Tag Archives: Personnel Management

White House Press Office

Fact Sheet: The Equal Futures Partnership—From Promise To Progress

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By The White House

The Promise of Equal Futures

In response to President Obama’s challenge to other heads of state to break down barriers to women’s political and economic participation, on September 24, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the Equal Futures Partnership on behalf of the United States along with 12 other founding members (Australia, Benin, Bangladesh, Denmark, Finland, Indonesia, Jordan, the Netherlands, Peru, Senegal, and Tunisia; as well as the European Union). Each founding member made national commitments to policy, legal, and regulatory reforms to promote two mutually reinforcing goals: expanded economic opportunity for women and increased political and civic participation by women at local, state and national levels. Multilateral stakeholders including UN Women and the World Bank and leading businesses and non-profit institutions also pledged support for the partnership.

Moving from Promise to Progress

Following the launch of the initiative, Equal Futures members have worked to identify priorities for action through consultations with civil society and other stakeholders and by establishing coordinating bodies or steering committees to develop and oversee the implementation of Equal Futures commitments. Going forward, Equal Futures countries will report on progress within the Partnership, and evaluate and strengthen commitments to ensure real impact.

Highlights from progress on U.S. commitments:

As a founding member of the Equal Futures Partnership, the United States made commitments in four key areas, and has achieved significant progress in each of these areas. Highlights include:

Opening Doors to Quality Education and High-Paying Career Opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math: Federal agencies and private partners have made great progress on connecting young women to high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related resources. In just seven months, over 20,000 students interacted with 500 women mentors via Harvey Mudd and Piazza’s online platform WitsOn, while the National Science Foundation, Office of Personnel Management, and non-profit partners joined forces to train Federal scientists and engineers on serving as a resource for girls interested in STEM.

Promoting Civic Education and Public Leadership for Girls: The Administration has advanced new efforts to promote girls’ leadership and civic education, including sponsoring an “app challenge,” hosting a conference on girls’ leadership and civic education at the White House with the Department of Education and the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), and advising on the development of a new initiative, Teach a Girl to Lead (TAG) – featuring online resources and a national speakers’ bureau.

Breaking the Cycle of Violence and Ensuring Economic Security for Survivors of Violence: To ensure that women who are victims of domestic violence are getting the support and tools they need to achieve economic independence, the Administration is now providing training on employment rights to lawyers and consumer advocates, working with state domestic violence coalitions and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to ensure that victims know about employment protections under federal law, and expanding research on domestic violence to include information about economic abuse.

Expanding Support for Women Entrepreneurs: The Administration has strengthened support for women entrepreneurs at

From: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/04/19/fact-sheet-equal-futures-partnership-promise-progress

News, Politics, Government

Statement by the President on John Berry’s Departure

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By The White House

John Berry has served the American people well as Director of the Office of Personnel Management. He’s streamlined the way federal employees are hired, modernized the workplace, made the federal workforce more diverse, and increased the number of returning servicemembers hired by the government. John has been a champion for federal workers – men and women who devote their lives to vital tasks like securing our borders, curing disease, and keeping the American people safe. This country is better off because of John’s talent and dedication, and I’m grateful to him for his service.

From: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/04/12/statement-president-john-berry-s-departure

News, Politics, Government

Executive Order — Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay

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By The White House

EXECUTIVE ORDER

– – – – – – –

ADJUSTMENTS OF CERTAIN RATES OF PAY

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extensions Act, 2011 (Public Law 111-322), as extended by the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (Public Law 113-6), which requires certain pay schedules for civilian Federal employees to remain at 2010 levels through 2013, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Statutory Pay Systems. Pursuant to the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (Public Law 113-6), the rates of basic pay or salaries of the statutory pay systems (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5302(1)) are set forth on the schedules attached hereto and made a part hereof:

(a) The General Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5332(a)) at Schedule 1;

(b) The Foreign Service Schedule (22 U.S.C. 3963) at Schedule 2; and

(c) The schedules for the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (38 U.S.C. 7306, 7404; section 301(a) of Public Law 102-40) at Schedule 3.

Sec. 2. Senior Executive Service. The ranges of rates of basic pay for senior executives in the Senior Executive Service, as established pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5382, are set forth on Schedule 4 attached hereto and made a part hereof.

Sec. 3. Certain Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Salaries. The rates of basic pay or salaries for the following offices and positions are set forth on the schedules attached hereto and made a part hereof:

(a) The Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5312-5318) at Schedule 5;

(b) The Vice President (3 U.S.C. 104) and the Congress (2 U.S.C. 31) at Schedule 6; and

(c) Justices and judges (28 U.S.C. 5, 44(d), 135, 252, and 461(a), and section 140 of Public Law 97-92) at Schedule

Sec. 4. Uniformed Services. The rates of monthly basic pay (37 U.S.C. 203(a)) for members of the uniformed services, as adjusted under 37 U.S.C. 1009, and the rate of monthly cadet or midshipman pay (37 U.S.C. 203(c)) are set forth on Schedule 8 attached hereto and made a part hereof.

Sec. 5. Locality-Based Comparability Payments. (a) Pursuant to sections 5304 and 5304a of title 5, United States Code, and the Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extensions Act, 2011 (Public Law 111-322), as extended by the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (Public Law 113-6), locality-based comparability payments shall be paid in accordance with Schedule 9 attached hereto and made a part hereof.

(b) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall take such actions as may be necessary to implement these payments and to publish appropriate notice of such payments in the Federal Register.

Sec. 6. Administrative Law Judges. Pursuant to section 5372 of title 5, United States Code, the rates of basic pay for administrative law judges are set forth on Schedule 10 attached hereto and made a part hereof.

Sec. 7. Effective Dates. Schedule 8 is effective January 1, 2013. The other schedules contained herein are effective on the first day of the first applicable pay …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House Press Office

News, Politics, Government

Presidential Memorandum — Federal Employee Pay Schedules and Rates that are set by Administrative Discretion

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By The White House

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: Federal Employee Pay Schedules and Rates That Are Set by Administrative Discretion

Section 1112 of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (Public Law 113-6), reflects the Congress's decision to continue to deny statutory adjustments to any pay systems or pay schedules covering executive branch employees. In light of the Congress's action, I am instructing heads of executive departments and agencies to continue through December 31, 2013, to adhere to the policy set forth in my memoranda of December 22, 2010, and December 21, 2012, regarding general increases in pay schedules and employees' rates of pay that might otherwise take effect as a result of the exercise of administrative discretion.

This memorandum shall be carried out to the extent permitted by law and consistent with executive departments' and agencies' legal authorities. This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall issue any necessary guidance on implementing this memorandum, and is also hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House Press Office

News, Politics, Government

US making little progress on jobs for disabled Americans

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Whether it means opening school track meets to a deaf child or developing a new lunch menu with safe alternatives for students with food allergies, recent Obama administration decisions could significantly affect Americans with disabilities. But there’s been little progress in one of the most stubborn challenges: employing the disabled.

According to government labor data, of the 29 million working-age Americans with a disability — those who are 16 years and older — 5.2 million are employed. That’s 18 percent of the disabled population and is down from 20 percent four years ago. The employment rate for people without a disability was 63 percent in February.

The job numbers for the disabled haven’t budged much since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which gave millions of disabled people civil rights protections and guaranteed equal opportunity in employment, public accommodations, transportation, government services and more.

The National Council on Disability’s Jeff Rosen said long-standing prejudicial attitudes need to be addressed to boost jobs.

“Employers are still catching on to the fact that the needs of most workers with disabilities aren’t special, but employees with disabilities often bring specialized skills to the workplace,” Rosen said. “Perhaps no one knows how to adapt, think critically or find solutions better than someone who has to do so daily in order to navigate a world that wasn’t built with them in mind.”

Rosen, who is deaf, was named in January as chairman of the council, an independent federal agency that advises the president, Congress and other federal agencies on disability policy.

The Obama administration recently has acted to expand the rights of Americans with disabilities in other areas.

The Education Department’s civil rights division released new guidelines that direct schools to provide students with disabilities equal access to extracurricular sports teams. If schools can’t, they should create similar athletic programs for disabled children, the department said.

Also, the Justice Department said in a settlement with a Massachusetts college, Lesley University, that severe food allergies can be considered a disability under the law. That potentially could lead to new menus and accommodations at schools, restaurants and other places to address the needs of people with food allergies.

One silver lining in the lagging employment for the disabled has been federal hiring.

The latest data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management shows nearly 15 percent of new federal hires between 2010 and 2011 were people with disabilities — almost 19,000 people. That’s up from the previous year when about 10 percent of new hires were people with disabilities.

President Barack Obama signed an executive order in 2010 aimed at improving the federal ranks of people with disabilities. The goal was to add 100,000 disabled people to federal payrolls in five years; that would be within reach if the 2010-2011 hiring numbers were to stick or improve.

Federal agencies are trying to achieve the numbers through better recruitment, especially at colleges and universities. And last month, OPM issued rules to limit the paperwork that potential hires with disabilities would need to provide. They essentially “self …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims

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By The White House

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Patricia E. Campbell-Smith and Elaine D. Kaplan to serve on the United States Court of Federal Claims.

“These nominees have dedicated their careers to serving the public good,” said President Obama. “And in so doing, they have displayed an unyielding commitment to justice and integrity. I am confident that they will serve the American people well from the Court of Federal Claims, and I am honored to nominate them today.”

Patricia E. Campbell-Smith: Nominee for the United States Court of Federal Claims

Patricia E. Campbell-Smith has served as a Special Master with the United States Court of Federal Claims since 2005 and as Chief Special Master since 2011. In that role, she presides over litigation pursuant to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Previously, Campbell-Smith served as a career law clerk for the Honorable Emily C. Hewitt of the United States Court of Federal Claims for seven years. From 1993 to 1996 and again from 1997 to 1998, she worked at the law firm of Liskow & Lewis in New Orleans, where she focused on environmental regulatory law, patent infringement litigation, and toxic tort litigation. From 1996 to 1997, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Sarah S. Vance, and from 1992 to 1993 she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Martin L.C. Feldman, both of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Campbell-Smith received her J.D. with honors in 1992 from Tulane Law School and her B.S. with honors in 1987 from Duke University.

Elaine D. Kaplan: Nominee for the United States Court of Federal Claims

Elaine D. Kaplan serves as General Counsel of the United States Office of Personnel Management, a position she has held since 2009. Previously, she was Senior Deputy General Counsel at the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) from 2004 to 2009 and Of Counsel at the law firm of Bernabei and Katz from 2003 to 2004. In 1998, Kaplan was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to serve as the head of the United States Office of Special Counsel and successfully completed a five-year term in that position. From 1984 to 1998, Kaplan worked at NTEU with increasing levels of responsibility. She began her legal career as a staff attorney in the Solicitor’s Office of the United States Department of Labor. Kaplan received her J.D. cum laude in 1979 from the Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. in 1976 from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House Press Office

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Dell SecureWorks Expands Incident Response Services

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Dell SecureWorks Expands Incident Response Services

  • Severity and frequency of security breaches underscore need for proactive plan

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Dell SecureWorks, an industry leader in information security services, is expanding its incident response (IR) services to counter the growing severity and frequency of breaches. Many organizations aren’t equipped internally to plan for and respond to today’s increasingly sophisticated, targeted threats from cybercriminals, hackers and nation states. Dell SecureWorks’ highly skilled responders and digital forensic experts can be rapidly activated to contain, eradicate and remediate security breaches.

Retired Col. Jeffery R. Schilling, Director, Incident Response, Dell SecureWorks (Photo: Business Wire)

Led by Col. (Retired) Jeff Schilling, former director of the Army’s Global Network Operations and Security Center (AGNOSC) under the U.S. Army Cyber Command, Dell SecureWorks’ IR team leverages global intelligence from the company’s Counter Threat Unit™ (CTU) and Security Operations Centers (SOCs) to resolve complex, large-scale and highly sophisticated threats.

Dell SecureWorks’ security solutions help organizations stay abreast of emerging threats, proactively fortify defenses, continuously detect and stop cyber-attacks, and recover quickly from security breaches. The expanded IR service portfolio includes:

  • Advanced Threat Preparedness Assessment service assesses organizations’ capabilities to resist, detect and respond to an attack by an Advanced Threat actor. The detailed review evaluates Organizational Intelligence Capabilities, Policy and Documentation, Technical Capabilities, and Personnel Management.
  • Denial of Service (DoS) Preparedness Assessment services will help organizations understand their abilities to withstand Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, and are designed to ensure they have a tested response methodology in place. The services include capabilities reviews, tabletop exercises and DoS/DDoS stress testing under real-world conditions.
  • Advanced Threat Tabletop Exercises evaluate an organization’s ability to respond to a targeted attack. Tabletop exercises incorporate intelligence on the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTP) of targeted actors such as cybercriminals, “hacktivists” and nation-states to heighten operational learning. These exercises ensure IT incident response teams practice documented response procedures, and highlight gaps or issues with their Computer Security …read more
    Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance