In this episode of FEDtalk, host Jason Briefel interviews Troy Cribb, Director of Policy at the Partnership for Public Service, about the presidential transition and its impact on the federal and contractor acquisition workforce. They discuss the importance of the acquisition function in government, the preparations agencies are making for the transition, and the key dates and deadlines involved. Cribb shares insights from her experience working in government and at the General Services Administration (GSA), emphasizing the need for comprehensive briefings and education for incoming appointees. The Partnership’s Center for Presidential Transition offers resources and programs to support agencies and appointees during the transition.

In this episode of FEDtalk, host Jason Briefel interviews Helene Bumbalo, the Associate Director of Graduate Professional Development at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Business, about career counseling in 2024. Helene shares her unconventional career path and emphasizes the importance of staying flexible and open to new opportunities. She discusses the diverse student population at VCU and the unique challenges they face in navigating the job market. Helene also highlights the changing landscape of job applications, with the increasing use of artificial intelligence and the need for proactive networking before applying. She explores the differences between pursuing opportunities in the public and private sectors and shares innovative approaches to connecting students with federal agencies. She emphasizes the importance of bringing real-life professionals into the classroom to expose students to different career paths. Bumbalo also highlights the value of programs like the Federal Advisor Certificate Program, which prepares career counselors to help students navigate the federal hiring process. She encourages hiring managers to reach out to career programs and utilize alumni connections to find talent. Bumbalo advises job seekers to seek help from career counselors and utilize resources like LinkedIn to navigate the changing employment landscape.

Summary

In this episode of FEDtalk, hosts Natalia Castro and Jason Briefel are joined by Catrina Bonus and Jessie Lane from Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) to discuss National Police Week and the 25th anniversary of WIFLE. They talk about the history and mission of WIFLE, which is dedicated to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in federal law enforcement. They also highlight the various programs and initiatives that WIFLE has implemented to support women in law enforcement, including community engagement, mentorship, and partnerships with federal agencies, military organizations, and international partners. The conversation also touches on the importance of diversity and inclusion in law enforcement and the significance of National Police Week in honoring fallen officers. The conversation highlights the importance of gender diversity in law enforcement and the efforts of WIFLE to promote and support women in the field. The guests discuss the 30x30 Initiative, which aims to increase the representation of women in law enforcement to 30% by 2030. They emphasize the need for not just hiring, but also promoting and retaining women in leadership positions. The conversation also touches on the unique strengths that women bring to law enforcement, such as compassion and de-escalation skills. WIFLE's annual leadership training is mentioned as a key event that provides education, networking, and recognition for women in law enforcement. To register for the 2024 WIFLE Leadership Summit, August 5-8 in Washington, DC, visit: https://wiflefoundation.org.

Summary

In this episode, the hosts Jason Briefel and Natalia Castro recap Season One of FEDtalk and discuss key considerations for the federal government moving forward. They explore the concept of the federal government in flux, highlighting the impact of technology and the need for adaptability. They also discuss the evolution of federal power and the importance of capacity issues across the branches of government. The hosts emphasize the need to focus on people and the role of politics and accountability in government. They reflect on the federal community and encourage civil servants themselves to embrace and lead change for a better government.

Takeaways

• The federal government is in a state of flux due to rapid changes in technology, society, and the economy.
• Adaptability is crucial for the government to effectively respond to these changes.
• Capacity issues exist across all three branches of government and need to be addressed.
• Focusing on people and civil servants embracing change themselves is essential for improving the government.

Sound Bites

Chapters

00:00Introduction and Recap of Season One

03:15The Federal Government in Flux

06:00The Impact of Technology on Government

09:46The Need for Adaptability in Government

11:39The Evolution of Federal Power

19:39The Importance of Focusing on People

23:47The Role of Politics and Accountability in Government

26:39Reflections on the Federal Community

30:19Moving Forward and Embracing Change

39:26Closing Remarks

Summary

This episode of FEDtalk focuses on congressional oversight and its function in the constitutional system. The guests, Tim Stretten from the Project on Government Oversight’s (POGO) Congressional Oversight Initiative and Elise Bean from the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, discuss the importance of effective oversight, the challenges faced in conducting oversight, and the role of training and assistance for congressional staff. They emphasize the need for bipartisanship, time and resources, and credibility in conducting oversight. The guests also highlight the role of other oversight partners such as inspectors general and the Government Accountability Office. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of oversight in promoting a more ethical and effective government.

Takeaways

• Congressional oversight is a core power of Congress to gather information necessary for legislation and ensuring proper administration of existing laws.
• Effective oversight requires bipartisanship, time and resources, credibility, and a focus on producing legislative change.
• Training and assistance programs, such as congressional oversight boot camps run by nonprofits like POGO and the Levin Center, help educate congressional staff on how to conduct better oversight.
• Collaboration with other oversight partners, such as inspectors general and the Government Accountability Office, can enhance the effectiveness of congressional oversight.
• Challenges in oversight include partisanship, lack of institutional knowledge, and resistance from agencies.

Chapters

00:00Introduction

00:31Focus on Congressional Oversight

01:26Introduction to the Levin Center and POGO

04:20Congressional Training and Assistance

06:41Importance of Bipartisanship in Oversight

08:02Congressional Oversight Boot Camps

09:29Qualities for Effective Oversight

13:23Challenges in Partisanship and Lack of Oversight

26:23Challenges in Agency Responsiveness

28:34Improving Congressional Staff Capacity

31:19Collaboration with Inspector General Community

36:00Importance of Institutional Knowledge and Staff Tenure

40:32Congressional Oversight Standards

Key Links & Resources:

Levin Center for Legislative Oversight and Democracy (levin-center.org)

Congressional Oversight Staff Resources (pogo.org)

We Held our 18th Oversight Boot Camp in D.C. • Levin Center (levin-center.org)

Our Work: The Lugar Center

In this episode of FEDtalk, the hosts are joined by author and lawyer Philip K. Howard to discuss executive power over employees and the impact of public employee unions. They explore the constitutional context of executive power, including the Take Care Clause and the Guarantee Clause. The importance of accountability and elections in a democratic government is emphasized. The conversation delves into the relationship between Congress and executive power, as well as the challenges faced by management in dealing with public employee unions. The episode concludes with a discussion on the evolution of public employee unions and examples of cooperation between unions and management. The conversation explores the need for a new model of governance that empowers public employees and allows for more effective decision-making, as discussed in Howards’s Everyday Freedom and Not Accountable. It discusses the limitations of the current system and proposes changes to the Civil Service Reform Act to address these issues. The importance of treating professionals like professionals and giving officials more authority is emphasized. The conversation also highlights the need for human judgment and the challenges of political firings. The role of senior civil servants in driving change and the need for radical de-layering of government are discussed. The conversation concludes with a call for the creation of frameworks that empower individuals and lead to a better democracy.

Takeaways

• Executive power is vested in the president, who has the authority to manage the federal workforce and ensure the faithful execution of laws.
• The guarantee clause in the Constitution ensures that states maintain a republican form of government and cannot delegate governing authority to non-elected individuals.
• Public employee unions have undermined democratic government by limiting accountability and obstructing the ability of managers and presidents to enforce the law.
• Unions in the public sector have accumulated power and negotiated for more controls, impeding effective management and decision-making.
• Cooperation between unions and management can lead to positive outcomes, but the lack of support for management in dealing with employee conduct and performance issues remains a challenge.

Chapters

00:00Introduction

00:34The Constitutional Context

03:24The Take Care Clause and Guarantee Clause

05:20Accountability and Elections

06:45Congress and Executive Power

08:27The Impact of Public Employee Unions

12:16Unions and Democratic Government

16:12The Unconstitutionality of Public Employee Unions

24:06Examples of Cooperation

26:40Challenges for Management

27:22Incentives for Partnering with Unions

27:52The Need for a New Model

28:39How Change Can Come About

29:05The Limitations of Congress

30:30Proposed Changes to the Civil Service Reform Act

32:11Replacing Disciplinary Procedures

33:11Giving Officials More Authority

34:13Treating Professionals Like Professionals

35:49The Need for Human Judgment

36:19The Issue of Political Firings

37:17Empowering Senior Civil Servants

38:38The Gap Between Political Appointees and Federal Employees

39:26The Need for Radical De-layering of Government

40:25Empowering People at Every Level

41:23Creating a New Merit System Protection Board

42:25The Challenge of Offering Ideas for Improvement

43:49The Need to Reboot the System

44:06The Role of Public Employees in Driving Change

45:38Creating Frameworks for Empowerment

48:32The Challenge of Giving Space to Civil Servants

49:29The Better Government Movement

51:00The Need for Structural Overhaul

52:21Empowerment and a Better Democracy

In this episode of FEDtalk, Natalia Castro and Jason Briefel discuss major issues impacting the federal judiciary with guest Ben Robinson, Chair of the Federal Bar Association's Government Relations Committee. They cover topics such as congressional investment in the courts, the impact of increased caseloads, key issues for the Federal Bar Association, challenges in advocating for judicial resources, the impact of judicial vacancies, the perception vs reality of judicial politicization, the role of administrative tribunals, and favorite Supreme Court justices.

In this episode of FEDtalk, Natalia Castro and Jason Briefel discuss agency independence in the executive branch with Adam White, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and Co-Director of the C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State.

They explore the historical background of the executive branch, the growth of the modern administrative state, and the concept of independence for different types of agencies and federal employees. They also delve into the Supreme Court's role in grappling with agency independence and the potential impact of upcoming cases, such as two cases challenging Chevron defense, on the federal bureaucracy.