FCW Insider: August 10, 2021

The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.

DOD moves to mandate COVID-19 vaccines by September

The Defense Department plans to require COVID-19 vaccines for civilian, military and contractor personnel as early as September.

OMB report highlights major barriers to equity in federal programs

Onerous paperwork, complex requirements and opaque guidelines are just some of the many roadblocks preventing racial equity across government services, a new report says.

Comment: Why digital transformation is a process, not a destination

The agencies that may feel they don't have the time to fully implement digital transformation are the very ones that stand the most to gain.

Quick Hits

*** The Government Accountability Office declined a protest from vendor Salient against awards made in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's $2 billion, 10-year Business Oriented Software Solutions (BOSS) contract. Five awards were made to vendors under the BOSS contract this April.

*** The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service announced the expansion of a partnership with the Social Security Administration that allows applicants for lawful permanent resident status to apply for a Social Security number as part of the same status adjustment process.

"Eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy and optimizing collaboration across public-serving agencies is a key priority for this agency and the Biden-Harris administration," USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou said in a statement.

*** A new report from the Partnership for Public Service found a dramatic uptick in the number of Senate-confirmed positions in government and increases in the time it takes for officials to win Senate confirmation.