People

Top Pentagon IT official departs deputy CIO role

Lily Zeleke will be taking over “new responsibilities” at the agency, though it’s still unknown what her new position is.

Digital Government

IRS opens up Direct File to the public

Interested taxpayers will have to watch the IRS website to see when the tool is open for new users.

Digital Government

USDA seeks fellows for its new digital service team

The tour-of-duty positions will “act as firefighters” to address pressing challenges across the Department of Agriculture, according to the agency’s CIO.

Artificial Intelligence

OPM pushes ahead on AI workforce policy, but key deliverables are overdue

The agency announced a job analysis survey on Monday for feds doing AI-related work, but the federal HR shop is lagging on AI in Government Act of 2020 implementation.

Digital Government

Labor Department experiments with AI in unemployment systems

The agency plans to use the current “calm” in unemployment claims to better prepare for the next storm.

Digital Government

Senators look to harden the unemployment system for the next crisis

The White House-backed framework for forthcoming unemployment insurance legislation will retool the way states go after fraud and allows for for oversight of federal investments in UI systems and technology.

Digital Government

House and Senate panels advance bills targeting federal tech

Bipartisan bills focused on government service delivery, contracting, custom code and more have recently been advanced out of committee.

Artificial Intelligence

TMF looks to fund AI projects

The revolving fund at the General Services Administration put out a call for “mission enabling” AI projects on Thursday.

Artificial Intelligence

DHS launches hiring push for new AI Corps

The department wants to hire 50 feds to focus on artificial intelligence.

Policy

Proposal to broaden CBO’s access to government data gets legs in the House

The bill introduced in the House this week would exempt the Congressional Budget Office from data sharing restrictions in the Privacy Act.

Acquisition

Agencies are losing out on software savings, GAO finds

Agencies don’t have the right data and aren’t always checking to make sure they’re not over- or under-purchasing software licenses, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.

Exclusive Digital Government

Interior Department taps first-ever chief digital experience officer from OMB

Andy Lewandowski, who has been a digital experience advisor to the federal CIO for over two years, is starting a new gig at the Department of Interior.

Digital Government

OMB wants public input on privacy impact assessments

A forthcoming request for information includes questions about how agencies procure data about Americans from commercial sources.

Digital Government

IRS gears up to launch Direct File pilot

The pilot will only be available on a limited basis to certain taxpayers.

Emerging Tech

Next digital identity testing at DHS to focus on ‘liveness’ detection

The department’s Science and Technology Directorate is taking applications from vendors that want to participate in testing technologies that claim to determine whether a submitted image is legitimate or a hacker’s spoof.

People

TMF gets a new executive director, issues 3 more awards

The Technology Modernization Fund announced over $70 million in investments on Wednesday.

Digital Government

IRS launches push to clean up its communications

Simplification of notices sent to taxpayers is one of the tax agency’s lines of work under the Inflation Reduction Act.