Digital Government

Mission-driven design thinking

Identify customers, listen to their needs and map their journeys to identify pain points and areas for improvement and reinvention.

Cybersecurity

Software group backs curbs on LPTA in defense bill

BSA/The Software Alliance supports a move in Congress to limit use of "lowest price technically acceptable" standards in federal IT contracting.

People

DOD releases new digital engineering strategy

The strategy emphasizes the need for culture shift, formalized development processes and innovation to modernize legacy defense systems.

Digital Government

Census seeks software help for internet response

As Census wraps up its in-field test of operations and systems that will be used in 2020, the bureau is seeking information about software related to its survey questionnaires.

Cybersecurity

DHS tried to take 5 legacy IT programs agile. Here’s what happened

The Department of Homeland Security ran a yearlong agile acquisition pilot program with five existing programs from FEMA, TSA, ICE and USCIS.

Acquisition

USAF edges toward an agile future

Air Force IT acquisition lead Maj. Gen. Sarah Zabel said that agile didn't make the program objectives memo for 2020 but an embrace of agile development remains a goal.

Cybersecurity

DLA looks to reduce cyber risks by slashing application footprint

The Defense Logistics Agency Director Lt. Gen. Darrell Williams is concerned about supply chain vulnerabilities and thinks reducing the number of applications on DLA's network will reduce risk.

Ideas

Rapid Prototyping to Improve Government Systems

Two former U.S. Digital Service staffers on their approach to iterative design and software development.

Modernization

How technical debt makes government software crap, and what we can do about it

It takes a deliberate, concerted effort from experts to carefully untangle all the threads of bad software development practices and return the effort to coherence.

People

USDS to certify new acquisition specialty

The U.S. Digital Service is adding a digital services contracting certification to create a cadre of "technology acquisition mavericks."

Modernization

The Defense Innovation Board’s 10 Essential Rules for Developing Software

The “commandments” adapt industry best practices for the Pentagon, but every agency could learn from them.

Acquisition

Striking a blow for agile with DOD weapons systems

If the Defense Department truly embraces agile, Steve Kelman argues, it would be a critical and much-needed tipping point for government innovation.

Acquisition

Solving the 'technical debt' problem

Increasingly IT managers are recognizing that it's time to stop borrowing against the future when it comes to overly complex and outdated applications.

Cybersecurity

Air Force hackathon pays out $104,000

In its second hackathon, the Air Force paid out a record amount in bounties after extending the December program 20 days.

Modernization

Veterans Affairs Wasted Closer to $2 Billion On Failed IT Projects

The department misspent even more than government investigators initially believed in attempting to modernize its health records system.

Ideas

4 Principles for Making Digital Transformations Work

Government agencies can complete effective digital transformations but it takes new technologies and management practices.

Ideas

Breaking Down What DevOps Means

Five considerations for federal agencies looking to adopt the DevOps philosophy.

People

Help wanted: Senior agile leaders needed

The government must invest in making agencies' senior IT program managers real agile leaders.

Digital Government

Why is there so much customized software in the federal government?

Former federal CIO Tony Scott explains why agencies must kick their addiction to custom code.

Emerging Tech

Homeland Security's Top Buyer: Still All-In In Agile

The department needs to do a better job “taking the fear out of innovation,” Chief Procurement Officer Soraya Correa said.