Tag: Defense Department

Feds vs. Contractors: Federal Employees Often Save Money, But an Advisory Panel is Needed to Create a Cost Comparison Model

Feds vs. Contractors: Federal Employees Often Save Money, But an Advisory Panel is Needed to Create a Cost Comparison Model

 April 15, 2013 | By: Scott H. Amey, J.D.

April 15, 2013, POGO Letter to OMB

April 15, 2013

Office of Federal Procurement Policy
Office of Management and Budget
ATTN: Ms. Aisha Hasan
725 17th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20503

Submitted via regulations.gov

Subject: Public Comments on the Use of Cost Comparisons

Dear Ms. Hasan:

The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) provides the following public comment regarding the use of cost comparisons outlined at 78 Fed. Reg. 11232 (February 15, 2013). Founded in 1981, POGO is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that champions good government reforms. POGO’s investigations into corruption, misconduct, and conflicts of interest achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government. POGO has a keen interest in government contracting matters, especially the important but often ignored issue of service contracting costs.

The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced a public meeting on March 5, 2013, and requested public comments on “the practice of comparing the relative cost of performance by Federal employees versus contract performance in order to identify the most cost-effective source.” POGO hopes that all of the oral and written comments will be used to create a comprehensive cost comparison model that will be used when making human capital planning decisions.

Establishing a uniform, effective cost comparison model is one of the most, if not the most, important tasks facing the government today. This model, whether established by improving the A-76 process or building a new cost comparison process, must be initiated earlier in the human capital policy and planning phase. It also must compare the full life-cycle costs of outsourcing federal services to contractors with the costs of having those services performed by federal employees.

POGO realizes that such a system is difficult to create and will be subject to harsh criticism by all stakeholders involved. However, previous decisions to hire military or civilian personnel or to contract out have often been made without any strategic thinking about government operations and costs, and that needs to change. Continue reading “Feds vs. Contractors: Federal Employees Often Save Money, But an Advisory Panel is Needed to Create a Cost Comparison Model”

GOP bill would reduce federal retiree benefits to offset defense cuts

GOP bill would reduce federal retiree benefits to offset defense cuts

Published December 05, 2013

FoxNews.com

RTREIRE.jpgAn aerial view of the Pentagon building in Washington.Reuters

Two Republican lawmakers have introduced a proposal that would require federal employees to contribute more of their salary toward retiree benefits in order to offset deep cuts to the Defense Department.

The “Provide for the Common Defense Act,” introduced by Reps. Jim Bridenstine, R-Okla., and Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., would eliminate sequester-related budget cuts for the Pentagon over the next two years, the lawmakers said in a statement.

The legislation increases federal employee’s contributions toward their retirement costs, from 0.8 percent to 2.0 percent of pay, over a three-year period. The bill would also eliminate the Federal Employee Retirement System Annuity Supplement for new employees.   Continue reading “GOP bill would reduce federal retiree benefits to offset defense cuts”

Contractors find little relief from government shutdown impacts

Contractors find little relief from government shutdown impacts

By , Updated: Tuesday, October 8, 8:44 PM E-mail the writer

Steve Shockley has burned through vacation time to shield his family from the lapse in federal appropriations that forced him out of work indefinitely last week. He planned to use his last day on Wednesday.

The resident of South Riding, Va., a contracted technical writer for the Justice Department, is supporting a wife, who just opened a new preschool last month, and three children, ages 7, 8 and 9.

The short-term former Democratic senator is going back to Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo in Boston.

Annual Federal Charity Drive Launches With Tempered Expectations

Annual Federal Charity Drive Launches With Tempered Expectations

elisekurenbina/Shutterstock.com

The Combined Federal Campaign — the 52nd annual federal employee charity drive — kicked into gear this week, hoping to reverse the recent trend of decreasing donations and participation. But the fundraiser comes during an ongoing pay freeze and the mandatory furloughs of hundreds of thousands of workers.

Elaine Kaplan, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management — which administers the CFC — sent a memorandum to human resources representatives across government, spelling out tips to encourage employees and managers to play their part in making the 2013 campaign a success. Kaplan suggested playing up the ability to spread out donations over the entire year, the ease of giving online and the message CFC sends to Americans about the benevolence of federal employees. Managers should encourage their employees to not just donate but volunteer on the operational side of the campaign, she said. Continue reading “Annual Federal Charity Drive Launches With Tempered Expectations”

Sequestration Concerns Play Out

Sequestration Concerns Play Out

Critics of government spending have long complained that the sequester fears were overblown: The across-the-board spending cuts were not and will not be apocalyptic. And, in a lot of ways, they were right. Half of the doomsday predictions that The Washington Post looked at this week never happened, the paper reported. But that doesn’t mean the sequester was a big dud.

Some 680,000 of the Defense Department’s civilian personnel nationwide will begin taking occasional furlough days starting next week through the end of the year. And sequestration has reduced unemployment benefits across the country by more than $100 a week in some states, according to the National Employment Law Project. Continue reading “Sequestration Concerns Play Out”

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