Weekly Roundup: February 26-March 2, 2018
Submitted by rgordon on Mon, 04/16/2018 - 14:25
Friday, March 2, 2018
Michael J. Keegan
Meet the 7 leaders who will be steering modernization dollars. The Office of Management and Budget announced seven members for its new Technology Modernization Fund board, drawing IT expertise from across the federal government to oversee the distribution of $500 million in IT modernization funds over the next two years as part of the Modernizing Government Technology Act.
Rogers: CyberCom lacks authority, resources to defend all of cyberspace. The outgoing NSA and U.S. Cyber Command chief told lawmakers CyberCom is not sitting on its hands when it comes to potential Russian cyber interference, but it lacks the authority to do more absent additional presidential direction.
How government data is at risk. Open data advocates and former government employees have concerns about the fate of open government data, in light of budget and budget and staffing cuts and topics facing increased politicization.
Teaching digital government at Harvard today. Steve Kelman sits down with his colleague David Eaves to discuss, among other things, the differences between "digital" and "IT."
John Kamensky
USAF Innovation Funds. Federal News Radio reports: “The Air Force is trying to spur creative ideas from the ground up with a new $64 million investment in squadrons. . . . The Squadron Innovation Fund gives the Air Force’s basic unit about $10,000 to $30,000 to start new programs and invest in new ideas.”
Reorg Watch: HHS. Federal News Radio reports: “For the most part, agencies have released few details about how they are reforming and reorganizing as required under President Donald Trump’s April memo. . . . With the exception of the Agriculture and Interior departments, nearly every other agency has kept the details under wraps. And the plans from USDA and Interior have been disconcerting at best. . . . The Department of Health and Human Services, however, may just be bucking both of the trends when it comes to reorganization. The department launched ReImagine HHS in May 2017 and seems to be hitting many of the right notes by including career employees and giving them ownership of the process.
DOI Reorg, Version 2.0. Federal News Radio reports: “U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke disclosed Friday in an Associated Press interview that he’s revamping a sweeping overhaul of his department that’s supposed to speed up permitting for development on public lands.”
Modernizing Grants. Federal News Radio reports: “The Legal Services Corporation is detailing every step in its grant making process as part of its systems modernization effort,” and that, once described, it will develop a modernized approach.
Procurement Innovation. Federal News Radio reports on the use of an acquisition authority, “Other Transactional Authority,” that could speed the use of innovative contracting vehicles.
MGT Guidance Out. FedScoop reports: “On Tuesday, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget released Memorandum M-18-12, Implementation of the Modernizing Government Technology Act. . . . In it, OMB addresses how agencies can start to apply for funding from the centralized Technology Modernization Fund (TMF).” Separately, NextGov reports the names of “the seven federal technology leaders who will hold the keys to an up to $500 million fund that agencies can borrow against to update aging unsecure systems.”
This Week’s The Business of Government Radio Show. How are autonomous technologies advancing in healthcare? What is being done to enhance medical device design? Join host Michael Keegan next week as he explores these questions and more with Professors Jin-Oh-Hahn and Monifa Vaughn-Cooke from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, at the University of Maryland next week on a Special Edition of The Business of Government Hour.
Broadcast Schedule: The show airs Monday at 11 a.m., and Friday at 1 p.m. on Federal News Radio 1500AM WFED.
If you can't wait, though, you can listen to (or download) this week's program and all our previous interviews at businessofgovernment.org.