Weekly Roundup: June 22-26, 2015

Chief Data Officers Want a Seat at the Table. Federal Times reports: “The Chief Data Officer is a new role for the few agencies that have one in place and many are still figuring out exactly what their purview should be. . . . Rather than report directly to the CIO, CDOs should be under the chief operating officer or agency head, CIOs Want to Focus on Mission. According to FedScoop, a panel of CIOs at a recent conference asked: "How can we get ourselves out of the IT business?". . . . "The CIOs could sit down with the business units and begin to imagine what the future is like and quit being firefighters. We don't do IT for IT's sake — we do it for a business outcome." Teaming Up on FITARA Implementation. According to Federal News Radio, the federal CIO, Tony Scott, and the chef of federal acquisition at OMB, Anne Rung, have teamed together on the implementation of the Federal Information Technology and Acquisition Reform Act past several months ago. They are sponsoring cross-agency teams to ensure provisions of the new law are implemented quickly, in ways that reduce duplication. They say additional guidance will be issued by OMB in coming weeks. Lessons Learned - 5 Years After. According to Government Executive, “the majority of agency heads don’t actually use data on program performance.” This is based on a recent study by the Partnership for Public Service, who interviewed agency performance improvement officers about the state of performance management in their agencies, five years after passage of the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010. Federal News Radio, in reviewing the same study, highlights some of the best practices agencies use to improve their performance. Why Data Quality Matters. Governing publishes a piece by Richard Greene and Katherine Barrett: “The Causes, Costs and Consequences of Bad Government Data.” They write: “When data is flawed, the consequences can reach throughout the entire government enterprise. Services are needlessly duplicated; evaluation of successful programs is difficult; tax dollars go uncollected; infrastructure maintenance is conducted inefficiently; health-care dollars are wasted.” Data? We Got Data! The Pew Charitable Trusts updates its “what works” clearinghouse: “The Results First Clearinghouse Database is a one-stop online resource that provides policymakers and staff with easy access to information on the effectiveness of various interventions as rated by eight national research clearinghouses.” Michael Keegan ONC-Funded Report Finds Providers' HIE Needs Have Evolved. A new Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT-funded report examines providers' experiences with health information exchange in six states. The report finds providers' HIE needs have evolved from connecting disparate electronic health record systems to seeking "actionable" data at the point of care. FierceEMR et al OPM goes on offensive with 15-step cyber improvement plan The Office of Personnel Management will hire a special cyber advisor, and accelerate the implementation of two-factor authentication and data encryption technologies. OPM released an eight-page plan to make a host of cyber improvements over the next six months, just before the second of three hearings this week focused on the massive data breach kicked off on Wednesday. More money for OPM cyber may not be the answer The Office of Personnel Management is considering sending an additional request to Congress asking for additional funding in 2016 to help pay for cybersecurity fixes. DoD plans wholesale cancellations of some military missions With or without sequestration, the Pentagon has concluded there is not enough money to go around, and if it’s going to continue to perform its most vital national security tasks, some missions will have to be on the chopping block beginning in 2017 Granted new command powers for new threats. The job of NATO Supreme Allied Commander has always been one of the most coveted positions among the U.S. military’s top brass, but the position might become even more important with a pending decision to grant the so-called SACEUR the power to move and use troops more quickly than ever before. * * * * * The Business of Government Radio Show: Conversations with Leaders. What are the key priorities for FBI’s Finance, Facilities, and Real Property, Division? How has the transition to UFMS changed the way the bureau does its business? What is the bureau doing to leverage mobility solutions to meet its mission? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Rich Haley, Assistant Director of the Finance, Facilities, and Real Property Division and Chief Financial Officer of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Broadcast Schedule: The show airs Monday at 11 a.m., and Wednesday at noon, 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.