Coalition of Agencies Push for Cyber Workforce Paradigm Shift
The drumbeat of agencies, working groups, and commissions calling for heightened national attention to the cybersecurity workforce ratcheted up again last week, with a new report from the interagency Federal Cyber Workforce Management and Coordinating Working Group advocating for “strategic changes” to the nation’s approach to developing a cyber workforce.
Nominations Update: Over 400 Positions Filled, Several Hundred to Go
President Biden has to fill roughly 4,000 politically appointed positions in the executive branch and independent agencies. Of these, roughly 1,200 require Senate confirmation.
Pentagon Releases its First Departmental Social Media Policy
Acting Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Gordon Trowbridge issued a new policy outlining how official social media accounts should advance the mission of the U.S. military.
Federal Employee Appeals Board Finds Army Retaliated Against Whistleblower
The Merit Systems Protection Board holds the Army retaliated against a widow of a service member in it's first precedential decision on whistleblower protection since regaining a quorum.
DOD Issues Guidance for Civilian Personnel Reentry as Omicron Subvariant Spreads
Last week, Department of Defense (DOD) Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks issued guidance on the reentry of civilian employees but emphasized that business as usual is not expected.
Proposed Appropriations Bill Tackles DoD Personnel Management
The 2022 Department of Defense (DoD) appropriations bill from the House Committee on Appropriations addresses a number of concerns surrounding DoD’s recruitment and retention efforts. According to appropriators, the Department of Defense needs help filling employment vacancies surrounding career and technical education (CTE) and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in order to remain competitive with its counterparts in China and Russia.
Department of Defense’s management challenges and opportunities
Organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant testified before the Senate Committee on Armed Services during a hearing on management challenges and opportunities at the Department of Defense last week. He said, “I also worry that DOD’s culture is a threat to national security.”
NSCAI Issues Final Report on Expanding AI Capabilities in Federal Workforce
The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) issued a final report on the AI capabilities of the federal workforce which set a goal for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the intelligence community to be AI-ready by 2025.