Modernization

States launch stimulus-tracking sites

All 50 states are now online with stimulus act Web sites, but they vary in quality and usefulness.

Digital Government

Knowledge retention helps agencies retain employees' expertise

Organizations use knowledge-retention programs to capture workplace wisdom and provide mechanisms for sharing expertise learned from retiring workers.

People

Megacommunities: The next big idea

Cybersecurity, climate change and other complex challenges require a new kind of thinking, two consultants say

Modernization

Cloud computing moves into public safety

Companies introduce software as a service for communications between fire, police and emergency agencies.

Digital Government

Klossner: On your mark, get set, stimulate!

FCW cartoonist John Klossner tries to imagine how agencies might coach employees on how to spend boatload of stimulus bucks on tight deadlines.

Modernization

41 states and DC now publishing tax-expenditure reports

Many states are now releasing tax-break tallies, according to a new report.

Modernization

OMB: Agencies must pay to upgrade Grants.gov

Grant-making agencies must cover the costs to strengthen the governmentwide grants portal to accommodate the crush of stimulus funds applications.

Cybersecurity

DHS grants total millions for IT

The Homeland Security Department announces $970 million in state and local grants that include funding for IT items such as port identification cards, truck-tracking systems and the Real ID Act.

Modernization

FCC preparing national broadband plan

The FCC will take a year to produce a national broadband strategy, but that should not be a problem for stimulus broadband grants, according to one expert.

Cybersecurity

Group wants government cybersecurity CEO

Private sector executives recommend a single leader at the White House level to align the government's cybersecurity efforts.

People

States wrestle with stimulus funding

States are trying to figure out how to manage the huge influx of stimulus funds.

Cybersecurity

Web tools can help agencies collect innovative ideas

Web-based applications for soliciting ideas from workers and the public are only as useful and successful as you make them.

Digital Government

5 secrets of leading-edge technology adopters

Despite the public sector’s reputation as an innovation laggard, there are some government outfits that find that life on the leading edge of technology adoption is the place to be. Their willingness to find and use the latest solutions or existing tools in new ways can give them a jump on delivering benefits to employees and citizens.

Cybersecurity

Interoperability urged for border communications

Sheriffs say local, state and federal officials need to work together to secure the U.S./Mexico border.

People

GAO urges public to report stimulus law waste

The billions available for spending raise the potential for inappropriate use and mismanagement, GAO’s acting comptroller general said.

People

States take growing role in cyber crimefighting

While federal law enforcement agencies investigate many cyber crimes, state and local authorities are gaining increasing abilities to take part.

Cybersecurity

The federal/state balancing act

Federal and nonfederal interests don't always coincide in homeland security intelligence.

Cybersecurity

Napolitano brings information sharing success to DHS post

Since Janet Napolitano took over as Homeland Security secretary in January, she has vocally pledged her support for efforts to share homeland security-related information and intelligence between state, local and federal authorities. Her emphasis on such sharing predates many of the current federally driven efforts to integrate state and local authorities into the national-intelligence apparatus.

Modernization

States see IT, other delays costing them on Real ID

Some state governments project increasing costs for them to implement the Real ID Act because of delays by the Homeland Security Department in making IT and policy decisions, a new report says.

Cybersecurity

Federal 100 winner: Luke McCormack

As chief information officer, McCormack directed a comprehensive IT modernization strategy for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and partnered with other Homeland Security Department components and state and local law enforcement to develop the Law Enforcement Information-Sharing Program ahead of schedule.