Digital Government

OMB: Standards will boost financial performance

As part of the Financial Management Line of Business, new accounting standards strive to help consolidate and improve agencies' various accounting practices.

Modernization

Transition: Agencies prepare for the YouTube administration

Obama’s experience using the Web for campaigning and donations will transfer to more connected democracy and IT innovation, a federal official said.

People

OMB: Agencies will reduce security clearance delays

Plans advance to automate clearance process, start policy reforms, increase accountability and expand reciprocity.

Digital Government

GAO Financial reports arent reliable

Individual agencies have improved their financial accounting, but they still need to improve financial systems and internal controls, auditors say.

Digital Government

GAO: OPM should clarify performance appraisals

Agencies must make meaningful distinctions among senior executives when evaluating their performance for pay-for-performance systems to have credibility, auditors say.

People

Sell new bosses on old programs

Officials need to demonstrate business value, leadership and good program management skills.

Digital Government

Auditor IRS must review network audit logs

The agency should also establish and regularly test security configurations on firewalls and routers to block unauthorized network traffic, TIGTA said.

Digital Government

IRS to review modernization program

The Internal Revenue Service might consider slowing future releases of its modernized database even as the system is making significant progress on the number of tax returns and refunds it processes.

People

OMB upgrades tracking tool for IT projects

The tool is designed to make management data more accessible and usable so agencies can more effectively reduce risk, agency says.

Cybersecurity

Chertoff: Hands off FEMA; upgrade IT

The outgoing secretary opposes carving FEMA out of DHS and wants continued progress on IT programs.

People

OPM to job seekers, managers: Talk to us

The personnel management office will survey job applicants and the managers who hire them.

Digital Government

GAO: IRS hasn't evaluated data-sharing program

The IRS plans to extend a pilot program that matches federal and state taxpayer data to spot individuals and businesses that don't pay enough taxes without knowing how effective it is, auditors report.

People

HUD awards IBM $194M financial system contract

The company will modernize the department's core financial and accounting systems under OMB’s Financial Management Line of Business.

People

Transition Watch: Obama urged to be recruiter-in-chief

The new president should issue a national call to service, according to a new survey of federal employees.

People

GAO: Treasury needs to monitor bailout

The department must establish management, accountability and transparency when regulating the $700 million financial relief program, the Government Accountability Office reports.

People

GAO: Mixed progress on SES diversity

The percentage of female and minority senior executives increased overall but declined at one-third of major agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management.

People

Experts tackle guidance to stop cyberattacks

A new group is developing guidelines that would focus on strategies to fix vulnerabilities most often exploited to breach information and network security.

People

Obama names CBO head Orszag as OMB's director

President-elect Barack Obama also promises to put the federal budget under a microscope to eliminate unnecessary programs and require others to be cost effective.

People

Staffer: FISMA bill will pass in the next Congress

The Senate will approve an updated Federal Information Security Management Act previously moved along by a committee, a Senate staffer predicted.

People

Majority of SESers go through their first transition

Surveys report that Senior Executive Service members see knowledge of internal policy and process as important, while presidential appointees see leadership as their top job.