Author Archive
Natalie Alms
Staff Writer

Natalie Alms is a staff writer at FCW covering federal technology policy, service delivery, customer experience and the government's tech workforce. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University and has written for the Salisbury (N.C.) Post. Connect with Natalie on Twitter at @AlmsNatalie.
Employee Policy
Biden signs bill creating federal cybersecurity rotational program
Certain cyber and IT federal employees will be able to rotate to other agencies under a new law signed Tuesday.
- By Natalie Alms
$100 million of TMF funding tagged for customer experience projects
The resources, coming from the $1 billion investment in TMF made through the American Rescue Plan Act, will help implement the executive order on customer experience.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
Digital Corps launches with 41 fellows across 13 agencies
The program, run out of the General Services Administration, is meant to help government woo early-career tech talent.
- By Natalie Alms
Financial Planning
GAO tags unemployment insurance as 'high risk'
The government watchdog says more than $78 billion in improper unemployment insurance payments were made in fiscal year 2021. The report cites fraud, poor customer service, inequitable access, legacy tech and staffing shortages as key drivers of failure.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
Successor to congressional cyber commission wants WH to lead on related workforce strategy
One recommendation: establish cyber excepted service authorities, like the DHS's newly launched cyber hiring initiative, government-wide.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
Senate bill to train acquisition workforce on AI gets House counterpart
The AI Training Act, which passed the Senate last December now has a House companion bill from Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and James Comer (R-Ky.).
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
WH looks to focus service delivery around 'life events'
White House officials are fleshing out a plan to organize government services around the needs of Americans and not around agency org charts.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
Report: OPM needs better data on telework
The Government Accountability Office finds that until recommended improvements are made in collecting data about federal telework, it will remain impossible to offer a clear picture of telework across the government.
- By Natalie Alms
WH cyber office expects to lead on workforce strategy
A top official in the administration characterized cybersecurity workforce strategy as a “key priority,” following release of a new report recommending that the Office of the National Cyber Director take the lead on the issue.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
Diversity and the cyber workforce
The federal cybersecurity workforce is less diverse than the government overall, but addressing the disparity will take more than just hiring more diverse employees, say DEIA experts and federal tech executives.
- By Natalie Alms
HHS releases long-awaited electronic health info sharing framework
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT on Jan. 18 released the long-awaited Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement.
- By Natalie Alms
Ferriero to retire from National Archives
After 12 years on the job, Archivist of the U.S. David Ferriero will retire from his post this spring.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
Biden's CX order puts new momentum behind longtime efforts, leaders
Officials at a recent American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) event outlined how a White House EO on customer experience for those using government services is helping to unify many disparate and related efforts across government.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
DHS launches new program to recruit, train climate professionals
The program—aimed at recruiting recent graduates as well as current federal employees—is one of the department's efforts meant to focus DHS on adapting to climate change.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
MSPB passes five-year mark without a quorum
Without a quorum on the Merit Systems Protection Board, the panel is unable to issue decisions for appeals—leaving thousands in limbo and a critical part of the civil service system non-functional.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
OPM prods agencies to name chief diversity officers
OPM followed up on an executive order on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in a letter released Monday regarding chief diversity officers. OPM is establishing a forum for these officials, it says.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
Supreme Court hearing turns to the contractor mandate
Chief Justice John Roberts invoked the federal contractor mandate – currently blocked from taking effect due to a lawsuit – at a hearing at which two separate vaccine authority cases were argued on Friday.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
OPM disputes 2021 court ruling on firing feds for poor performance
Comments from the Office of Personnel Management in a recent rulemaking could change how agencies approach performance improvement plans and termination for cause.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
OPM faces uncertain funding prospects
The federal government’s human resources agency is still dealing with budget shortfalls arising from moving background checks to the Department of Defense, and the prospect of a full-year continuing resolution could exacerbate existing pressures.
- By Natalie Alms
Employee Policy
NDAA requires DOD to report on prospects for a ‘cyber academy’
The annual defense bill included a provision to report on the potential efficacy of a National Cyber Academy modeled after existing military service academies.
- By Natalie Alms