Office of Management and Budget

E-Government Improves While Search Engines Fall Short

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Two separate, recently released surveys of the quality of federal government Web sites and e-government found some striking strengths in performance, including in comparison with private-sector sites. But they also revealed shortcomings in key areas, such as search engine capability.

The U.S. E-Government Website Quality Report, by ActiveStandards and WelchmanPierpont, gave government sites relatively high marks for accessibility and usability. The report also cited a majority of sites performed poorly in search engine optimization. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 25, 2012 at 12:35 PM

Former Officials Urge OMB To Update Federal Cybersecurity Policy

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“Our (cyber) adversaries are well equipped and agile. Our defenses must be equal to the
threat, and they are not.”

So concludes a new report from a group of former Office of Management and Budget officials and cybersecurity experts who argue OMB and the administration “have ample legal authority to adopt reforms that would materially reduce risk and enhance response” in protecting federal systems. The report urges OMB to take steps that would result in spending scarce taxpayer dollars on security programs that work. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 24, 2012 at 7:30 AM

Can Innovation Save The Federal Government?

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It is one of the most challenging times in American history to be part of a government bureaucracy. A dysfunctional congress offers little or no support; agency budgets face gutting as the nation stares down a fiscal cliff; hiring freezes and the looming shadow of furloughs threaten to turn the government’s talent pool stagnant.

But if you’re an innovator, this is – in a strange and unfortunate way – good news. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 12, 2012 at 3:03 PM

An Open Letter: Government And Industry, We Gotta Talk!

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Companies selling to the government, and government managers who need to know about the latest technologies available from industry, are caught in a maze. But none of the paths leads us to one another. I’m talking about the communications channels so commonly used to exchange ideas and learn from one another.

Technology manufacturers have three main communications modes to support their sales efforts: business development or sales, external marketing activities, and whatever content, e.g., white papers, the company creates. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 9, 2012 at 12:00 PM

Big Data’s Growing Pains: Talent Not Technology

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A group of technology leaders came to the Capitol this week to make the case that the age of “big data” is not only upon us, but also represents a powerful and practical way for federal agencies to create substantially more value for the public – for relatively little incremental investment.

That comes as refreshing news compared to the relentless promises of big savings that accompanied the dawn of cloud computing, which has proven far trickier to implement. The difference is due in large measure to the fact that big data is really more of a phenomenon than a technology. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 5, 2012 at 8:00 AM

Most Agencies Miss IPv6 Deadline

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Despite a longstanding deadline and months of work, most federal agencies are about to miss the Sept. 30 deadline to enable IPv6 but will face no penalties for not reaching that goal.

Officials say Sept. 30 was a goal set by the Office of Management and Budget and that consequences for not meeting it are unnecessary. Nonetheless, compliance remains important as private industry v6 compliance is strong and therefore limits government interaction. Google, for example, launched IPv6 in June (see video with Vint Cerf above). Keep reading →

 /  Published September 28, 2012 at 3:30 PM

Federal Agencies Struggle To Capture Mobile Device Savings

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Government technology officials are working urgently to enable federal employees to work using their own mobile devices. That’s in spite of a thicket of management issues and security concerns that continue to hamper their efforts.

Though the path to adoption is proving cumbersome, the rationale is simple: Bring your own device (BYOD) programs are seen as a unique opportunity to reduce agency information technology costs. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 28, 2012 at 12:15 PM

Agencies Must Spell Out Cloud Investments In 2014 Budgets

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In a move suggesting how quickly cloud computing is becoming part of the government IT mainstream, the Office of Management and Budget is requiring agencies to itemize their cloud computing initiatives in fiscal 2014 budget plans.

The emphasis on cloud computing comes within the larger context of planned cuts to information technology spending. The guidance formalizes prior notices for agencies to “propose reductions in IT that represent 10% of their overall spending, and propose a reinvestment of at least 5%, and up to 10%, of these savings, in priority IT investments for OMB consideration.” Keep reading →

 /  Published August 23, 2012 at 10:46 AM

Talent Gaps Suggest Need To Reform Civil Service System

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A new report reflecting the views of 55 top human capital officers in the federal government suggests that the degree of difficulty for federal managers trying to hire and retain the talent government needs to operate today is perhaps higher than ever. Intensifying budget pressures could, however, be the spark needed to reform a stranglehold of antiquated federal hiring and pay practices.

The severity of federal human resources challenges is hard to understate. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 9, 2012 at 11:58 AM

Where Vendor’s Fit In The Government’s Cloud Mandate

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Cloud computing isn’t just about technology – it is about transformation, leadership and change. When it comes to government IT, cloud is typically 80% of the discussion, but only 20% of the budget.

With the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) 18-month “Cloud First” deadline passing in June and the federal government hoping to accredit three cloud service providers under FedRAMP by the end of 2012, cloud computing is at the forefront of government IT. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 7, 2012 at 1:30 PM
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