Modernization
Delays in Networx transition put cloud computing decisions on hold
Officials are considering cloud services, but don't want to commit to them until they are further along in their move to the new telecommunications pact, vendor says.
Ideas
Policy on Fixing Reports Reversed
The board overseeing stimulus spending, acknowledging inaccuracies in job-creation data, has reversed a policy barring recovery fund recipients from fixing mistakes after reports are due, board officials announced on Tuesday.
Digital Government
House backs e-standards for financial reports
Measures are designed to make it easier for people to search data from firms that receive federal funds.
Ideas
Biz-Filing Transparency Bill Moves
The House on Monday evening approved legislation that would make it easier to scrutinize data on companies receiving federal funds. It would require corporations to file activity reports to agencies in a uniform business language and require agencies to ensure the public can view the standardized financial information.
Digital Government
Open government could present a challenge to intelligence agencies
Transparency advocates say recently released directive changes the circumstances driving the decisions to keep some information from being posted online.
Ideas
Transparency Bill Moves Onward
A House committee on Thursday passed legislation that would make it easier for citizens to download and search information on the finances of companies given government money. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee agreed to add the measure to a bill that is moving faster, S. 303, the 2009 Federal Financial Management Improvement Act.
Modernization
State and Mexican billionaire team on texting to fight drug violence
Department forges a partnership with Carlos Slim to let civilians discreetly text incidents of drug-related violence.
Ideas
Toast To Transparency
In Washington on Tuesday night, the Sunlight Foundation is hosting an impromptu transparency happy hour to "mull" over the open government directive that the White House issued this morning.
Digital Government
White House issues demanding open government directive
Agencies must deliver numerous online initiatives in a staged roll out to foster a more transparent government and greater interaction with the public.
Ideas
Open Government Directive Arrives
The White House, <a href="http://techinsider.nextgov.com/2009/11/remember_the_open_government_directive.php">at long last</a>, has a release date for the transparency directive that President Obama announced on his first day at work: Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 11:00 a.m.
Digital Government
VA mulling fate of e-learning project, one of 45 it suspended
Former staffers working on the Learning Management System say it should be killed, but program continues providing training while officials allow no new development.
Ideas
Bailout Transparency Bill Advances
A bill aimed at shedding sunlight on bailout spending <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091117_2830.php">finally passed</a> the House this week and now goes to the Senate, where <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090917_7212.php">IT vendors</a>, <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:SN00910:@@@P">several Republicans</a> and the <a href="http://www.cdt.org/blogs/heather-west/tarp-transparency-moves-senate">Center for Democracy and Technology</a>, a civil liberties group, are cheering it on.
Digital Government
Ability to access comments gathered by White House questioned
Much of the citizen input the transition team collected in online sessions to help form policy is no longer available, and critics fear the practice could be applied to other sites.
Digital Government
Mashups of stimulus spending data leads to two fraud investigations
Recovery board's application analyzes immense data sets on recipients of stimulus funds to filter out communities, programs and contractors that could indicate wrongdoing.
Digital Government
VA nixes troubled tech projects
The department ends or slashes funding for 15 IT projects as part of new accountability program.
Ideas
Metro IT Money Unspent
Washington's Metro system has spent only eight percent of the economic stimulus funds it has budgeted for information technology, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The Recovery Act enacted last February provided the beleaguered transportation system with $10.65 million for hardware and software to improve maintenance, monitor network traffic and protect Metro systems for disaster recovery.
Modernization
Could mobile technology have stopped state dinner security breach?
Some IT specialists say better communications among security forces could foil attempts to sneak into White House events, but others say nothing will fix human error.
Ideas
Open Government Directive?
Remember the open government directive - the guidance that President Obama on his first day in office <a href="http://www.eda.gov/PDF/Memo_PresidentObama_FOIA.pdf">memoed</a> his administration about. He said he wanted recommendations by May 21 for regulations -- to be issued by the Office of Management and Budget -- that would put the principles of transparency, collaboration and participation in government into practice.
Digital Government