Weekly Roundup: October 24 - 28, 2016

OMB IT Guidance Revealed.  Federal News Radio reports: “The Office of Management and Budget has played it close to the vest when it comes to guidance on IT modernization, but it’s finally showing some of its cards. . . . In an Oct. 27 blog post,  Federal Chief Information Officer Tony Scott lays out in detail four phases for implementing modernization of information technology systems, which will help “ensure the federal government can best serve the American people in the 21st century.”

Centralize IT to Protect It.  According to NextGov: “Obama administration cyber officials plan to urge the next president’s team to drastically centralize information technology services to reduce the risk of another massive data breach, a White House official said today.

Legacy Money Pits.  FedScoop reports: “Some agencies are spending 90 percent or more of their IT budgets on operations and maintenance, a report released last week found. . . .The IDC Government Insights report found 77.7 percent of proposed agency IT budgets for fiscal year 2017 are going to operations and management, with the remaining sliver dedicated to systems development and enhancement.”

TSA Reorg Underway.  Federal News Radio reports: “The Transportation Security Administration is taking the next step forward in reorganizing its headquarters operations, and it’s creating a new chief of mission support position to lead the charge.”

Evidence-Based Policy Commission - Update. Government Executive reports: “After three initial meetings, early hints are beginning to emerge on what may eventually become a package of recommendations from the congressionally authorized Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking.”

Five Customer Service Tips. According to NextGov: ““If you think technology is going to solve your problems, it’s not,” said Anna Rigney-Phillips, chief of financial support for the Veterans Affairs Department's Financial Service Center.” Here are tips for doing it right.

IT Mod Saves Money.  Federal News Radio reports that the Treasury’s “Fiscal Service merged five legacy systems together and developed a new post-payment application, which helped the Treasury Department’s Inspector General recover $20-30 million in improper payments last year.”

Interactive IG Reports?!  NextGov reports that the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction “SIGAR published a new "interactive" online report, in conjunction with its traditional PDF text document. The report, titled "Corruption in Conflict," dives into the U.S. experience with corruption in Afghanistan and is peppered with colorful photographs and charts. The agency wants users to click through to the sections they find interesting. . . .The mobile-friendly report, designed to attract a broader readership among the public and Congress, was one of several ideas SIGAR has considered.

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Next Week’s The Business of Government Radio Show.  What is the information technology strategy for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency? How is the EPA modernizing its technology infrastructure and ensuring its IT investments align with its overall mission? What is the EPA doing to balanced stewardship of information and technology? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Ann Dunkin, Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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.