The Latest

Rep. Frank Wolf Sees Satellite Images As Tool In Fight Against Human Rights Abuses

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Commercial satellites capable of photographing objects a half-meter wide with stunning clarity from 423 miles above the Earth have become a routine part of the analysis picture for the 17 government agencies that make up the intelligence community.

But high resolution satellite images are also gaining wider application at a variety of other federal agencies, from the U.S. Geological Survey for precision mapping to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assess disaster response strategies. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 11, 2011 at 7:58 AM

Postal Crisis Not Confined to U.S.

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The U.S. Postal Service is facing a dire financial crisis, but it is not alone. The postal services of other nations also have felt the impact of electronic communications and private sector competition, and have been undergoing significant transformations.

Germany and the Netherlands have embraced privatization. Great Britain is moving slowly in that direction with its Royal Mail. The postal services in Australia and Canada have no Saturday delivery, and other countries are reaching the inevitable conclusion that mail service has to change. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 11, 2011 at 7:00 AM

International Effort to Stop China’s Acts of Cyber Espionage

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COMMENTARY: The history of espionage activities, both for and against the United States goes back to early formative stages of the country. The tools and techniques associated with the tradecraft of spying have changed over time and kept up with modern society.

Today, China’s espionage activities/targets go far beyond government and military targets and now include leading private sector technology companies. Acts of espionage that have been attributed to China are said to have reached new “intolerable levels”. Representative Mike Rogers of Michigan, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that “Beijing is waging a massive trade war on us all, and we should band together to pressure them to stop.” He went on to pretty much DEMAND the FBI provide answers! Keep reading →

 /  Published October 10, 2011 at 3:00 PM

GAO Finds DHS Data Mining Systems Need Better Privacy Protections, Oversight

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The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) data mining systems need additional oversight, review and evaluation to protect privacy rights, ensure transparency to the public and enable effective counterterrorism efforts, stated the General Accountability Office (GAO) in a report released last week.

Of six component agency data mining systems evaluated, “none performed all of the key activities associated with an effective evaluation framework…Only one program office performed most of the activities related to obtaining executive review and approval,” said the report. “Until such reforms are in place, DHS and its component agencies may not be able to ensure that critical data mining systems used in support of counterterrorism are both effective and that they protect personal privacy.” Keep reading →

 /  Published October 10, 2011 at 2:01 PM
Management

GAO Report: DHS Needs To Improve Oversight of Counterterrorism Systems

Source: GAO

Fixing How We Hire Feds

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This article originally appeared at GovLoop.com.

Is the Federal hiring system cumbersome and lengthy, and does it need to be reformed to meet the current workforce demands of the government? Keep reading →

 /  Published October 10, 2011 at 1:00 PM

Collaborative Telepresence Is Not Your Father’s Video Teleconferencing

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I recently visited the Crystal City, Va., office of one of the technology companies we work with and learned what it takes to display many sources of brilliant video across a surface of any size without the unsightly black grids that once defined video walls. The technology, referred to as collaborative telepresence or CTP, was developed and battle-tested in the rough-and-tumble oil and gas industry. It is now finding its way into high-end collaboration environments in the government.

Instead of multiple monitors or projectors separated by a grid of dividing lines, like traditional video teleconferencing or command and control systems, Cyviz mounts high power projectors with pixel-perfect alignment so there are no “seams” in these stunning video walls. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 10, 2011 at 9:00 AM

OPM Crafts Program To Help Senior Execs ‘Hit The Ground Running’

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When a government senior executive once showed up for a new job, he had to ask where his office was. “There was a name tag on my door but the office had an antiquated computer and no Blackberry,” the executive said. Not exactly a propitious start.

The Office of Personnel Management wants to put an end to that kind of inhospitable experience for new leaders from the Senior Executive Service. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 7, 2011 at 2:53 PM
Management

OPM Guide – Hit The Ground Running: Establishing A Model Executive Onboarding Program

Source: OPM

Feds@Work: Financial Watchdog Benefits Soldiers

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Serving as a management and financial watchdog for the Department of Defense (DOD) is an enormous task, one made all the more daunting in recent years by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the huge growth in military spending.

As the managing director for defense capabilities and management at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Janet St. Laurent has been more than up to the job. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 7, 2011 at 1:42 PM
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