Digital Government

Michigan unveils strategy to garner stimulus IT funds

Faced with high unemployment, a $2.8 billion budget deficit and the struggling automotive industry, Michigan officials hope the federal government's information technology investments provide the state with a long-term windfall.

Digital Government

Recovery.gov asks citizen developers for ways to improve site

Contractors overhauling the site, scheduled to debut on Sept. 28, want online transparency advocates to propose ideas to make spending data available to other sites.

Digital Government

The Tip of the 9/11 GI Bill Iceberg

Top officials of the Veterans Affairs Department revised the figures they <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090923_3317.php>put out yesterday</a> on payments it has made to veterans under the post-9/11 GI bill, and said that of today, only 24,186 vets have received checks, or roughly 12 percent of the 200,000 claims it expected to receive by the end of the summer.

Digital Government

Telework Town Hall

<a href="http://twitter.com/wiredworkplace">Wired Workplace</a> has been trying to follow the <a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23TeleworkTHM">Twitter updates</a> from Thursday's Telework Exchange town hall meeting, at which Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra were scheduled to speak, but surprisingly, there haven't been many tweets. Luckily, Alyssa Rosenberg at <em><a href="http://blogs.govexec.com/fedblog/2009/09/talking_telework_with_opm_dire.php">Government Executive</a></em> and Ed O'Keefe at <em><a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2009/09/berry_teleworking_sales_pitch.html">The Washington Post</a></em> have some details from the meeting.

Digital Government

Intellipedia Backers Receive Gov 'Oscar'

Two federal IT employees were honored on Wednesday evening for their efforts to promote information sharing across the intelligence community through the development and implementation of Intellipedia, a Wikipedia-like clearinghouse of intelligence experience.

Digital Government

Congressman uses social media to collect health care reform feedback

Republican Rep. John Culberson of Texas is using technology from SharedBook to invite his constituents to participate in, comment on and debate a pending health care bill in the House of Representatives.

Digital Government

First draft of a framework for building a Smart Grid unveiled

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke unveils the first draft of a framework identifying existing standards for Smart Grid interoperability, laying out steps needed to address the gaps in these standards. The framework is the first step of a three-phase plan by NIST to develop Smart Grid standards.

Digital Government

OMB needs to ensure more accountability for stimulus spending

Federal auditors question the reliability of impending stimulus reports because neither OMB nor agencies of Recovery Act funds are responsible for assuring the data is accurate.

Digital Government

Telework expansion could save money and diversify hiring pool

Personnel, technology chiefs say IT shortcomings shouldn't hold back agencies from promoting the practice.