People

White House to change program assessments

The Obama administration wants analyses of programs instead of merely grading them as successful or unsuccessful.

People

Committee studies public health, research

The federal advisory group on health information technology considers adding public health and research data needs to its requirements for electronic health records.

Modernization

White House wants cloud computing

In the 2010 budget request, the administration calls for cloud computing to be a major part of technology modernization in the federal government.

Digital Government

Chu: IT security a drag on Energy's mission

The Cabinet officer says he intends to balance information security with getting the department's work done faster.

Digital Government

Navy seeks info on NGEN project

Federal Computer Week

Digital Government

Obama plan to beef up tax info system draws mixed reviews

System that pinpoints discrepancies between tax returns and third-party reports has led to recent boost in collections.

Digital Government

Debate heats up over cancellation of GPS backup system

Obama calls for cutting a decades-old electronic navigation system while GAO warns delays in satellite launches threaten the viability of GPS.

Ideas

Stimulating Federal IT Jobs

USAjobs.gov recently posted federal jobs created by Presient Bush's stimulus package -- the 2009 American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA). A search using "ARRA" as a keyword brought up 192 jobs. Not too mnay of those jobs are federal information tech posts, however. A search consisting of "ARRA and information technology" produced just six hits, with two jobs in the Agriculture Department, two in the Housing and Urban Development Department, and one each in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and General Services Administration:

Ideas

When Boosting IT Is A Bad Thing

Getting rid of tax evaders is a good thing. But spending more money on technology to catch them after-the-fact is not, say some federal contracting advocates.

Digital Government

The AHLTA Definition Contest

As dedicated <em>What's</em> fans know, AHLTA, the Defense Department's electronic health record system, used to be known as an acronym standing for the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application.

Digital Government

Familiar Faces On Baker's Bench

At the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on the nomination of <a href=http://techinsider.nextgov.com/2009/03/waiting_on_va.php>Roger Baker as chief information officer</a> of the Veterans Affairs Department on May 6, committee chairman Daniel Akaka, D-HI, asked Baker to introduce any of his friends in the audience.

Modernization

Navy seeks info on NGEN project

The Navy wants comments about technical solutions for the network that will replace the Navy/Marine Corps Intranet.

People

Agencies will feel pinch from Obama budgets

Federal agencies have not heard the last word on spending cuts in the fiscal 2009 and 2010 budgets.

Modernization

Building work starts on SBInet

The construction of 17 permanent towers for the SBInet system at the border of Arizona and Mexico started May 4.