People

GAO urges public to report stimulus law waste

The billions available for spending raise the potential for inappropriate use and mismanagement, GAO’s acting comptroller general said.

People

VA, DOD will share patient records

The two departments will meet a Sept. 30 deadline for single, interoperable electronic health record, said a senior interagency program official.

People

FAA's guide to dropping off the high-risk list

FAA explains how it eliminated its chronic management deficincies.

People

How agency performance management systems are moving forward

With the Obama administration’s emphasis on performance and transparency, an effective performance management system, made up of goals, measures, processes and computer applications, will become even more important.

Modernization

4 lessons on changing employee performance metrics

A strong performance management system links employees’ results with that of the immediate organization and larger agency mission.

People

Akaka offers federal training bill

Agencies’ performance depends on supervisors' leadership and management skills, senator said.

Modernization

VA will use existing technology for new GI bill benefits

An automated system to process veterans’ education benefits won’t become operational until late 2010, VA officials said.

Modernization

SSA plots more cuts in disability claims backlog

A faltering economy, an aging population and a shortage of money are making it difficult to significantly reduce the backlog of disability claims, agency says.

People

Obama names national health IT coordinator

Physician David Blumenthal will lead HHS efforts to direct spending of $19.5 billion in economic stimulus funds for health IT to advance implementation of the nationwide health information infrastructure.

People

OPM: Feds can hire temporary workers

The flexible hiring authority would let agencies implement the economic stimulus law, the OPM acting director said.

People

DOD to review NSPS pay system

The Defense Department will delay further conversions while it and OPM evaluate the pay-for-performance system, official says.

Modernization

Auditors: IRS should scan servers weekly

The IRS should scan all servers often to protect against malicious code and software attacks, IG recommends.

Modernization

GAO will review state plans for stimulus cash

Federal auditors will check how state governments plan to spend their money from the new economic stimulus law, an official said.

Modernization

OMB: Stimulus grant applications may overwhelm portal

Grants.gov is already struggling to keep up with the increase in demand, and agencies must find other methods for accepting economic recovery grant applications and submit plans to OMB by March 13.

Modernization

IG: Transportation has hands full tracking stimulus funds

The attention required to distribute the funds quickly while providing significant oversight will force DOT to limit its focus on transportation safety issues, Calvin Scovel told Congress.

Modernization

Official: FAA shows progress on NextGen

Aircraft equipped with ADS-B technology can now get air traffic and weather information on cockpit displays, senior official says.

People

Kundra era signals digital shift for government

Federal CIO should tap pockets of agency innovators to overcome budget, culture barriers to broad Web 2.0 approach.

Modernization

IRS drops private tax collectors

The tax agency found that federal employees were more cost effective than the debt contractors.

Cybersecurity

Obama names Kundra federal CIO

Vivek Kundra says he wants to improve transparency and engage people.

Modernization

Agencies have problems collecting Recovery.gov data

Agencies must post information that accounts for how they have used the funds on federal programs or distributed as grants to states and local governments.