Acquisition

New rule lets contractors seek religious exemptions to anti-discrimination policies

The move will make it easier for companies that are organized around faith-based activities to evade certain civil rights laws and policies when making hiring decisions.

Modernization

Contested FBI wireless contract goes to AT&T

FBI's $92 million emergency operations wireless service contract goes to AT&T after lengthy protest scuffle.

Modernization

Microsoft to launch top secret cloud

The company is waiting on government accreditation for the new top secret regions.

Acquisition

New law enshrines modernization Centers of Excellence effort

President Trump signed a bipartisan bill that codifies the Centers of Excellence program as way to seed and launch IT and business process modernization efforts at federal agencies.

Acquisition

DISA refreshes strategic plan for 2022

The Defense Information Systems Agency has refreshed its three-year strategy to better emphasize cyber defense and role of enterprise services.

Acquisition

Leadership push needed in category management, GAO finds

Although the governmentwide category management initiative is saving agencies billions, it could be even more effective with some higher-level guidance, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

People

VA union claims victory in termination case

In win for the National VA Council, the Federal Labor Relations Authority dismissed the VA's exceptions to an arbitrator's award that requires it to reinstate union employees fired without performance improvement plans.

Acquisition

Tech experts call on feds to coordinate benefits solutions

With surges in unemployment insurance applications straining legacy IT systems at the state level, digital services specialists say that the federal government should take a more central role in fielding tech infrastructure.

Acquisition

DOD, Coast Guard resume MHS Genesis deployment

After a pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Defense Department's commercial health record installation program is back online. The Coast Guard is also transitioning to the new system.

Cybersecurity

Upgraded CDM dashboard to roll out through FY2021

DHS officials say four federal agencies are now using an upgraded Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation dashboard and they plan to continue implementing the platform elsewhere throughout the fiscal year.

Acquisition

CMMC countdown is on but are there enough assessors to do the job?

Katie Arrington, DOD's CISO for acquisition, said having enough assessors to do in-person audits of defense contractors is her biggest concern.

Modernization

NOAA looks to modernize with EIS

The weather and science agency sets up future 5G capabilities, critical sensor bandwidth with $311M Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions task order.

Acquisition

GSA explains lowered DEOS price tag

GSA worked with the Defense Department and vendors to push more efficiencies into the DEOS cloud contract, ultimately resulting in a lowered ceiling, said the contract's manager.

Acquisition

Thrift Board taps Accenture for consolidated records contract

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board plans to roll out new features to plan participants, including electronic signatures.

People

Federal panel sides with VA on union contract

The Federal Service Impasses Panel largely sided with the Department of Veterans Affairs in a contract ruling in a case between the VA and the National Veterans Affairs Council (NVAC).

Acquisition

VA reports smooth go-live from $16B electronic health record system

The performance of infrastructure, end-user devices exceeded agency expectations on the VA's first go-live on its new electronic health record system.

Acquisition

Cyber and AI investments could trend up in defense spending

Investments in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence efforts may increase even with flat defense budgets, but a worsening pandemic could dampen those projections.

Modernization

Shared services gaining traction, PSC reports

A new report from the Professional Services Council shows shared services growing with collaborations among federal agencies.

Acquisition

COVID-19 made IT modernization a priority

Federal agency mission-oriented responses to COVID-19 have pushed aside lingering doubts about the need to step up IT, a Professional Services Council forecast found.

Acquisition

18 state AGs call to end Trump's crackdown on diversity training

In a letter, 18 state attorneys general and the AG from the District of Columbia say that a recent executive order on diversity training is having "opposite effect" of its stated goal of preventing discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity or sex.