Digital Government

Chiefs Want to be iPad, Kindle Friendly

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stands out as a social media pioneer in the Defense Department, having <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/07/jcs_chair_on_facebook_with_lot.php>launched</a> his own Facebook page in July 2009 and is a regular Tweeter.

Ideas

Broadband Legal Battles Loom

A legal battle looms on the horizon after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski released plans today on how the agency would fight to restore regulatory powers over the Internet.

Ideas

Apps Speed NY Subway Commute

While Washingtonians are just grateful when Metro subway cars move, some New Yorkers want mobile apps that will point them to the most convenient seats in New York City Transit cars.

Ideas

Virtual Worlds on the Rise

In her blog on Thursday, Paulette Robinson, the assistant dean for teaching, learning and technology at the National Defense University, <a href=http://science.dodlive.mil/2010/05/06/virtual-worlds-in-government%E2%80%A6-oh-my/#more-2056>posted an item</a> on Thursday about her effort to create a group in the federal government to talk about the use of virtual worlds in the federal government. It started out slow she said, but now the Federal Consortium for Virtual Worlds has 1,600 members - and a <a href=http://www.ndu.edu/irmc/fcvw/fcvw10/index.html>conference</a> starting May 13.

People

Living with stovepipes

Effective executives learn to reap the benefits of stovepiped organizations while still enabling collaboration, writes blogger Steve Kelman.

People

Acquisition 2.0 can breathe new life into battered workforce

More online engagement with the private sector could help federal acquisition workers develop better solicitations in less time, according to one reader.

Digital Government

Cyber Workers Need Training

A new report by Cisco and (ISC)2 highlights the importance of training and obtaining professional certifications to current and future federal information security workers, particularly as chief information security officers increasingly move into more managerial and policy-focused roles.

Modernization

Eye in the sky: NOAA satellite program aids oil spill response

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's satellite organization has a test imagery program that's getting some real use in fighting the oil spill in the Gulf.

People

Acquisition hiring can be a hit-or-miss proposition

Without a standard checklist to refer to when hiring for your agency's acquisition workforce, blogger John Klossner writes that the ability to decipher nonverbal clues may be the next best thing.

Digital Government

Open source is NASA's next frontier

NASA's new CTO proposes a brave new universe for the space agency -- one in which officials will have to conquer their fears of open-source projects.

Digital Government

HHS' Easy Decision Database

Sorting through health insurance options is no picnic. Too many choices, not enough easy-to-find information.

People

Telework improvements bill falls short in House vote

The House of Representatives today failed to pass the Telework Improvements Act that would direct federal agencies to name telework coordinators and to set policies to maximize use of teleworking.

Acquisition

Here's the pitch: An acquisition workforce reality show

As with all things in our culture, if we really want the world of acquisition training to be better known and understood, we need to create a reality show for it.

Acquisition

Is open source the cure for what ails VA's e-records?

An industry group convened by VA CIO Roger Baker is advising that VistA move to an open source platform and phase out MUMPS.

Digital Government

Online knowledge management tool keeps FAA inspectors on same page

Federal Aviation Administration air facility inspectors centralize their information in an online resource library.

Digital Government

Winning strategies for workplace knowledge management

The explosion in avenues of communication means everyone has a voice and wants to be heard, and the office is no exception. The result is a flood of innovation that can boost an organization's production and morale exponentially.

People

4 strategies for nurturing a Web community

Public engagement is "about really bringing people together in a problem-solving community," said Lena Trudeau, vice president of NAPA. A new report from the group recaps past experience and offers suggestions for future conversations.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity failings defy answers

Readers share their theories about why cybersecurity is so lousy in the federal government.

People

TSA wary of airbags; SSA wary of misinfo; Air Force wary of Ash

A sampling of the best posts from the federal blogosphere during the past two weeks.

Cybersecurity

Blogger Spotlight: TSA's Blogger Bob

Curtis 'Bob' Burns brings subject-matter expertise and a sense of humor to the Transportation Security Administration blog.