for contractors who make the exports. Here's one element of good government the political appointees often overlook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A second year in a row of a big premium increase for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program is just one reason federal health experts are encouraging employees and annuitants to take advantage of Open Season. Open Season, which runs this year from Nov. 13 to Dec. 11, is the window of time when FEHB enrollees can make changes to their health care options for the following calendar year. But each year, just about 5% of enrollees end up making changes. For 2024, the upcoming 7.7% average premium increase is certainly grounds for enrollees, at the very least, to take a look at what other options are out there. Because that 7.7% increase is an average, that of course means not every plan will increase the same amount — and some won’t increase at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing numbers of federal employees are about to come under what's known as continuous vetting. Public databases automatically monitored by security officials to make sure you haven't been criminally charged or suddenly incurred large debt. Those with national security clearance are mostly under continuous vetting already. Now the Office of Personnel Management plans to expand that to feds with so-called non-sensitive public trust positions. How should agencies prepare? How should you prepare? For insight, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the managing partner of the Tully Rinckey law firm, Dan Meyer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contractors brought protests to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) more than 2,000 times last year, up more than 20% from fiscal 2022. GAO sustained them at more than twice the rate of the year earlier, siding with contractors in about a third of the cases. For what's going on, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin talked with GAO's Managing Associate General Counsel, Kenneth Patton. GAO Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health has proceeded with its promised network of health innovation sites. Anchoring the network are three regional hubs also planned at the inception of ARPA-H. For what they hope for the network, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin talked with the Director of the agency's Project Accelerator Transition Innovation office, Craig Gravitz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin: HHS launches its promised health innovation network. Why did bid protests to GAO rise sharply in fiscal 2023? Continuous vetting for trust and security clearance is easier said than done. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The signature survey that aims to take the pulse of the federal workforce each year found slight gains this year in employees’ overall views over the organizations they work for, with 68% now saying they’re satisfied with their jobs — up two percentage points from 2022. The question of job satisfaction is just one component of a broader index the Office of Personnel Management terms “employee engagement” — a composite score that tries to measure workers’ views on factors like effective leadership, meaningful work, and opportunities for growth. In 2023, that score increased to 72%, up one percentage point from the year before, and tying the government’s score from 2020 — a five-year high. Meanwhile, 67% of employees said they’d recommend their agencies to job seekers, up from 65% in 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bloomberg Government predicts record contract spending, once Congress passes appropriations bills for 2024. It sees $762 billion in total procurement, including $113 billion for professional services. With how companies need to prepare, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin turned to federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A group called the National Network for Critical Technology Assessment is the latest to call for restoration of U.S. scientific and technology preeminence. The group, working under a National Science Foundation grant, said, "Something disruptive is needed in how we fund the pathway from translational discovery to commercialization." For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin is joined by Network member and Carnegie Mellon engineering and public policy professor Erica Fuchs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After more than 30 years at the National Institutes of Health, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin's guest has been recognized by the Senior Executives Association with the 2023 Spirit of Excellence award for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Tom talks with National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke executive officer Maryann Sofranko. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin: An NIH health executive is also a diversity champion. A call for disruptive change in how the government assesses technology. Contract spending is set to grow across the board in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices