Digital Government

37 IGs Report on Agency Tech Challenges Related to $2.4 Trillion COVID Relief Package

A new report shows similar issues with bandwidth, cybersecurity and aging IT systems across government, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Modernization

HUD Officially Moves to Next Phase of Centers of Excellence Program

After 20 months of analysis under Phase I, Housing and Urban Development announced the first two awards to begin improving the agency’s cloud adoption and customer experience.

Modernization

DOD, GSA to Rethink $8B DEOS Cloud Contract—Again

In the works since 2018, the Pentagon’s Defense Enterprise Office Solutions contract remains on hold.

Digital Government

Federal Managers Should Model Self-Care for Their Employees

Government officials offered tips for managing workplaces during unusually stressful times.

Artificial Intelligence

Pentagon’s AI Center Awards $800M Contract Through GSA Center of Excellence Program

The contract is set to provide artificial intelligence-powered analytics tools to “prepare for future warfare operations.”

Emerging Tech

GSA Seeks Support for Challenge Sites, Including Potential New Challenge X Lab

The crowdsourcing Challenge.gov and Citizenscience.gov need program support, as does a potential new testbed for agencies.

Modernization

COVID-19 More Likely to Accelerate Telecom Modernization than Cause Delays, GSA Officials Say

The pandemic has delayed some agency transitions to the $50 billion Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract, but those are outliers, according to program leads.

Modernization

GSA Offers Techniques for Quickly Coding Policy Changes

Coders from the General Services Administration offer examples for how agencies can turn administration policy into digital computer code.

Modernization

GSA Suggests Using ‘Secret Shoppers’ to Evaluate Call Centers

The contact center within GSA’s Centers of Excellence offered a template for using mystery shoppers to measure performance.

Digital Government

Decisions To Reopen GSA Regional Offices Will Be Made At the Local Level

The agency’s open floorplans and other concerns make it difficult to reopen offices, but GSA’s telework culture has kept operations running smoothly, according to an agency official.

Modernization

Centers of Excellence Team With Another Health Agency Amid Pandemic

FDA became the fourth agency in 2020 to join the Centers of Excellence program; ninth overall.

Modernization

GSA to Partner with NIH in Centers of Excellence Initiative

One of the National Institutes of Health agencies will formulate and adopt a modernization strategy under the partnership.

Modernization

GSA Develops Human-Centered Design Buying Guide for Agencies

The buying guide assistance to federal agencies looking to improve their customer experience operations.

Digital Government

GSA Creates Buying Guide for COVID-19 Screenings at Federal Buildings

As the government’s buyer and landlord, the General Services Administration created a central contract vehicle for screening services to prevent infected people from entering federal buildings.

Digital Government

House Lawmakers Accuse GSA of Breaching Ban on Implementing OPM Merger

Oversight panel leaders say newly uncovered emails confirm that the General Services Administration’s pending revocation of the Office of Personnel Management’s building operation authority is part of the plan to abolish the HR agency.

Modernization

COVID Response Delays Awards for GSA’s E-Commerce Platform Pilots

The online purchasing platforms were meant to be awarded and rolled out before the end of the year. But getting agencies equipped with teleworking tech has taken priority.

Digital Government

GSA Warns of COVID-19 Contracting Scam and Price Gouging

After receiving reports of an imposter claiming to hold a GSA contract, officials are reminding agency buyers to verify vendor information.

Digital Government

Perspecta Files Another Bid Protest Over DEOS Contract

The Pentagon’s purchase of a cloud-based office suite will be held up again.

Modernization

GSA to Partner with GAO in Latest Centers of Excellence Partnership

The General Services Administration intends to help the Government Accountability Office stand up an innovation lab.