Modernization

Mission gap: A special report on the Homeland Security Department

Two years after coming into being, the Homeland Security Department is still under construction, a loose collection of agencies not bound by a common infrastructure. GCN focuses this report on the gaps in Homeland's bridge to domestic security, and its successes to date as well.

Modernization

Taking data to a higher plane

Success has made reducing airline accidents and near misses into a difficult task. The most common, and most potent, causes are known and have been addressed by technology or better procedures. The remaining causes are more subtle, and therefore harder to pinpoint.

Modernization

How tools find patterns in flight

In January, Megaputer Intelligence Inc. and Southwest Airlines completed a proof-of-concept demonstration of flight-data analysis and presented their findings to the Global Aviation Information Network, an airline safety community of interest that maintains a Web site at www.gainweb.org.</a>

People

Northrop Grumman snares Treasury E-Travel work

The Treasury Department, first of 24 federal agencies that will choose an E-Travel provider this year, selects Northrop Grumman Corp. system.

Modernization

Major weaknesses still dog IRS modernization

While IRS and contractor CSC have made progress on business systems modernization, schedule delays and cost increases continue, according to an inspector general report.

Modernization

Best practices registry in development

Updated CIO Council Web site to include a best practices registry.<@SM>

Modernization

Navy financial system upgrades saluted

The financial management division of the Naval Supply Systems Command is reaping the rewards of its financial transformation efforts.

Modernization

Business Process: Brett Champlin

Business process management “deal(s) with the perceived amounts of waste” in government, says Brett Champlin, president of the Association of Business Management Professionals, a vendor-neutral nonprofit group. Champlin answered questions in a GCN Forum June 7. <a href="http://www.gcn.com/forum/qna_forum/25946-2.html"><b>Transcript</a></b>

Modernization

Army expands recruitment document management system

System upgrade will also enable the Army to better share data among offices and other military departments.

Modernization

DLA buys system to manage employee training programs

The Defense Logistics Agency has purchased software to manage training for 22,000 employees across the United States and 28 other countries, an application the agency expects to improve the readiness of its workers and bolster its ability to track expenses.

People

GSA starts the process to redo FedBizOpps

The General Services Administration late last month issued a request for proposals for a new Federal Business Opportunities system.

People

E-voting debate: paper or no paper

As the administrator of elections for Maryland, Linda Lamone believes electronic voting machines are safe and secure, even without a paper trail.

Modernization

Emerge2 program to seek bids soon

The program is aimed at overhauling the Homeland Security Department’s back-office systems.

Modernization

Microsoft envisions industrialized software production

Mass production will also allow agencies to more cheaply customize software, a Microsoft architect says.

Modernization

Agencies need help with patch management, GAO says

The government should consider providing centralized patch management services to help agencies with the chore of keeping IT systems protected against software vulnerabilities.

Modernization

CIO Council finds IT workers lack necessary skills

Few federal workers said they have extensive experience in IT security, records management, privacy, e-government and enterprise architecture, according to a new survey.

Modernization

Defense committee urges data mining framework

Committee calls for a regulatory framework for all DOD data mining, a privacy officer and a panel of external advisers to identify and resolve privacy issues.<@SM>

People

GAO: Data mining popular with agencies

Almost half of all agencies, including the 24 largest, are using data mining techniques to detect criminals, improve services or uncover waste, fraud or abuse.

People

Education’s student aid office serves as e-gov model

Office used Web and e-government technologies to put information and applications online, and personalize the college search, admissions and aid processes.<@SM>

Modernization

IRS awards task order for CADE modifications

IRS awards a $27 million task order for changes to CADE, the Customer Account Data Engine, to handle new tax laws.