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Buzz Factor: FCW's most-read stories

With the fiscal 2011 budget settled, the 2012 budget now takes center stage.

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Is pay for performance doomed to fail?

Pay for performance may be coming back, even though past efforts have failed. Do you think it stands a chance in the federal government?

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Why outsourcing IT expertise could be a big mistake

As tempting as it sounds, federal agencies cannot afford – literally – to rely on contractors for technology innovation, at least according to one contractor.

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Agencies update progress on transparency plans

Federal agencies are publishing charts, graphics and progress reports on their open government efforts.

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Telework guidance incorporates Telework Act

The Office of Personnel Management on April 18 issued a telework guide to help agencies implement the Telework Enhancement Act and to serve as a resource on the law for rank-and-file feds.

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VA starts telework tax credit

Virginia companies are being offered cash in exchange for starting telework progams.

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Are smart phones bad for collaboration?

We might be entering a new Tower of Babel age in which the proliferation of devices and standards makes it harder, not easier, to collaborate, writes consultant Dennis McDonald.

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Aging, customized applications are bugaboo of IT management reform

Modernizing old applications could free a lot of money that is sunk into operations and maintenance, write two executives at Unisys Federal Systems.

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Look north for ways to save on IT

The United States could learn from the Canadian government's performance evaluation process for IT hardware, writes Advanced Micro Devices' Rick Indyke.

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Can agencies pay enough to attract top IT talent?

In the various debates about outsourcing, insourcing and federal pay, one issue almost always comes up: The tough competition for IT talent.

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Kundra agrees with Obama on IT purchasing

The federal CIO agreed with President Barack Obama's comments on April 14, in which he complained about how the government buys IT.

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Feds: No joy in being the national punching bag

Federal employees don't enjoy the constant attention they are receiving from elected officials and political commentators.

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As federal awardee database opens, debate about openness continues

Watchdog groups and business groups are wrestling over what contractor information should be available to the public as part of the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System.

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HHS spent $1.6B on advisory committees over 10 years

The Health and Human Services Department was by far the highest spender on federal advisory committees, accounting for about half the total federal spending on such committees for 2001 to 2010, according to a new GSA website.

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OMB looks for progress on improved performance

Senior Obama administration officials are interested in how agencies have improved themselves based on their priorities during the last year.

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Performance officers lack authority, report says

A report says federal performance officers don't have real clout.

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Federal slackers: What's the real story?

FCW cartoonist John Klossner suspects the frequent stories about underperforming feds is creating an unrealistic picture of the federal workforce.

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Be honest now: Is the federal workforce over-staffed?

Some readers agree with the congressional leaders that agencies could trim their staff without any measurable impact on services. What do you think?

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House member says he can save feds' transparency websites

Rep. Darrell Issa, an advocate for open government, has pledged to prevent fed transparency sites from being shut down despite budget tightening.

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Improving the purchase card program

The government purchase card has made procuring low-cost items much easier, but there are ways the program could be improved, writes Steve Kelman.