Week in Review

August 28, 2006

The difference a year can make

Army commands must identify computers that users might travel with and begin encrypting them immediately, the .... The Energy Department plans to create a to track information technology innovations and introduce new IT products to the department.... The Navy's Special Communications Requirements Division awarded CACI International a recompeted $96.4 million prime contract for .... The Defense Department found that the General Services Administration and DOD made numerous procurement errors, according to a t.... Apple Computer announced a containing battery cells manufactured by Sony, which Apple used in some of its notebook computers.... The Defense Information Systems Agency said it wants to issue a request for qualifications within 60 days in preparation for awarding a second contract for .... The Agriculture Department issued a request for proposals for , which handles the biweekly payroll for one-third of all federal employees.... The Education Department and its Web site contractor said they would offer free credit monitoring as long as necessary to any of 21,000 student borrowers whose .... The Army Small Computer Program issued an RFP for an potentially worth $5 billion.... President Bush signed an executive order directing federal agencies to publish price and quality information about health care and to use standards-based .... The Interior Department's National Business Center will offer services to help agencies meet an Oct. 27 deadline to begin issuing .... IBM entered into an agreement to buy , a publicly traded Internet security provider based in Atlanta.... President Bush nominated Susan Dudley, director of George Mason University's Regulatory Studies Program at the Mercatus Center, to be at the Office of Management and Budget.... Thales and Alcatel announced they have devised a way to equipped with Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing modules.... The Homeland Security Department has good control over the physical security of its , but it needs to address some related vulnerabilities before the systems are secure, according to the department's IG.

One year ago, Hurricane Katrina was leaving a lasting mark on the Gulf Coast. The storm also left a lasting mark on government -- federal, state and local -- and on the Homeland Security Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

An undercurrent of anger still exists along the Gulf Coast. Just this week, Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) told the Biloxi Sun Herald, "FEMA is a four-letter, dirty word." Some people have called for FEMA to be taken out from under DHS' umbrella, and others have debated what role the government can -- or should -- play during natural disasters.

Katrina has also had an impact on the government's procurement system.

Again, just last week, House Democrats released a study showing that the government awarded 70 percent of Katrina relief contracts without full competition, which they said wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Some of the post-Katrina debate has been more political than real. Critics complain about the lack of competition but then chastise agencies for taking too long to get aid to citizens.

Government officials mostly look back at Katrina with one eye on the good work that got done, but also with a wary eye on the problems that still exist.

Other noteworthy news

Army's chief information officer said new associate CIO position integrated mobile communications systems yet-to-be-released inspector general's draft audit repor voluntary recall of lithium-ion battery packs collaboration tools modernizing its aging financial management system personal data was exposed on a student loan Web site IT Enterprise Solutions-2 Hardware contract systems to exchange health care records secure identification cards to employees and contractors Internet Security Systems administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs encrypt data traveling over high-speed optical networks radio frequency identification systems

A roundup of the week's news, complete with links to the original stories, can be found on FCW.com Download's Week in Review.

NEXT STORY: House Democrats on Katrina contracting

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The difference a year can make