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GSA freezes per diem rates at 2012 levels

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Originally posted by Kellie Lunney on Government Executive

Government travel per diem rates will not change in fiscal 2013, according to the General Services Administration.

GSA announced Tuesday that it will freeze fiscal 2013 travel reimbursement rates for lodging and other related expenses at fiscal 2012 levels. The move is part of the Office of Management and Budget's directive to agencies to reduce all travel spending in fiscal 2013 by 30 percent compared to fiscal 2010.

"By keeping per diem rates at current levels, we are supporting federal agencies in controlling costs and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used wisely," acting GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini said in a statement.

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VA limits purchasing authority amid probe of pricey conferences

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Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki has rescinded the purchasing authority of employees in the departmental division under investigation for two conferences that cost $5 million and may have involved inappropriate gifts. Shinseki also has set up a 90-day independent review of Veteran Affairs Department training policies, VA announced.

In a statement released after news broke Monday that human resources employees at conferences in Florida in July and August 2011 may have accepted thousands of dollars' worth of gifts that included alcohol, concert tickets and spa visits, the department also said it is conducting new ethics training for all personnel involved with the planning and execution of conferences and recertification of contract specialists.

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Veterans Affairs faces probe of spending on two conferences

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Originally posted by Charles S. Clark on Government Executive

In yet another agency conference controversy, the Veterans Affairs Department is under investigation for allegedly spending $5 million on two human resources training conferences at which employees may have received improper gifts, according to a Federal Times story published Monday night.

Citing unnamed sources in the VA inspector general's office, the report said tens of thousands of dollars may have gone to multiple trips in preparation for two conferences in Orlando, Fla., in July and August 2011. Employees are said to have received thousands of dollars in promotional items as gifts, including alcohol, concert tickets and spa visits, the publication said.

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Dawn Meyerriecks to Discuss the Intelligence Community’s Cloud, Mobility Priorities during Keynote Address

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Vienna, Va - August 15, 2012 - Dawn Meyerriecks, Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Acquisition, Technology and Facilities at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), will deliver a keynote address, "Cloud Apotheosis," on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at 1pm at the Cloud & Virtualization, Cybersecurity and Mobile Government Conferences.  The co-located events will be held October 22-23, 2012 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC.

"Cloud Apotheosis" will focus on the intelligence community's (IC) potential shift to an enterprise cloud environment, as well as their future mobile plans.  Ms. Meyerriecks will share insights on the status of current IC technology initiatives, as well as provide an assessment of what advancements government and industry should expect in the near term.

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Military Mobile Power Summit

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Originally posted on AOL Energy

The military is serious about renewable energy. So much so, that the Department of Defense could be spending $10 billion per year on renewables by 2030.

In one of the latest examples of the military's commitments to renewable energy, the Navy recently awarded a $3.8 million contract to FuelCell Energy to develop power systems for unmanned underwater vehicles.

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