Acquisition

Business grads, vets and workforce diversity: Who should be on your team?

Steve Kelman reports on acquisition experts' recent discussions about agency approaches to hiring contracting staff.

People

Listening to some of the smartest government procurement people around

Steve Kelman reports on ideas being discussed by the Board of Advisors for the Veterans Administration Acquisition Academy Board of Advisors.

People

Agencies launch online complaint system for veteran education

The effort involves a half-dozen federal agencies and is intended to smooth the GI Bill process for veterans and dependents.

Cybersecurity

Defense, DHS, VA drive rise in federal employment

Three national-security related departments accounted for 77 percent of the total government-wide increase in compensation from 2004 to 2012.

Cybersecurity

What feds can learn from Coca-Cola's data breach

The beverage giant's breach, which involved a former employee stealing laptops with unencrypted data, is a teachable moment for federal agencies.

Digital Government

Latest breach at VA has Congress asking more questions

Agency officials blame a "software defect," but oversight committee demands more specifics.

Cybersecurity

VA still dragging feet in answering congressional inquiries

Veterans Affairs has not fully responded to questions from Congress about data breaches dating back almost two years.

Cybersecurity

VA still mum on IT security questions

When given the opportunity at a private briefing to respond to assessments and criticisms of the department's IT security posture, VA officials declined to comment.

Cybersecurity

Congress still awaiting IT security answers from VA

Hill sources say the House Veterans' Affairs Committee has received only a single response to its multitude of inquiries.

Acquisition

Affiliation rules muddy small business contracting waters

As Congress asks questions about small business status, acquisition experts say inter-firm associations are the real issue.

Digital Government

VA stymied in trying to provide responses to Congress

The VA's inspector general has rejected the department secretary's plan to provide answers to long-outstanding questions.

People

Congress probes whether VA violated law in job change

House committee questions timing, details of CIO Stephen Warren's recent title changes.

Cybersecurity

Congress turns up heat on VA data breaches

The House Veterans Affairs Committee has directed six formal inquiries to VA's Office of Information and Technology since Oct. 23, totaling more than 100 questions concerning routine IT security practices.

Digital Government

Procurement officials explain new normal to contractors

'Adult conversations' needed to make some see budget realities of the next few years.

People

VA furloughs 2,700 IT employees

As carrryover funding runs out, department succumbs to shutdown.

People

Obama nominates deputies for VA, Navy

If the nominees gain Senate approval, they will fill roles vacant since spring.

People

CMS clears data-sharing hurdles for health insurance hub

Five agencies set to provide qualifying information for Affordable Care Act's Data Services Hub.

Cybersecurity

How the VA deals with data breaches

Created after the theft of a department-owned laptop computer in 2006, VA's Data Breach Core Team analyzes potential breaches every week.

People

VA touts progress on claims backlog; critics say it's not enough

Officials at the Veterans Affairs Department say the number of backlogged compensation claims has shrunk by 20 percent since its March peak, but critics are maintaining a full-court press on the White House to further reduce the VA's claims inventory.

Cybersecurity

Readers divided about VA theory on stolen laptops

Readers offer a mixture of criticism and praise for Acting Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology Stephen Warren's response to VA data breaches.