This is one in a regular series exploring how federal agencies are finding and implementing innovative ways to drive efficiency and cut costs.
The GAO is getting ready to dig deeper into the $1 trillion annually that the government spends on contracts, grants and loans to determine if taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely so that government agencies can make better decisions on making those awards, according to a GAO official. Keep reading →
Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) have filed a bipartisan amendment to the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 to conserve energy, save taxpayer dollars and reduce government waste by requiring federal agencies to shut down needlessly duplicative federal data centers.
Agencies have been instructed to develop consolidation plans under the administration’s Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI), which would save over $2 billion according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). However, a number of agencies have been slow to begin to implement the plans – or, in some cases, to even take stock of the total number of centers they currently manage. The proposed amendment to the cybersecurity bill seeks to remedy that. Keep reading →
The federal government’s Recovery Board has a lesson for every federal agency that distributes taxpayer money – stay transparent and make sure that recipients do, too.
The Recovery Board, which oversees the $840 billion economic stimulus program and $276 billion in federal contracts, has figured out how to get compliance from companies and state and local government agencies that fail to file their required reporting showing where taxpayer money is going every three months. Keep reading →
When thinking about the U.S. Army, images of soldiers in combat are usually the first that come to mind. However, the Army is more than just squadrons of soldiers – it’s a well-oiled machine, full of processes that make it all run smoothly. And at the center of it all is the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Headquarters, the command center of the U.S. Army, where officials oversee the training of Army forces, develop operational principles and construct new weapons systems. With 33 schools and 16 Army installations it’s no surprise that we have an immense technology infrastructure ranging from security to wireless access to printing.
In 2010, TRADOC relocated from Fort Monroe (Hampton, Va.) to Fort Eustis (Fort Eustis, Va., pictured above), and was charged with consolidating its 32 different printer manufacturers, including approximately 1,300 printers spread across 32 buildings for 2,300 users. We were also tasked with creating a more efficient print infrastructure, reducing printing costs, and improving document security and compliance, all while enhancing the user experience – and all with a single vendor. Keep reading →
It seems like talk about cloud computing is inescapable for even the average citizen these days. But what about those people whose jobs are inextricably woven into the cloud? Malcolm Jackson, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently sat down with Chris Dorobek on the DorobekINSIDER to discuss how cloud computing is changing the very role of federal CIOs and how the government approaches technology.
Jackson says that cloud computing has allowed CIOs to shift their focus from commodity IT services, which they can contract with vendors to provide, to more mission critical areas and systems. CIOs can now engage more deeply with business processes to maximize productivity, streamline work and provide greater value to agencies. For instance, Jackson indicated that cloud computing enables him to think about how to more strategically use data and information-sharing to drive down costs and help his agency become more efficient in achieving its mission. Keep reading →
The federal budget has been on a roller-coaster ride – and one with some pretty steep drops – for the last few years, and it can seem like the contracting industry can do little but strap in and hold on.
Except, of course, that there are other, very similar clients. Clients who may see a recovery and a spending boom, even as the federal budget continues to decline. Keep reading →
The Bipartisan Policy Center produced a report that is getting a fair amount of attention and raising some concerns. The report stated that the number of cyber attacks appears to be on the rise, along with financial losses.
This data was based on information from October 2011 through February 2012. The report indicates, that over 50,000 cyber attacks on private and government networks were reported to the Department of Homeland Security, including 86 attacks on “critical infrastructure networks.” Information also indicated that many private firms keep the fact that they experienced a cyber attack secret “because of fears, some justified, including harm to their reputations and potential loss of customers.” Keep reading →
The Defense Department has launched a barrage of programs across the services to provide its civilian and uniformed personnel with mobile devices. Overseeing this vast and varied process is the Defense Information Systems Agency, which is responsible for running many of the department’s mobile pilot programs and setting up the infrastructure to provide applications and services to warfighters.
The head of DISA and top technology officers outlined how individual agencies fit into those efforts at the Defense & Security Mobile Technologies Symposium in Washington, D.C. last week. Keep reading →
When the GSA dropped an economic bomb on St. Louis by canceling sponsorship of the GovEnergy Conference, it may have opened the door for other government agencies to cancel major events if the move goes unpenalized, experts said.
New rules governing conferences may in fact give GSA a legal escape clause from the contract. Keep reading →
Federal managers aren’t the only ones spooked by the prospect of sequestration-induced budget cuts. Contractors are worried about it too. But the potential numbers – dollars that would be cut – present a smaller problem than the lack of planning the government seems to be doing to prepare for the sequester. Unless Congress acts otherwise, a 10-year, trillion dollar cut in spending starts January 1. That’s a $100 billion a year, $50 billion for civilian agencies, $50 billion for Defense. Sequestration is more a reduction in future growth than absolute declines in spending.
In the grand scheme of things, the numbers aren’t that big. But it would be nice to know precisely where agencies are going to make their trims. It’s likely few agencies know. This is why a bill passed the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, demanding that the executive branch detail its sequestration plans.
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