Acquisition

Federal cost-reimbursement contract overview is a mess, GAO says

It is hard to get a handle on federal cost-reimbursement contracts because of missing documentation and incomplete accounting, says a new GAO report

Cybersecurity

DHS' critical infrastructure plan not cyber-secure, GAO says

The Homeland Security Department should reassess its program for working with agencies and industry to secure critical infrastructure from cyber vulnerabilities, GAO says.

Digital Government

Flu pandemic could overwhelm Internet capacity, GAO warns

A severe flu outbreak could overwhelm the Internet as millions of workers telecommuted

Digital Government

Protests: Step by step

You've filed a protest. Now what?

Digital Government

IRS wins some, loses a few in fight against identity theft and data loss

The IRS recorded more than 51,000 cases of taxpayer identity theft in 2008 and paid out $15 million in fraudulent refunds, and a GAO report finds that internal information security weaknesses constitute some of the most significant challenges faced by the agency.

People

Many purchase agreements lack competition, GAO says

Agencies awarded 60 percent of 336 blanket purchase agreements to a single vendor, GAO says.

Digital Government

While security clearances speed up, quality lags, GAO says

Although OPM and DOD have made significant progress in improving the timeliness of the personnel security clearance process, agencies still need to improve the quality of clearance investigations, according to GAO officials.

Acquisition

Agencies late on guidance for insourcing, GAO says

Officials said they are awaiting more guidelines from OMB

People

Likely OFPP nominee has history of standing firm

The White House has not formally announced Daniel Gordon’s nomination for the OFPP administrator job, but administration officials have faced Gordon already.

People

State struggles to track contractor data: GAO

The data contractor personnel tracking system's information is so poor that GAO said it couldn't draw conclusions or recognize trends about contractor personnel numbers.

Acquisition

Senators weigh in on GSA contract award

Some senators have raised concerns about persistent problems with the quality of federal contracting data.

People

GAO lawyer to be Obama's pick for top procurement office

The White House has settled on the acting general counsel at the Government Accountability Office to run the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

Acquisition

GAO finds DOD contractors have made progress on ethics

Some Defense Department contractors and DOD itself have made progress with ethics programs, but improvements are still needed, GAO reports.

Digital Government

Stop-gap funding measure allows more time for appropriations negotiations

The legislation has $4.65 billion for the operations of Congress, GAO, the Congressional Budget Office and other federal organizations.

Cybersecurity

Performance survey gives low grades to Interior, FEMA, Forest Service

Managers at the Interior Department, FEMA and the U.S. Forest Service got low rankings for using performance management data, according to the GAO.

Cybersecurity

DHS struggles to manage billions in IT investments, GAO finds

Despite some progress, DHS still has problems with managing major IT investments, the GAO finds.

Modernization

GAO: DOD needs better process improvement management

The Defense Department isn't meeting all of its statutory requirements for improving processes related to the development, acquisition, and engineering of software and systems, investigators find.

People

Dave McClure to lead GSA's Office of Citizen Services and Communications

McClure said he wants to foster "a more citizen-centered government that is transparent, participatory, and collaborative."

Cybersecurity

Auditors hit HUD, immigration services

USCIS and HUD were scolded for gaps in IT management, but USCIS hit back.

Cybersecurity

Agencies play by different rules on contractor award fees, says GAO

Federal agencies are not being consistent in how they distribute contractor award fees, according to a senior GAO official.