FCW Insider: May 12, 2021

The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.

DOD issues 5 data decrees

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks issued a memo detailing DOD's five "data decrees," establishing rules for creating and managing data as an enterprise resource and strategic asset.

CISA's Wales backs new response, recovery fund

Brandon Wales, acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the funding would go toward expanding CISA's incident response teams with additional contractors and developing new technologies to be used by those teams.

Comment: Enhancing the impact of Technology Modernization Fund

Developing connections across the TMF and with larger IT investment programs will yield sustained positive outcomes for the government.

House Dems urge Biden to back plan for all-electric USPS fleet

House Democrats are urging the White House to support an $8 billion taxpayer-funded proposal to direct the United States Postal Service to move towards an all-electric delivery fleet far sooner than the plan Postmaster General Louis DeJoy unveiled earlier this year.

Funding is only part of the answer for UI modernization

State workforce agencies have funding for unemployment modernization and administration thanks to pandemic relief legislation but there are policy impediments, experts said.

Quick Hits

*** Washington Technology takes a look AT&T's win of a 12-year, $175 million task order on the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract to support network modernization at the Department of Transportation and how it fits in with trends in public sector acquisition.

*** The Office of Personnel Management announced that six more academic institutions are being added to the Federal Academic Alliance, a program that gives federal employees access to reduced tuition and scholarships to help complete degrees and acquire critical skills.