The Centers for Disease Control has spearheaded a program available to other agencies that automatically updates website content, making it easier and more cost-effective to keep information current.
The content syndication tool eliminates the cumbersome and time-consuming practice of emailing updates and changing website content manually. Keep reading →
Mobile device management software is helping federal, state and local governments to keep track of employee handheld devices. But as agency programs grow in size, new challenges such as technology life cycle and migration are beginning to surface. To address these issues, organizations are taking a number of approaches designed to meet their specific needs.
NASA straddles the line between device and data management policies. Unlike defense and intelligence agencies, NASA is an “open organization” founded to share its data with the public, said Adrian Gardner, chief information officer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center at the Symantec Government Symposium. Keep reading →
Government agencies and departments are learning to live with travel restrictions and discovering innovative alternatives amid an anti-conference trend brought on by budget restrictions and well-publicized abuses.
But some managers fear the trend will inhibit federal workers’ ability to stay current with new technology field advancements or to consult with experts in the private sector via site visits, professional seminars and annual conferences. Keep reading →
One-third of federal executives involved with mobile technology say their agencies are now “walking” or “running” with mobile technology. But a number of barriers remain. And while government managers believe mobile technology can contribute significantly toward improved productivity and savings, the need to invest in new and more modern business processes remains critical to realizing the full potential of mobile technology in government.
That’s according to a new government-wide research study released today by Breaking Gov and presented during a one hour Breaking Gov webcast today, that began at 11:00 a.m. and will be available for viewing on demand. Keep reading →
The federal government, adhering to its Digital Strategy guidelines to “pour into applications” a wealth of information, is moving to serve both the public and federal worker in their mobile efforts.
Agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency have begun to use mobile apps to increase efficiency and ease daily operations. Keep reading →
The Office of Personnel Management took steps today to extend federal health insurance coverage eligibility to temporary firefighters and fire protection personnel working on wildland fires across the country.
OPM published an interim final regulation under the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program, in response to direction from President Obama, that ensures federal firefighters and their families will have access to the same health insurance afforded to full time federal employees, according to a statement issued by OPM Director John Berry. Keep reading →
This is one in a regular series exploring how federal agencies are finding and implementing innovative ways to drive efficiency and cut costs.
Once upon a time, farmers drove their horses and carts to the local USDA office to fill out loan paperwork, chat with experts and pick up information. Even 50 years ago, farmers hopped in their pickup trucks for the trip to the USDA’s local farm service agency office. Keep reading →
This is one in a regular series on the latest innovation in mobile apps and mobile technology in the federal government.
From Smokey Bear to “mobile hogs,” the Department of Agriculture is moving at breakneck speed to integrate mobile apps into every aspect of the far-flung and multi-dimensional department. Keep reading →
This is the fifth in a series of profiles of innovative leaders in government based on interviews for the book Paths to Making a Difference: Leading in Government by Paul R. Lawrence and Mark A. Abramson. The book highlights the management lessons of 24 political executives during their first two years in the Obama administration. Marc Andersen collaborated with them on this article.
Innovation is an important topic. All organizations want to do more of it, including the federal government. Like the proverbial elephant, everybody has a slightly different take on innovation and what it looks like. Keep reading →
The Food and Drug Administration has turned a mobile tablet that it calls the “Egg Pad” into a virtual detective squad to uncover the presence of tainted eggs and health violations during farm inspections.
Using a Panasonic Toughbook and software developed for the FDA by Booz Allen Hamilton, the Egg Pad guides inspectors through a series of questions. Based on the answers, the device brings up additional questions and information the inspectors need to answer. Keep reading →