The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

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A new rule is expected any time now that will overhaul how the Defense Department buys from the Ability One program. That is the vehicle for non-profit employers of people with disabilities to deliver goods and services to the government. Contractors under the Ability One program worry the new rule will hinder a chief program goal of helping those very employees. To discuss concerns, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Larysa Kautz, the President and CEO of Melwood, which supports children, youth, and adults with disabilities to "work and play where and how they choose."

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Because technology changes, cybersecurity threats change, which means cybersecurity practitioners must keep moving to stay on top of their game. To find out about what one expert thinks are the top 10 skills chief information security officers will need in 2024, going beyond the technology, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the Director of the CERT division of the Software Engineering Institute, Greg Touhill.

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Between constant ransomware and medical device software scares, the health care sector has become a scary place for cybersecurity. Now the Health and Human Services Department HHS) is asking organizations in the health care sector to adopt what it calls "high-impact cybersecurity practices." For details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Brian Mazanec, HHS deputy assistant secretary and director of the Office of Security, Intelligence, and Information Management.

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On today's episode of The Federal Drive with Tom Temin:

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In one of the most significant reorganizations in recent history, the Air Force is reshaping its service’s structure in an effort to meet the security challenges of an increasingly complex global landscape.

Among the biggest changes is the creation of a new command center, which will play a crucial role in centralizing the planning process for the service’s future requirements and capabilities. The Integrated Capabilities Command will allow other command centers to focus on daily operations rather than independently determining their own requirements or planning for the future.

“It’s just what the name infers,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Allvin said at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air Warfare Symposium Monday. “They will design and they will put the requirements in and test one Air Force, not some of our functional Air Forces and then we have to put them together later.”

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A recent argument a contractor made to the Contract Board of Appeals might lead companies to the wrong conclusion. It is another case of a company trying to recover unanticipated costs under a fixed price contract, costs incurred because of the COVID pandemic. The case is about jurisdiction, though, and not cost recovery. For details, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Haynes Boone procurement attorney Zach Prince.

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Every federal agency uses software. Too many pay through the nose. Technically, you don't buy software, you license it. When you end up with more licenses than users, you waste money. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds, that is exactly what at least 10 departments do. For more on this, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with Carol Harris, GAO's director of information technology and acquisition management.

GAO Report

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Dating apps might peak on Valentine's Day, but they are a gushing sluiceway for frauds known as romance scams. Now they are getting extra attention from five federal agencies, including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). It is a national awareness campaign called, "Dating or Defrauding." For more on the scams, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin talked with the director of the CFTC's office of customer education and outreach, Melanie Devoe.

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Agencies are moving forward with return-to-office plans for employees, but House Republicans say they’re still not getting enough information on federal telework in the first place.

Despite holding multiple hearings on federal telework and requesting information through dozens of letters to agencies, leaders on the Oversight and Accountability committee said they remain unsatisfied with the level of detail that agencies have provided.

Now, the lawmakers are turning to a different source for more information: the Office of Management and Budget.

Oversight committee leaders are calling on OMB to share “work environment plans” from agencies, along with a host of other updates on federal telework.

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