Digital Government

VA reports improvements, unfinished work on information security

VA's top IT official tells Congress that the legacy of a decentralized management structure still lingers, as the agency tries to promulgate security standards.

Cybersecurity

VA misses targets for fixing IT security risks

VA's top tech official says he is balancing risks while trying to keep the department's online services open for business.

People

VA reorg could further centralize IT

While IT procurement and design are already quite centralized under the Office of Information and Technology, sources tell FCW that telemedicine IT and app development at the Veterans Health Administration will be rolled up under the OI&T as well.

Modernization

VA's digital benefits system closes in on 1M claims

Department credits a fully deployed computer system with helping make a sizable dent in the department’s disability claims backlog.

Acquisition

VA moving to fire embattled procurement official

Susan Taylor would be the first senior executive removed under expedited procedures enacted earlier this year.

Acquisition

VA rips FedBid, questions value of reverse auctions

Department's IG highlights questions about reverse auctions in the wake of a critical report on VA procurement officer Susan Taylor.

Acquisition

4 signs agencies are serious about agile

Federal IT executives have been talking about agile development for years, but the iterative approach is now being incorporated into contracting requirements.

People

Agencies' declining use of performance data

The government's use of performance information is down from 2007, despite GAO's attempts to promote its long-term operational benefits.

Modernization

Collaboration tools: Making location moot

As agencies deal with travel restrictions and increasingly complex work teams, the technology options for bringing employees together are keeping pace.

Cybersecurity

The Top 10 stories on FCW.com

Most FCW readers strive to make government work better, but in the past 12 months, they often chose to read about what went wrong.

Acquisition

VA fills in the blanks on scheduling needs

The Veterans Affairs Department was seeking a new scheduling tool even before a scandal revealed deficiencies in its existing system. Here's the latest to-do list.

Acquisition

VA accepts contractors' offer of help with scheduling

The Northern Virginia Technology Council volunteered its services in June to help the Veterans Affairs Department fix its patient scheduling system.

People

New presidential fellows zoom in on VA

Six of the 27 newly announced Presidential Innovation Fellows will work at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Modernization

VA mulls redo of VetLink kiosks

An RFI indicates a desire for the kiosks to be supported in the cloud and use HTML5 responsive design for mobile presentation.

Acquisition

How VA hopes to fix its scheduling system

Embattled agency promises an RFP for commercial solutions by late September, and aims to pick a vendor by year's end.

Acquisition

DOD releases RFP for $11 billion health record project

The long-awaited procurement will modernize military health records and must sync with Veterans Affairs systems.

People

Analytics could drive the future of VistA

The next generation of VA's electronic health record should see benefits from agency advances in predictive analytics.

Cybersecurity

Before CyberVor: A dozen key federal breaches

As 1.2 billion internet logins are compromised, FCW revisits the most notable agency cyber-breaches of the last four years.