Acquisition

GAO: Electronic waste guidance needs teeth

GSA guidelines don't carry the force of mandates, and GAO believes that the rules for electronic waste disposal needs the backing of an agency with enforcement powers.

Acquisition

GAO upholds protest of Justice ID management contract

The Justice Department did not properly evaluate pricing, past performance and organizational conflict of interest allegations in its award of a recent $844K contract, audit concludes.

Cybersecurity

FISMA continues to challenge

Ten years after it first passed, FISMA continues to frustrate agencies trying to comply with its requirements.

People

Charting the impact of OMB's temporary 2010 financial systems halt

The 2010 halt to 30 financial management projects affected agencies in various ways, detailed in a new report.

Acquisition

How OMB's guidance fails to prevent duplication at federal agencies

Efforts to prevent the proliferation of overlapping programs have fallen short.

Cybersecurity

Audit: Agencies still wasting billions with overlapping programs

GAO highlighted similar problems last year, and continues to find new examples.

Cybersecurity

GAO finds overlaps in IT investments within DOE and DOD

CIOs dispute some of the GAO's conclusions during a House hearing.

Acquisition

Veteran small-business bill would mandate use of fraud-prevention site

Under new legislation, agencies would have to search the Veterans Affairs Department’s VetBiz database before awarding a contract

Digital Government

Technology education funding includes overlaps, possible duplication

GAO found potential duplication when it recently audited the federal government's annual $3 billion investment in so-called 'STEM' education initiatives.

Acquisition

Gordon optimistic GAO will remove interagency contracting from high-risk list

Gordon has met with GAO to talk about how OMB has addressed the issues that put interagency contracting onto the high-risk list in the first place.

People

Managers, answer these questions before the Hill calls

GAO provides questions designed to check on a program's performance goals.

Acquisition

GAO challenges administration on contract savings

The Office of Management and Budget's estimated savings on contracting may be overstated, GAO says.

Modernization

Counterfeit electronics in supply chain put contractors on the hook

Counterfeit parts, mostly made in China, have found their way into the U.S. military's supply chain, and now members of the Senate Armed Services Committee want to hold contractors more accountable.

People

GAO: OMB's definition of IT investments is too broad

The Office of Management and Budget should be more detailed in its guidance to federal agencies in identifying IT investments to avoid understated numbers, according to a watchdog report.

Modernization

Cloud computing opens new questions for procurements

GSA regroups after GAO upholds protest of cloud computing solicitation

People

Executive order puts information sharing in the spotlight

President Obama is building on efforts to boost federal information sharing, but according to GAO, much work still remains.

Modernization

Security worries still impede cloud computing

As GSA ramps up FedRAMP, security remains a concern in efforts to move government IT to the cloud, officials told a House subcommittee.

Cybersecurity

Federal IT security incidents increasing rapidly

Federal agencies show persistent weaknesses in their information security controls, GAO says in a new report.

Cybersecurity

DHS still has growing pains, comptroller says

U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro testified that the Homeland Security Department has achieved successes but still has organizational problems.

People

CIOs gain responsibilities but still lose ground

A new OMB memo assumes that CIOs have the power to execute all the authorities granted to them, but GAO and CIOs themselves might beg to differ, writes columnist Alan Balutis.