Crowdsourcing Contests Continue

When it comes to brainstorming solutions for just about anything, federal agencies under the Obama administration like to turn first to their employee suggestion boxes -- which often are attached to major rewards.

Federal Computer Week on Friday reported that the General Services Administration is offering a $25,000 prize to the most innovative idea for revamping the E-Gov Travel Service, an online travel management program plagued by administrative and cost concerns. The request is part of the administration's open innovation strategy, which looks to the public to solve problems.

This contest is just the latest in a series of agency requests for employee or public input. The Office of Management and Budget in September launched the Securing Americans Value and Efficiency Awards, which asked feds for cost-cutting strategies. The agency in December announced that Nancy Fichtner of the Veterans Affairs Department would present her winning idea to Obama for inclusion in the fiscal 2011 budget.

The White House in October held the GreenGov Challenge, a call for federal employees and military members to submit their best clean energy ideas. The contest generated more than 5,300 responses, some of which were presented to the steering committee on federal sustainability in early November.