5 Dos and Don’ts of Priority or Outcome-based Budgeting

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by Kara Batt, Strategic Communications Manager, Neubrain

Performance-based budgeting or budgeting for outcomes (BFO) has taken center stage and not in the best light. Earlier this summer, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) introduced the world to BFO -- the idea of linking spending to performance -- and showed how unrealistic goals, inadequately managed performance measurement systems and improperly used, inaccurate data can have unforeseen, irreparable consequences.

What the public didn't see, however, is how a properly run budgeting for outcomes system, such as the award winning one currently running in Park City, Utah, can greatly improve how an organization's budget is prepared, managed and executed, saving time, money and increasing overall efficiency.

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MAPPS to Host Geospatial & Engineering International Conference in September

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Is your engineering or geospatial firm looking for new business opportunities? Is exporting services to the international market in your growth plan? Discover How to Expand Global Business Opportunities and more at the Geospatial & Engineering International Conference, September 25-26 at the Westin Hotel in Alexandria, VA.

Hear from leading U.S. Federal agencies providing assistance and contracting for professional services in the global market. Learn about opportunities to partner with private sector firms and gain experience from geospatial and engineering professionals already exporting internationally. Small and large businesses that are new to exporting or seasoned veterans will gain valuable information by attending the conference.

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Phased Retirement is Finally Here

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From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

Originally posted on GovExec.com

After more than two years in federal regulation limbo, the law allowing federal employees to partially retire while continuing to work part-time for the government is finally being implemented.

Eligible federal employees can submit their applications for phased retirement beginning Nov. 6. The Office of Personnel Management on Thursday filed the 129-page final rule on the new program for publication in the Federal Register on Friday. The so-called phased retirement provision, included in the 2012 transportation reauthorization act, allows eligible feds to work 20 hours per week, receiving half their pay as well as half their retirement annuity. Those employees who enter phased retirement must devote at least 20 percent of their work time, or about 8 hours a pay period, to mentoring other employees, ideally for those who take over for them when they fully retire.

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Staying out of the jaws of a cyber attack

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Please note that the webcasts associated with the Cyber Shark Event are available on-demand.

 

In looking at what event topics are trending on govevents.com, security and more specifically, cyber security, continue to rise to the top in terms of sheer numbers of events. For good reason though--every week seems to bring a new report of a security breach in a major consumer brand. In fact, just last week, the largest breach ever reported was attributed to a Russian crime ring that stole 1.2 billion username and password combinations from companies and individuals worldwide. Of course the Edward Snowden leak at NSA is still top of mind as he was just granted another three-year stay in Russia. While this news is real and alarming, it is coming at such a steady rate that some people are starting to tune it out, reading headlines and saying, "oh, another one." Even with the media attention, it is important to look at the reality of cyber threats.

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Beyond the Beltway- Great Spots for Government Meetings: Atlanta

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The next city in our Beyond the Beltway series is Atlanta, Georgia. Looking at the federal employee population across the country, there are some interesting concentrations that lend themselves to some targeted events. Atlanta is the home of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as offices for many related Health and Human Services agencies. There are over 44,000 federal employees in the Atlanta metro area. The largest military presence is the Army with seven bases in Georgia. Atlanta is also an easy hub for travel from anywhere in the country, particularly east coast cities.

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