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- 5 percent of federal workers to be furloughed Friday
- Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
- Katherine Archuleta chosen as next OPM director
- Data breach puts DHS workers at risk of identity theft
- DoD chooses interoperability over integration for new e-health record system
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- OMB fuels synergy between mobile, open data
- IRS official Lerner: 'I did nothing wrong'
- Accountability breakdown leading factor in DoD sexual assaults
- OMB reworking financial system requirements
- Federal retirement funds temporarily tapped
- VanRoekel to lead OMB management team
- Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal finalists
- Thursday federal headlines - May 23, 2013
OMB evolving mobile strategy as focus broadens
The administration now will release a digital services strategy in April instead of just one for mobile computing. The document will bring together two efforts, mobile and .gov reform. Agencies are trying to avoid mistakes made when they entered the PC-era by ensuring a mission need for these devices.
GSA, FAS sit down to talk mobile government
FAS Commissioner Steve Kempf and PBS Commissioner Bob Peck participated in a panel discussion moderated by In Depth host Francis Rose at an event hosted by AFFIRM and GITEC.
Navy targets 15 large software vendors for enterprise deals
The service's CIO Terry Halvorsen said the goal is to bring together the purchasing power of the Navy and the Marines Corps to obtain lower prices. He said the Department of the Navy expects to save $100 million over five years. Navy senior officials from technology, acquisition and finance make the use of these enterprisewide contracts mandatory.
Analysis: Next generation of multiple-award schedule coud 'reinvigorate' federal marketplace
Balancing government requirements and commercial best practices in the next generation of Multiple Awards Schedules could be a big boost for the General Services Administration. Roger Waldron, the president of the Coalition for Government Procurement, joined In Depth with Francis Rose to discuss his analysis.
Networx in home stretch, but another extension is possible
GSA may have to give as many as 20 agencies an extra nine months to transition to the five-year-old telecommunications contract. The agency says 96 percent of all transitions are done or in progress. GSA is developing a strategy for the next generation of telecommunications services.
FedRAMP, Data.gov revamp just part of GSA office's caseload
Dave McClure, the associate administrator in the OCSIT, and Kathy Conrad, the principal deputy associate administrator joined In Depth with Francis Rose to discuss the work the office does and the progress on cloud-computing security standards in particular.
Agencies under new orders to recycle electronics
Agencies will have to take new steps to ensure electronics, such as computers and copiers, are reused or recycled and do not end up in landfills, according to a governmentwide bulletin the General Services Administration issued Thursday.
Board created to update FedRAMP security standards
The committee charged with assuring cloud computing services meet federal cyber standards under the FedRAMP program will have seven broad responsibilities.
Wiki allows agency mobile-app developers to share best practices
Gwynne Kostin, the director of mobile in the General Services Administration's Office of Citizen Services & Innovative Technologies, said there has been a definite "uptick" of interest of late by agency tech leaders into developing mobile apps that make sense for their agencies. The Mobile Gov Wiki allows agency app developers to share best practices.
GSA website now offers 100 federal apps
In less than two years, the General Services Administration's mobile application website has grown from offering 15 apps to 100.
GSA preparing business case for next GWAC
The agency wants to make it easier for customers to buy non-IT professional services under one contract. Mary Davie, assistant commissioner at the Federal Acquisition Service, said the business case will be posted for governmentwide review by June.
IG vacancies hinder efforts to root out fraud
A dozen agencies have no permanent inspector general and some have been without one for several years, according to an IG tracker by the Project on Government Oversight.
GSA creating cloud marketplace for federal services
The goal is for agencies to offer on a fee-for-service basis excess cloud capacity. GSA's Dave McClure said financial management, human resources, customer relationship management and geospatial services are some of the possible offerings.
GSA office working on data-sharing tool
The General Service's Administration's Office of Governmentwide Policy is developing a new tool to make information sharing more efficient. Kathleen Turco, OGP's associate administrator, said the project is about half way to completion.
GSA contest offers free website usability test as prize
Government agencies could win a free assessment of their website by entering the General Services Administration's First Fridays usability contest.
FedRAMP eases vendors' path to offer secure cloud services
Under the new concept of operations, the interagency board now is letting vendors submit their cloud services for approval without first having to have a contract. The document details three major areas of how the FedRAMP process will work. The program management office will release two other major documents in the coming months to further detail the cloud security process.
Feds to Trump: 'You're hired'
Donald Trump will be converting a historic building on Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue into a 250-room luxury hotel.The federal government announced Tuesday that the Trump Organization has been selected to redevelop the Old Post Office Pavilion.
Will budget pressures delay St. Elizabeth's, FDA construction projects
Budget pressures could delay some of the General Services Administration's building projects — or scrap them altogether. Art Turowski, a senior vice president with the Government Investor Services group in Jones Lang LaSalle, joined In Depth with Francis Rose to discuss what the new spending numbers mean for the government's large-scale construction projects.
Networx contractors strengthening cybersecurity with new standards
Agencies are increasingly relying upon Networx contract providers to reduce their Internet connections and strengthen network security.
Survey: Telework still elusive at many agencies
Many agencies are not as gung-ho on telework as the Obama Administration or lawmakers would have it, according to a recent Congressional Research Service survey. The Department of Veterans Affairs allows just one-tenth of its employees to telework. At other agencies, most workers who are eligible to telework do not.
