FCW Insider: November 29, 2021
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
Get to know the 2021 Rising Stars
FCW profiles 10 early-career phenoms who are driving change in government IT.
White House rolls out DEIA strategy
On Tuesday, the Biden administration issued agencies a roadmap to guide their efforts to develop strategic plans for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), as required under a as required under a June executive order.
Biden to nominate Shalanda Young as OMB director
The Biden administration is looking to elevate the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget into the top job on a permanent basis.
First thoughts on the new President's Management Agenda
Steve Kelman worries that politics may be too prominent in the Biden administration's blueprint for management reform.
Connolly introduces bill to 'rebuild' OPM
One goal of the bill is to ensure that future OPM directors are nonpartisan.
Emily Murphy joins GMU
Emily Murphy, who headed the General Services Administration during the Trump presidency, is joining the George Mason University Center for Government Contracting as a senior research fellow.
Quick Hits
*** The White House released agency data on federal employee vaccination rates on Wednesday. Most agencies have vaccination rates of at least 90%, with a few in the high eighties. Relatively few feds are out of compliance – meaning they have either been vaccinated or requested an exception on health or religious grounds. Ninety-two percent of feds have had at least one vaccine dose, as of Tuesday, Nov. 23. Another 4.5% of feds have either pending or approved exception requests. Agencies will have to continue processing those. They’ll also be able to start the enforcement process for anyone not in compliance, which starts with education and counseling.
In the release of the data, the administration stressed that “this week’s deadline wasn’t an end point,” and that “this next stage of the process will not result in disruptions to government services and operations and will result in more employees becoming vaccinated.”
*** The National Institutes of Health will have to change some requirements in the potential $50 billion CIO-SP4 IT products and services contract after a Government Accountability Office ruling against how the agency treated mentor-protege joint ventures. Get more on this story from Washington Technology.