Modernization

FBI picks new technology chief

The FBI has named Jeffrey Johnson as the bureau's chief technology officer and assistant director for its Office of Information Technology Systems Development.

People

OMB on hunt for programs with payment problems

Executive Order aims to reduce improper payments by making financial management a priority.

Digital Government

NASA inches towards multi-billion dollar IT contracts

NASA plans to soon open competition for the first of five information technology services contracts that have been estimated to be worth more than $4 billion total.

Digital Government

White House friends GSA, comments on social media

GSA's Bev Godwin, recently returned from a six-month detail to the White House, talks about the advantages of using social media to connect with the public and balancing the ease of using Web 2.0 tools with the challenges of meeting government regulations.

Digital Government

VA, Kaiser to exchange digital patient data

The Veterans Affairs Department and health care provider Kaiser Permanente are collaborating to share patient medical data electronically, starting in December.

Modernization

Could mobile technology have stopped state dinner security breach?

Some IT specialists say better communications among security forces could foil attempts to sneak into White House events, but others say nothing will fix human error.

Ideas

Open Government Directive?

Remember the open government directive - the guidance that President Obama on his first day in office <a href="http://www.eda.gov/PDF/Memo_PresidentObama_FOIA.pdf">memoed</a> his administration about. He said he wanted recommendations by May 21 for regulations -- to be issued by the Office of Management and Budget -- that would put the principles of transparency, collaboration and participation in government into practice.

Digital Government

Following Your Tweets

There's an interesting <a href="http://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/following-your-employees-on">conversation</a> going on at GovLoop about whether it's OK for an agency's official Twitter account to follow the personal Twitter accounts of its employees. Some private sector companies follow their own employees' accounts, which can help promote the idea of being more transparent and open. But it also could raise some concern for employee privacy as well as an agency's public affairs strategy.

Digital Government

Giving Some Thanks on Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so I'm going to doff my grump hat and thank the folks who make this column possible, starting with some really fine military public affairs officers.