Federal Manager's Daily Report: Tuesday, November 23, 2004 FEDweek is the largest information resource in the federal government with now over one million weekly readers. To Subscribe, Go to http://www.fedweek.com/subscribepopup.htm *********************************************************** Valued Added Service to Our Readers:
Federal Job Search http://www.fedweek.com/Jobs/default.asp Job Bulletin Board http://www.fedweek.com/Jobs/default.asp Unlimited Internet Access for as low as $10.90 http://fedweek.sparklist.com/t/294983968/717157/222/0/ Our Readers Will Get Special Discounted Travel Rates Including, Airfare, Hotels, RV's, Car Rentals, and Special Weekend Getaways--Anywhere in the world http://fedweek.sparklist.com/t/294983968/717157/339/0/ ********************************************************** In This Week's Issue 1. TSA Launches Private Screener Program 2. GPRA Seminar http://www.leadership.opm.gov/content.cfm?CAT=GPR 3. GAO Calls for More �Transparency' In Oversight of VBA Staffing *********************************************************** 1. TSA Launches Private Screener Program The Transportation Security Administration has announced that it will start accepting applications from commercial airports that want to hire security screeners from private companies that would be subject to government oversight and required to meet certain standards. Authorized under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, the screening partnership program requires selected companies to give current federal screeners preference in hiring and to provide them with at least the same level of benefits and compensation, according to TSA. Five airports have participated in a pilot program since TSA was founded, and the agency maintains that there is little difference in performance and cost between private and federal screening workforces. TSA said it would solicit proposals from qualified companies and evaluate them on business management, technical merit, past performance and cost, and that federal security directors and their staffs would remain responsible for airport security. Contracts "would be handled like any other TSA contract, with modifications made when warranted by changing conditions," said TSA, adding that airports new the program would not be expected to transition before May 2005. 2. GPRA Seminar The Office of Personnel Management has scheduled a seminar for Jan. 31-Feb. 4 for mid-level federal managers or management team members looking to improve their skills in outcome management, or who are responsible for supporting the implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act. Given at the Eastern Management Development Seminar in Shepherdstown, W.Va., "Government Performance and Results, Managing Your Organization to Outcomes and Results," is designed to assist managers in implementing outcome management techniques consistent with the GPRA. The seminar concentrates on the development of strategic plans, annual performance plans, and methods for measuring program results, and through workgroups -- and following an overview of the GPRA, participants develop structured, strategic, outcome-oriented plans for their own organizations. The $2,700 fee includes meals, lodging, tuition and course materials. Learn more and register at: http://www.leadership.opm.gov/content.cfm?CAT=GPR 3. GAO Calls for More �Transparency' In Oversight of VBA Staffing "More transparent budget justifications" are needed to help Congress determine if the Veterans Benefits Administration's budget requests reflect the staffing needed to achieve expected performance, the Government Accountability Office has said. It said VBA's fiscal 2005 budget justification failed to explain how the agency would improve productivity in order to meet performance goals for compensation and for processing pension claims with fewer employees. VBA officials said they considered "productivity improvements, workload changes, and employee attrition," in developing their fiscal 2005 budget request, and that while some of the factors were identified in VBA's justification, they were not linked to the requested full-time employment levels, according to GAO-05-47. It said VBA's justification did not mention how much it planned to improve productivity or explain the long-term impact of budgetary decisions on it. VBA officials cited IT improvements and training programs that could increase productivity were they not delayed because resources were shifted away from them to support higher staffing levels, something that was done in support of shorter-term goals such as speeding up rating-related claims processing to 100 days, said GAO. Published by FEDweek 11541 Nuckols Rd. Suite D Glen Allen, VA 23059 (804) 288-5321 Website: http://www.fedweek.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are subscribed to federalmanagersdailyreport as [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
