Is the FEHB System Killing Competition?
A new GAO report shows that despite increases in available FEHB plans, enrollment is growing increasingly concentrated among the largest insurance carriers.
GAO
Should Political Appointees Be Barred From Career Jobs?
How widespread is the practice of political “burrowing?” The author says it’s largely a “problem” that isn’t really a problem.
GAO Finds 76 Instances of Obama Political Appointees ‘Burrowing In’
Political “burrowing” is a common practice after a change in administrations. GAO has issued its latest report on what it found during the Obama Administration.
GAO: OPM IT Security Still at Risk
According to a new GAO report, OPM has made progress in improving its information security but still has more work to do.
VA Appeals Backlog: Will Reform Plans Work?
GAO reviews plans by the VA to fix a large backlog of veterans appeals for disability compensation. GAO is skeptical the reforms will work without more efforts.
Senators Call for Review of Hiring Freeze
Two Senators have asked the GAO to conduct a review of President Trump’s hiring freeze, expressing concern that it may ultimately fail to reduce spending.
House Committee Asks for GAO Review of OPM’s Retirement Application Process
A House Committee has sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office asking for an investigation into how OPM can improve its retirement application handling process.
What Hiring Flexibilities Work? Who Knows…
A recent GAO report studies OPM and agency use of the many hiring authorities available to agencies. The author says that the study highlights a critical problem that persists in federal human resources today.
Is Half a Workforce Strategy Better Than None?
Federal agencies are under pressure to create workforce strategies. The author writes one problem with them is that most workforce plans address only the federal employee side of the mix. He describes the components of an ideal plan.
GAO: Half of American Households Have No Retirement Savings
A recent study conducted by the Government Accountability Office found that roughly half of households age 55 and over have no retirement savings. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) says that the study results are evidence that Social Security needs to be expanded. Some might disagree with the Senator, however.
