Modernization

Agencies get out of the box

Mark Carney calls the core financial system the Education Department tried to install in 1999 a “stinker.” The agency’s chief financial officer quickly grew tired of the configuration issues as well as arduous and complex testing processes. Education’s decision to move to Oracle—one of six commercial software systems approved for federal use by the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program—represents a trend: Agencies are changing their business practices to meet the software’s capabilities instead of customizing software to conform to their own procedures.<@SM><@SM>

People

OMB hires marketing firm for e-gov projects

The Office of Management and Budget last week awarded a contract to Edelman Public Relations of New York to develop marketing plans for three e-government projects.

Modernization

Managers face familiar hurdles: security and funding

What do government IT managers worry about the most? “Our biggest challenge is security,” said an IT manager at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland, reflecting the opinion of nearly half the respondents in a GCN telephone survey.<@SM>

Modernization

OMB appoints Young e-gov associate administrator

Tim Young is the new associate administrator for e-government and IT.

People

OMB marketing blitz to get the word out on e-gov

The Office of Management and Budget is trying to boost citizens’ awareness of federal e-government services.

People

USDA, HUD race to document IT security

In a recent report card on agencies’ compliance with federal IT security requirements, the scores of the Agriculture and Housing and Urban Development departments stuck out like sore thumbs.

Modernization

OMB clears up criteria to get to green

The Office of Management and Budget today gave agencies a clearer understanding of the criteria to meet green on the President’s Management Agenda scorecard.

Modernization

Hill, Homeland Security trade barbs over border control tech

The Homeland Security Department’s enterprise architecture and its plans for a border control system came under fire from legislative overseers last week.

Modernization

New benchmark tool available for testing performance of J2EE apps

The Standard Performance Evaluation Corp. has released Version 1.3 of a benchmark suite to measure the performance of Java2 Enterprise Edition application server-driven programs.

People

GAO finds that some protective laws hinder e-health adoption

Efforts by health care providers to implement IT systems can be hampered by laws preventing fraud and abuse, GAO says.

Modernization

Navy posts tech transfer site

The Navy has a new Web site that will help other agencies and the private sector use Navy-funded research and development.

Modernization

OMB says agencies must expand cost management

Agencies are now fulfilling more stringent OMB financial-reporting requirements.

Modernization

VA IG: CoreFLS failed on inadequate expertise, oversight

Inspector general criticizes VA for inadequate oversight of financial management system contract.

Modernization

GSA details process for SmartBuy waivers

An interagency advisory team will determine whether agencies get waivers to buy software outside the SmartBuy program.

People

OPM postpones E-Learning procurement

After vendors submitted more than 1,000 questions, the Office of Personnel Management postpones the E-Learning solicitation.

People

OMB touts management agenda successes

In new report, OMB says agencies are using IT to improve programs and not using technology for technology’s sake.

People

USDA awards contract for Recreation One-Stop

National Recreation Reservation Service will consolidate and expand the existing federal reservation services.

Modernization

Team players

Few kinds of software are as slippery to categorize as those that use computer networks to bring people together.

Modernization

Groove improves its virtual space

Groove Workspace, a peer-to-peer collaboration tool from Groove Networks Inc., has become something of a darling of the federal government, thanks largely to its extra-tight security.

Modernization

NARA chooses Harris, Lockheed for e-records system

National Archives and Records Administration picks contractor teams to design and test the Electronic Records Archive system.<@SM>