Acquisition

Fixed-price contracts increase under stimulus law

The proportion of fixed-price contracts is increasing in the contracts funded under the economic stimulus law, a new report says.

Modernization

VA data process needs improvement, IG says

The VA should improve its process to find some missing and bad data, according to a new report.

People

Panel seeks Rx for secure health data exchange

A workgroup hears about the problems in implementing common standards for an electronic health care data exchange.

Digital Government

HHS' IG plans audits for some health IT programs

HHS' inspector general will audit several IT systems and programs affected by the economic stimulus law.

Modernization

'Smart grid' projects to get $3.4B in grants

President Barack Obama today announced $3.4 billion in grants for smart-grid projects in 49 states, including purchase of smart meters, sensors and systems.

Digital Government

NIH funds a Facebook for scientists

The National Institutes of Health funded a $12.2 million "Facebook for Scientists" project to set up a network for researchers.

Digital Government

Tech projects to get big splash from second wave of stimulus spending

Technology spending will be a big part of a second wave of spending under the economic stimulus law, according to Edward DeSeve, special advisor to the Office of Management Budget and director for implementation of the Recovery Act.

Cybersecurity

Bill would make fraud-detection available for TARP

Technology the credit card industry uses to detect fraud could be applied to the Troubled Asset Relief Program, according to an expert who helped draft a House bill that calls for the use of such technology.

Digital Government

HHS faces hurdles on electronic exchange of medical lab results

Medical labs vary widely in how prepared they are to use electronic medical records, according to testimony today.

Modernization

Stimulus reporting comes in fits and starts

Although more than 112,000 recipients met a deadline of Oct. 10 for filing spending reports, others are still struggling to comply.

People

Agencies spent billions of stimulus money on noncompetitive contracts

Federal agencies have awarded $7.8 billion on noncompetitive, non-fixed-price contracts under the economic stimulus law, a government Web site says.

Modernization

Only a small part of stimulus spending will be reported, coalition says

The Coalition for an Accountable Recovery said the amount of economic spending law being reported is a fraction of the total.

Modernization

First wave from states will test Recovery.gov's stimulus reporting mettle

The redesigned site's workload is set to increase.

Cybersecurity

IG faults HUD for stimulus law reporting problems

HUD falls on privacy and data security goals and misses deadlines as it tracks spending for the economic stimulus law, the IG's office says.

Modernization

NTIA awards grants for national broadband map

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is getting started on the $350 million broadband mapping project funded by the economic stimulus law.

Modernization

Recovery.gov gets a facelift

The retooled Recovery.gov Web site for tracking economic stimulus law funding is getting mostly a thumbs-up from visitors, but another test for transparency will come later this month when the site begins adding hundreds of thousands more data points from state and local recipients of the funding.

People

Stimulus map quest: It’s a long road

Data without context is meaningless to anyone but a specialist. But context without data is not so good either. Such was the dilemma presented by the Obama administration’s revamp of the Recovery.gov Web site, which was unveiled last week.

Digital Government

Health centers get $27.8M for health IT projects

HHS will spend almost $28 million for health IT projects in 21 states.

People

Retooled Recovery.gov site praised, panned

The upgraded version of the Recovery.gov Web site for tracking spending under the economic stimulus law impresses some visitors, but doesn't others.

People

An embarrassment of Recovery Act riches

State and local agencies learn how difficult it is to spend billions of dollars a week in federal stimulus grants.