Modernization
Social media, virtual town halls and the top tech of 2009
How to win over social media holdouts; virtues of virtual town hall meetings; the best tech of 2009.
Acquisition
Insourcing: It's still more with less
It's time to use available commercial technologies and business practices and bring federal acquisition into the 21st century, Bruce Sullivan writes.
People
New law has engineers poised for more management duties
The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 highlights the need to give systems engineers greater responsibility and authority, writes John A. Thomas.
People
Obama gives the heave-ho to DOD pay for performance
One union official said the National Security Personnel System was grounds for a class-action lawsuit and stripped employees’ rights to collectively bargain pay rates with union backing.
Modernization
Two cases for the cloud
The Defense Department chose a private cloud, and Arlington County, Va., turned to a public offering to address their information technology needs.
People
4 approaches to pay for performance
Experts suggest various ways the Obama administration could move toward pay for performance without repeating the mistakes made with NSPS.
Cybersecurity
Government spending on cybersecurity to grow
Input predicts that the government's cybersecurity spending will increase to $11.7 billion in 2014, a compound annual growth rate of 8.1 percent.
People
Research questions link between pay and performance
A researcher has found that the closer the link between pay and performance, the lower the level of performance.
Ideas
Fed Faces Don't Satisfy the Public
When <a href="http://www.foreseeresults.com/">ForeSee Results</a> released its third-quarter e-government satisfaction scores this week, the big news was that public satisfaction with federal Web sites had <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091027_3610.php">reached a record high.</a>
Ideas
Lieberman previews cybersecurity bill
Another day, another cybersecurity bill. Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., previewed the bullet points of a measure he plans to introduce later this year, which includes procurement reform that requires vendors to comply with security standards when selling technology solutions to federal agencies.
Digital Government
IT Job Simulations
A new <a href="http://www.mspb.gov/netsearch/viewdocs.aspx?docnumber=452039&version=453207&application=ACROBAT">report</a> by the Merit Systems Protection Board touts the use of job simulations in helping certain agencies select the best candidates for federal jobs. The report also notes that such simulations are being used by agencies to identify top candidates for information technology positions and/or to pinpoint specific technical skills. In these simulations, agencies present applicants with realistic, job-related situations and document their behaviors to help determine their qualifications for the job.
Digital Government
Making Healthy Choices
The annual open season for making decisions on your federal health plan begins Nov. 9, and Tammy Flanagan's <a href="http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?filepath=/dailyfed/1009/103009rp.htm&oref=search">Retirement Planning column</a> has some useful tips to consider when selecting a plan for next year. With employee premium contributions rising an average of 8.8 percent this year, it might be wise to weigh alternatives to your current plan.
People
Vendors flock to HHS's health information exchange
HHS' Connect software for health information exchange has been distributed to hundreds of organizations that who are starting to use it.
People
As NSPS ends, employees wait for what's next
Details about how DOD's pay-for-performance system will end—and what will replace it—are still being worked out, experts say.
Cybersecurity
Lieberman outlines plan for cybersecurity legislation
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) today detailed his goals for comprehensive cybersecurity legislation he plans to introduce.
Digital Government
Windows 7 and netbooks: A bad mix
The Lab tests Windows 7 on streamlined notebook computers, only to find that the new OS reduced performance benchmarks substantially.
Digital Government
Microsoft investigates Windows 7 upgrade troubles
The complaints started late last week in the Microsoft Answers forum for Windows 7. Users appear to be experiencing two distinct problems: Windows 7's installation process cutting short at 62 percent completion and endless rebooting.
People
Readers write: Is pay-for-performance harmful or good?
The impending demise of DOD's pay-for-performance system has provoked some strong reactions, and many commenters are not sorry to see it go.
Digital Government