People

Does insourcing lead to 'theft' of contractor employees?

Federal agencies are expanding their in-house staffs at the expense of companies already struggling with an unstable economy, writes one reader.

People

How to scare away federal IT job seekers

FEMA and other agencies are trying new approaches to attracting IT talent, some with more success than others.

Cybersecurity

Are DHS contractors running amok?

Two heavyweights from the Senate want to know who is running the shop at the Homeland Security Department. And whoever it is, the department's inspector general would like to speak with them.

People

Writing to be heard—and understood—on the Web

The Web could force the federal government to finally shed its legacy of lousy writing.

Modernization

Our panel of language mavens

The federal information technology community is home to a number of experts in the fields of plain language and Web content. Here are the four who contributed their ideas to this article.

Modernization

CDC strikes a balance between accuracy and clarity

The first big step toward creating good Web content is learning to live with the tension that always exist between your advocates for accuracy and your sticklers for clarity.

People

From the federal blogoshere...

A made-for-TV mystery, a new Navy blog, and TSA says "relax."

Modernization

Will data center history repeat itself?

Obama administration officials who are dead set on consolidating data centers across government might profit from talking with former Clinton administration officials, who undertook a similar task nearly 15 years ago—with depressing results.

People

Favoritism in the federal workplace: Wishful thinking or cold hard truth?

FCW readers take issue with a recent blog post suggesting that favoritism is not as prevalent as many feds think.

People

GSA looks to crowdsourcing to fix e-gov travel services

The agency will offer a prize worth up to $25,000 for proposing a better approach to its troubled e-gov program.

Digital Government

Tragedy in Haiti: The mother of invention

IT experts around the world have looked for every available means of supporting relief operations and easing the suffering of the quake’s survivors.

People

December snowstorm highlighted policy disconnect

FCW readers say agencies have no excuse for not making it easier for employees to work from home.

People

Does pay-for-performance harm women?

Some readers argue that performance-based pay systems run the risk of exacerbating personal biases in the federal workplace.

Digital Government

Blog Briefs: Military spouses, Hollywood actors, health IT and vets debriefed

A roundup from the blog rolls of the federal government.

People

No laurels yet for open directive

The praise for President Barack Obama’s Open Government Directive has been tempered by concern that agency officials will not embrace it.

People

Certifications: A false sense of security

FCW readers say a certification program is not the answer to the federal government's concerns about cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity coordinator faces political gauntlet

Howard Schmidt faced a difficult path to his new job as Obama’s cybersecurity coordinator, but now he must tread more carefully than ever, according to news reports and blogs across the Internet.

People

The dawn of the 2.0 presidency

The foremost story of 2009 has been the transition from the Bush administration to President Barack Obama's administration -- and all the power shifts that trickle down through technology, policy, procurement and management in government.

Digital Government

The news of 2009: From buzz to bust

Some stories christened by the Buzz of Week in 2009 have proven less buzz-worthy than others.

People

Information Age requires new breed of federal supervisors

The next generation of federal supervisors will have to demonstrate a different set of competencies—namely, the ability to manage independent, knowledge-based, internally motivated workers as well as greater supervisory flexibilities improved communication.