Since President Obama signed the Federal Telework Act last December, numerous federal agencies have been busy implementing telework programs including the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), the Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA.
The DCMA hopes to save $5 million by 2014 by cutting all but 1,000 of its 13,000 desktop computers over the next three years. The agency is in the process of categorizing its 11,287 employees, including contractors and foreign nationals, into six categories to determine what equipment they will need to effectively telecommute.
The categories include basic office, or office-bound workers who require only a personal computer; basic traveler, who travel daily and need a notebook computer and cell phone; and executive, whose constant connection to agency leadership calls for a tablet computer, notebook computer and smartphone.
"We realized that for DCMA to be effective in the future, we’re going to have to get people off a connected desk … [and] allow them to stay in the field to do their work," said John Haynes, DCMA’s chief information officer and acting executive director for IT. The question is, "What can we do so that you never have to go back to your office again?"
The DCMA is also incorporating “zero client” technologies, which is hardware without an operating system, memory or software, that connects the user with applications running in a data center. This will help the DCMA to cut its use of desktop computers and ultimately cut energy and maintenance costs.
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) already has one of the most successful telework programs in government, with more than 50 percent of its workforce having the option to work remotely. DISA’s success is based on its Open Source Corporate Management Information System that lets employees apply to telework, create a schedule, complete the required agreement and safety checklist, and submit telework requests to their supervisors.
The DoD has also been moving forward with teleworking by implemented the Air Force’s Lightweight Portable Security tool that creates trusted endpoints so employees can user personal computers for secure remote access.
One of the primary drivers behind teleworking has been the ability to cut costs, as well as reduce emissions, increase productivity and motivation, and reduce absenteeism, according to the Telework Coalition.
A report by the Telework Exchange found that the federal government has been making adequate progress toward achieving teleworking goals outlined by the Federal Telework Act including:
- 86 percent of federal agencies have established a telework policy
- 84 percent have determined which employees will be eligible to telecommute
- 76 percent have notified their employees of this eligibility
- 84 percent of agencies surveyed have filled the Telework Managing Office (TMO) position
- 78 percent have established a telework training program
- 72 percent of employees are eligible to telework
- 32 percent of employees are teleworking (in some capacity) today
- 62 percent is the future telework participation goal
