GSA Employees Push Back Against Agency’s Plans
Resistance to Return to Office Mandate
GSA employees are pushing back against the agency’s plans to return to the office, citing concerns that it will not increase collaboration and will instead lead to more isolation and difficulties in communication. One employee asked, "How does [return to office] increase collaboration when none of our clients, contractors, or people on our [integrated product teams] are going to be in the same office?"
Misgivings About AI Tools
Employees are also skeptical about the agency’s use of AI tools, with one employee asking, "Did you use this AI to organize the [reduction in force]?" Another employee expressed concern about the return of the Adobe Pro program, which was taken away from employees, saying, "This is a critical program that we use daily. Please give this back or at least a date it will be back."
DOGE Team Controversy
A controversy surrounding the DOGE team at GSA has also emerged, with employees questioning the agency’s claims that there is no such team. One employee reported seeing young people working behind a secure area on the 6th floor, while another described a DOGE worker as "grinning in a blazer and t-shirt." GSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Efficiency Efforts
GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian presented a slide detailing the agency’s goals, including right-sizing, streamlining operations, deregulation, and IT innovation. He also highlighted cost savings, including $1.84 billion in "overall costs avoided" and 1,383 employees using generative AI tools. However, an employee pointed out that these figures do not account for the value delivered to the American public.
Employee Concerns
Employees expressed concerns about the scorecard used to measure efficiency, asking, "Any efficiency calculation needs a denominator. Cuts can reduce expenses, but they can also reduce the value delivered to the American public. How is that captured in the scorecard?" Another employee questioned the agency’s plans to restrict GSA Administrator Ehikian from working on federal contracts after his term, asking, "So, is Stephen going to restrict himself from working on any federal contracts after his term as GSA administrator, especially with regard to AI and IT software?"
The Road Ahead
Ehikian laid out his vision for the future, including optimizing the federal real estate portfolio, centralizing procurement, and reducing compliance burdens to increase competition. However, employees seemed leery, with one asking, "So, is Stephen going to restrict himself from working on any federal contracts after his term as GSA administrator, especially with regard to AI and IT software?"
FAQs
Q: What is the DOGE team at GSA?
A: According to GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian, there is no DOGE team at GSA.
Q: What are the goals of GSA’s efficiency efforts?
A: GSA’s goals include right-sizing, streamlining operations, deregulation, and IT innovation.
Q: What are the benefits of GSA’s efficiency efforts?
A: According to GSA, the agency has saved $1.84 billion in "overall costs avoided" and has reduced the number of employees using generative AI tools to 1,383, resulting in 178,352 hours saved from automations.
Q: What is the scorecard used to measure efficiency?
A: The scorecard focuses on cost savings, but employees are concerned that it does not account for the value delivered to the American public.
