Ideas
Has Hathaway's Star Fallen?
A lot of names are being floated around as possible picks for the position of cyber czar, and interestingly enough, none seem to be Melissa Hathaway.
Digital Government
A Real Hooah Airman
Although "hooah" is an Army term not used by the Air Force, in the case of Tech. Sgt. Darrell DeMotta, an Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller I had the pleasure to meet this week at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M., the term definitely applies.
Digital Government
More Lifting of Web 2.0 Prohibitions?
Fellow Nextgov blogger Guatham Nagesh posted an <a href="http://techinsider.nextgov.com/2009/06/army_to_stop_blocking_some_soc.php">item</a> on Wednesday about Wired's <a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/06/army-orders-bases-stop-blocking-twitter-facebook-flickr/">report</a> that the Army ordered its bases to lift barriers on social media Web sites such as Facebook, Flickr and Twitter. The question is, will other military branches and federal agencies follow suit?
Digital Government
Hire Calling
In talking with Norm Lorentz, director in the global public sector practice at Grant Thornton and former chief technology officer at the Office of Management and Budget, on Friday about the challenges and roadblocks to recruiting and retaining top notch IT workers to the federal government, there was one overarching theme: the federal hiring process.
Ideas
Recovery RFQ Only for Alliant Vendors
As my colleague Robert Brodsky <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090602_5138.php?oref=search">reported last week</a>, the Recovery Board <a href="https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=1b3ec144c7c80e70622d6600cf519697&tab=core&_cview=0">issued an RFQ this morning</a> for the redesign of the <a href="http://www.recovery.gov">Recovery.gov</a> Web site.
Modernization
Army gives soldiers access to Twitter, Facebook
A recent Army order directs network managers to give soldiers access to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
People
Soundoff: Feds air complaints about contractors
A number of federal employees take issue with a report that suggest agencies proceed cautiously when converting contractor jobs to staff positions.
Digital Government
Commission: DOD has acquisition problems in Iraq, Afghanistan
The Defense Department has too few trained acquisition employees to keep up with the increasingly expensive operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, commission states.
Modernization
New NASA site orbits around manned space flight
A new NASA Web site is designed to let the public participate in reviewing the future of manned space flight.
Modernization
GAO: Avoid fragmented broadband policies
The FCC should work with other federal agencies to avoid a fragmented approach on national broadband policies, a new report states.
People
Firm says Chopra wants innovation in health IT
CTO Aneesh Chopra is seeking to improve innovation in government health IT by seeking new procurement channels to increase input from vendors, according to a research firm.
Cybersecurity
TSA names Garrison-Alexander as CIO
The Transportation Security Administration has has named former senior National Security Agency signal intelligence executive Emma Garrison-Alexander as its CIO.
Modernization