The pandemic shut down government offices nationwide seemingly overnight in the spring of 2020. Agencies had to reorient their way of managing, resiliency and planning in the face of uncertainty that came with the COVID0-19 crisis. Government financial professionals bore the brunt of much of this planning. Ann Ebberts is the CEO of the Association of Government Accountants and was previously a vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton. Tony Scardino is a Grant Thornton Managing Principal and was previously the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. They joined the show to discuss the joint AGA/Grant Thornton report in the CFO Survey Series, The COVID-19 Challenge: CFO Views on Organizational Resiliency in Pandemic Conditions. 

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How CFOs See the Pandemic and Resiliency

Late last week, the Office of Personnel Management issued guidance for agencies to begin to implement their reentry and post-reentry places for feds. Remote work and hybrid work will be a part of the post-reentry future for agencies, but one agency has been a telework model since before the pandemic. The Patent and Trademark Office embraced telework long before the pandemic, starting in 1997 with 18 attorneys working remotely. In 2019 before the pandemic, the agency had 11,000 employees regularly working remotely at least one day a week. As such, the agency had the experience to move seamlessly to maximum telework in March 2020. As part of a panel during Government Executive and Nextgov’s Future of Work event recently, I spoke to Danette Campbell, Director of the Telework Program Office at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Campbell discussed managing a hybrid workforce, the pandemic’s effect on telework and how her agency manages the complications of remote work.

The Patent and Trademark Office's Approach to Hybrid Work

In the months since the COVID-19 vaccines have become available, the number of eligible Americans who have received shots has fallen short of the White House’s 70% goal. The administration has decried public disinformation on traditional and social media, targeting it as a reason for the recent slow vaccination percentage increases. The University of South Florida recently conducted a survey to measure exposure to misinformation and common objections to vaccination and the researchers have a post on our site right now about the survey results and how public officials can overcome vaccine hesitancy. Stephen Neely, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Public Administration at the University of South Florida’s School of Public Affairs. He is one of the co-authors of a post on our site about the research headlined “To Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy, Public Officials Need to Get Creative.” He joined the show to discuss the post and the survey results.

Vaccine Hesitancy and Public Messaging

The political and social divides in the United States are deep and can affect relationships in all parts of someone’s life. The COVID-19 crisis has brought new divisions into these relationships around the pandemic itself. As workplaces reopen, employers and employees will have to navigate a new environment. Leslie Parker is a partner based in the San Francisco office of the management consulting firm Kearney and a member of the firm’s Operations and Performance practice. She also chairs the global strategy and management consultancy’s People Committee of the Kearney Board, which covers Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in its agenda.She is the author of the Kearney article, "COVID brings the “culture wars” off Twitter and into the workplace.” She joined the podcast to discuss her post and how to navigate  culture wars around COVID-19 in the workplace.

The Culture Wars, Return to Offices and Management

Paid family leave for federal employees has been a goal of Congressional Democrats for years and that goal got closer to fulfillment last week when a House panel advanced a bill that would provide 12 weeks of paid family leave to federal employees. The bill is far from law and its advancement was not without controversy in committee. GovExec Senior Correspondent Erich Wagner covers the workforce. He joined the show to talk about paid family leave and other stories he has been covering.

The Latest Paid Leave Update

The pandemic has reoriented the way most of us work and the federal civil service is no different. Since maximum telework was instituted in the spring of 2020, the federal government has had to make a series of adjustments to its operations, including remote work and hiring practices. It remains to be seen if the pandemic changes will all stick, but administration personnel officials have signaled that the post-pandemic world will be different than the pre-pandemic world. As part of Government Executive and Nextgov’s Future of Work event recently, GovExec Deputy Editor and frequent govexec daily guest Katherine McIntire Peters interviewed Rob Shriver, who is Associate Director for Employee Services at the Office of Personnel Management. Shriver discussed the future of telework, hiring and government work itself in this stage of the pandemic and beyond.

OPM's Role in This Stage of the Pandemic

Both public and private sector spaces are in the process of reopening, signaling a new phase in the pandemic. While the U.S. is near the top of worldwide vaccination rates, we’re still short of the 70% White House goal. As the new school year approaches and new COVID-19 variants spread, the concern about a lack of an approved vaccine for kids under 12 has become an issue. Courtney Bublé writes the Coronavirus Update on GovExec.com. She joined the show to discuss the vaccine situation and update the COVID-19 stories she has been covering. 

The 'Pandemic of the Unvaccinated'

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden issued an executive order requiring that the minimum wage paid by government contractors be at least $15 per hour. The order will not affect the overwhelming majority of contract workers, its implementation will not be as easy as the White House and its supporters hope. Stan Soloway is president and CEO of Celero Strategies, LLC and a GovExec contributor. He formerly served as deputy undersecretary of Defense for acquisition reform and director of the Defense Reform Initiative during Bill Clinton’s administration. He has a post on our site right now headlined  “Raising the Contractor Minimum Wage: It’s Not as Simple as it Looks.” He joined the show to discuss his piece and the complications around Biden’s executive order.

The Complications of Raising the Minimum Contractor Wage

As more Americans get vaccinated against COVID-19, more spaces are opening up maskless for those who have received the vaccine. Federal agencies are in the process of creating reopening and in-person operational plans, but can run into real trouble if they use the honor system as much of the private sector is doing now. Stephanie Rapp-Tully is a partner and federal employment attorney with Tully Rinckey PLLC’s Washington, D.C. office. She joined the show to discuss vaccine policies and liabilities for feds and agencies.

Federal In-Person Office Policies and the 'Honor System'

Last week, the United States Postal Service boasted its third quarter service was the strongest in a year. The news comes after the pandemic hit USPS particularly hard, with thousands having to take COVID-related time off and on-time delivery numbers dropping during the pandemic period. This all coincided with then-new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s massive operational changes.  Senior Correspondent Eric Katz covers USPS. He joined the podcast to discuss the on-time delivery announcement, the fate of DeJoy and other postal stories he has been covering.

Is USPS Service Back to Normal?

The COVID-19 pandemic taught many lessons. Perhaps one of the biggest is how much artificial intelligence can help innovate and increase the efficacy of billing and health care records. Agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and the Defense Department have already used AI to analyze contract and manufacturing information to order PPE during the heart of the pandemic.  Ashley Mehta is the CEO and founder of Nolij, a firm specializing in federal IT health care. She joined GovExec Daily to discuss how AI can help solve big problems and why she believes now is the the time to take on the private sector.

Using AI to Solve Problems in Health Care and Beyond

Climate change is an emphasis for President Joe Biden and his administration has promised a government-wide focus on climate. Federal housing and community development programs will be a part of that focus, including at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sarah Cunningham is a director at Summit Consulting and a former official with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Office of Management and Budget Doug Criscitello is currently a Managing Director with Grant Thornton Public Sector LLC and is also a former official with HUD and OMB. They are co-authors of a post on GovExec now headlined "Climate Resilience Starts at Home.” They joined the show to discuss the intersection of climate and housing policy in the Biden administration.

How Federal Housing Policy Can Promote Climate Resiliency

When talking with young people about career planning, many in Generation X want to make a difference or work for positive change. The federal civil service is one avenue for that, but it’s increasingly difficult for Generation Z to get into the federal government. With an aging workforce, this not only presents a major challenge in the immediate future, but a longer term problem for the government of the future. Kaitlyn Rentala is the author of the book, The Public Sector Pivot: How Gen Z Will Lead a Renaissance in Public Service and a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, with a globalization concentration. She has a post on our site right now headlined “Gen Z Could Lead a Renaissance in Public Service—If Only They Could Get In.” She joined the podcast to discuss the hurdles that are keeping young people out of the federal government.

Getting Gen Z Into Federal Service

Last month, the Senate passed a $250 billion bipartisan tech and manufacturing bill aimed at countering China. The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act is not only one of the largest industrial bills in U.S. history, but it could be also be one of the last major bipartisan bills of 2021. While this amount of investment may be impressive, serious questions are being raised about whether America has the infrastructure in place to drive tangible results and if much of the investment will just be wasted. Robert Lowe is the CEO of Wellspring and he joined the podcast to discuss why this investment is much needed and what steps can be taken to avoid it becoming an albatross.

Efforts to Advance and Invest in Research

Last week, President Biden sent Congress a $6 trillion budget request for fiscal 2022 in which he said he is “recommitting to good government” partially through re-empowering the federal workforce. The full budget request follows April’s release of Biden’s so-called skinny budget. GovExec Senior Correspondent Erich Wagner covers the federal workforce. He joined the podcast to discuss the budget request and how it will affect federal employees.

Two Different Pay Raise Numbers

This daily podcast for federal audiences that address the top stories for each day ahead. Host Ross Gianfortune interviews newsmakers, GovExec staff and experts for analysis of the news of the day.

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