Acquisition
GAO uses uses covert testing scheme to assess SBA screening processes
The Government Accountability Office sent applications from four fake firms to the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program to see whether SBA had made progress addressing long-standing oversight issues.
Acquisition
Government watchdog calls out TMF for low rate of cost recovery
The Government Accountability Office said its previous recommendations for the Technology Modernization Fund have not been followed, leading to unrecovered operating costs and unreliable proposal cost estimates for new projects.
People
What’s next for security clearance reform?
Expect new milestones from the DOD’s governmentwide vetting IT and new policies on vetting criteria in 2022.
People
What agency tech leaders think about a U.S. Digital Service Academy
Agency tech leaders sounded off to the Government Accountability Office about the prospect of launching a digital service training school modeled on the military service academies to bring more tech talent into government.
Acquisition
Analysis: Are better debriefings driving down protests?
Beginning 2018, the Defense Department started conducting what are called "enhanced" debriefings that allow for more dialogue with companies after they've lost a contract. That means unsuccessful bidders get more information on where their bid fell short without filing a protest.
Modernization
Coast Guard completes MHS Genesis deployment
The U.S. Coast Guard has completed its rollout of the military's new commercial electronic health record system, following a long journey that was paused during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acquisition
GAO backs Microsoft's protest of $10 billion NSA cloud award to AWS
The Government Accountability Office agreed that aspects of the National Security Agency's evaluation of a major cloud award were "unreasonable."
People
GAO prods OPM to review pandemic hiring
A new Government Accountability Office report says that not compiling the lessons learned from special hiring authorities could "risk significantly hindering the government's ability to recruit, hire, retain and manage its current COVID-19 pandemic workforce as well as for future pandemics or emergencies."
Digital Government
A 60-year-old IRS IT system won't finish modernizing until 2030
The Internal Revenue Service's plan to modernize its key source for individual tax data has seen multiple cost and schedule changes since it started in 2009.
People
Feds could see relief as Public Service Loan Forgiveness gets a reboot
The program, meant to wipe the student debt of eligible public servants, has rejected the vast majority of applications it's received.
Cybersecurity
DHS faces uphill climb with financial systems modernization
The agency made some awards on a long-delayed financial management modernization effort earlier this month, but years of work awaits the agency on establishing an enterprisewide system.
People
GOP lawmakers seek answers on SSA's acting leadership
Five Republicans are asking the Government Accountability Office to clarify legal limits under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of the term and authorities of the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, who was installed after President Joe Biden fired two top leaders in July.
Acquisition
DOD could face $4 billion in pandemic reimbursement payments for contractors
According to a GAO report, the Defense Department may have $4 billion in eligible reimbursements for contractors under the CARES Act.
Cybersecurity
TSA ramps up fuel pipeline cyber strategy
At a Senate hearing, the TSA administrator updated lawmakers on the implementation of two recent cybersecurity directives issued in the wake of the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline.
Modernization
Why VA's electronic health record mega-project is failing
The agency's former top technology official explains how management problems, reliance on outmoded development methodology and lack of customer buy-in are combining to sink (for now) a critical modernization project at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Digital Government
DHS lacks comprehensive strategy to counter violent extremism, report says
The Department of Homeland Security is failing to assess critical external factors and has not yet implemented a data governance framework while developing strategies around terrorism prevention, a new report warns.
Modernization
DOD may be 'overly optimistic' with IT program risks, GAO says
The Government Accountability Office found that DOD often underestimated risks to IT programs compared to its own assessments.
Cybersecurity
Tech can help, but clearance reciprocity is a policy issue
The backlog of security clearance investigations has continued to drop from a 2018 high of 725,000 to 200,000, but agencies continue to struggle with reciprocity issues.
Cybersecurity
TSA's role in pipeline security looks like a weak link to some in government and industry
Questions about whether TSA is rightly positioned to oversee cybersecurity for natural gas and oil pipelines are resurfacing in the wake of the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline.
People
Boosting student loan debt forgiveness could pay off for cyber recruiting
Almost all Defense Department personnel who have sought student loan debt forgiveness have been denied -- a trend that, if unchanged, could make it even harder to recruit and retain tech talent.
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