Digital Government

Outside analysis can be good indicator of citizens' online needs

Agencies urged not to wait for official guidance on new media to figure out what makes users tick.

Ideas

Obama Tweets to Chill Flu Fears

President Obama joined Facebook, MySpace and Twitter -- all burgeoning online communities -- on Friday in what some are calling an effort to calm hysteria surrounding the swine flu outbreak.

Ideas

Addressing USASpending Problems

Before he was elected to the White House, Sen. Barack Obama was a proponent of putting more information about government contracts, grants and loans online, teaming up with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to introduce the <a href="http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1207/121407n1.htm">2006 Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act</a>, which requires full disclosure on a Web site maintained by OMB of all organizations receiving more than $25,000 in federal funds.

Digital Government

An 'Open Enough' E-Health Record

Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, the Army surgeon general, said he wants the Military Health System to develop an electronic health record that's "open enough" to exchange data with civilian clinicians who provide care to military personnel and their families under the Defense Department's TRICARE health insurance plan.

People

Cyber leaders must coordinate to avoid conflicts

If the Obama administration has three separate offices guiding federal information technology, observers warn that they will need close coordination to avoid confusing overlap.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers attack cybersecurity on multiple fronts

Some experts advise House and Senate leaders to coordinate their cybersecurity efforts.

People

Swine flu news infects social media

Twitter and other social media have proven effective at rapidly spreading information and misinformation about H1N1.

People

Flu funding could go to states

Some of the $1.5 billion that the Obama administration has requested to fight the H1N1 virus – the cause of the swine flu outbreak — could go to state public health disease tracking and monitoring programs.

Digital Government

Ink Tank

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People

Virtual double take

Our cover story on virtual training applications like Second Life may cause some readers to scratch their heads and say, “Wha…?”

People

Telework gets a ‘giddyap’ from OPM

The new director of personnel management wants more employees working from home, for their benefit and for the benefit of others.

Ideas

GovLoop Hits 10,000

<a href="http://www.govloop.com/">GovLoop</a>, the social networking site for federal employees, announced it signed up its 10,000th member in less than a year of operation.

Acquisition

IG fights MAS panel recommendation

A GSA official says IG staffers, who opposes dropping the price reduction clause, is attempting to derail any efforts to carry out the panel’s recommendations.

Cybersecurity

Survey: CISOs dish on FISMA

CISOs generally feel "empowered" in their jobs, but believe FISMA is not worth all the work.

People

A reader's guide to virtual world technology

Here are some links to articles and resources for feds looking to learn more about Second Life and other virtual world technology.

Digital Government

Swine flu response elevates health IT

The outbreak of swine flu that has dominated public health concerns for the past several weeks could be a blessing for the Obama administration's health information technology plans.

People

DOD needs better workforce data

The Defense Department has, at best, a blurry picture of its government acquisition workforce’s skills, a hindrance to assessing its needs.

Ideas

Cyber Review Results Coming Soon

Results and recommendations of the Obama administration's 60-day cyber review will be revealed in the next few days, perhaps as early as Tuesday, said Melissa Hathaway, senior director for cyberspace for the National Security and Homeland Security councils.

People

GSA schedules might get state, local business

Two new House bills would open the General Services Administration's Multiple Award Schedules contracts to state and local governments.