Weichert says federal employees, data will fuel transformation

Jose Arrieta minced no words about the ReImagine HHS initiative, saying it is the wave of a not-too-distant future.

All an agency needs is a little time on its calendar to start learning about the IT modernization project funding possibilities powered by the Technology Modernization Fund.

Though the Office of Personnel Management was recently roiled by leadership changes, its acting director insists the agency’s initiatives remain on course.

The new acting director unveiled the agency’s plans to offer direct hire authority for IT, cybersecurity and STEM jobs within the federal government during a Thursday media roundtable.

A new joint letter reinforces "both departments’ commitment to ensuring the successful transition from a legacy patient-data system to a modernized one that will continue to support active-duty service members, Veterans and their families."

The Pentagon's No. 2 called on the defense community to support the brand-new command as it works to modernize the military's approach to great-power competition.

Weichert outlined her priorities during a keynote appearance at the Data Foundation's Data Transparency summit on Wednesday.

Microsoft’s cloud computing platform will expand its government services in early 2019, including providing Secret region capabilities for the DOD.

The GSA is requiring users of .gov sites to download and use Google Authenticator as part of their login process.

The Trump administration designated Margret Weichert late Friday to take the helm of OPM following the surprise departure of current director Jeff Pon.

The federal hiring process desperately has to become more flexible to be competitive with the private sector, John Zangardi says.

The team will be built around seven "core team" companies: Leidos, Guidehouse, Accenture, Henry Schein Inc., AbleVets LLC, MicroHealth and ProSource360.

Agency IT leaders said Wednesday Cloud Smart really emphasizes the realization that agencies should be more strategic in moving to the cloud, not just acquiring it because it's a buzzy technology.

Could this be the "enterprise-level, agency-wide transformation" tool the government needs? Lira thinks so.

"We have an unprecedented opportunity."

Hurd is most concerned with getting CFO Act agencies to stand up IT modernization working capital funds and depositing money into them in fiscal 2019.

The Department of Homeland Security is redesigning the technology accelerator it uses to fund and help commercialize new solutions.

The new SIN will offer a range of automated and bot-technology solutions through a list of more than 4,400 vendors.

The awards fall into the same five focus areas, plus a contract for support services for the overall Business Modernization Office.

CIO Rajive Mathur said SSA will make significant progress in modernizing its IT systems as part of its five-year plan, but some legacy systems may remain.

White House officials are betting big that the GEAR Center will provide a fresh avenue for small, innovative companies stymied by the acquisition process.

“Today’s announcement of the NewPay awardees is an important step in our Shared Services journey as part of the President’s Management Agenda,” Federal CIO Suzette Kent said.

It's not enough to help develop quantum computers, experts told a Senate panel. National labs also need to train the incipient workforce that will support them.

GSA's Technology Transformation Service will partner with HUD for a "discovery sprint" to conduct a "comprehensive assessment of the IT needs and challenges facing the department."

A new report suggests a complete overhaul of the federal workforce is needed to ensure the future role of government.

In a proposal released Monday, the agency is planning to update the Special Item Number it uses to sell cloud services to agencies.

It's all about encouraging agencies to continue moving to the cloud while also taking a beat to "ensure that the technology fits the mission."

White House officials are expected to host tech executives Monday to discuss federal efforts to promote research into quantum information science.

Officials said they created a new council to find new acquisition methods for IT modernization, supply chain operations and cost efficiencies.

Dyson oversaw modernization initiatives including moving the SEC to the cloud, leveraging new cybersecurity solutions and transforming the EDGAR system.

"We're in a new world, and security is the standard, it's the expectation, it's not something that's above and beyond what we've done before," Patrick Shanahan said.

HHS hopes to demonstrate how all three together could streamline its buying power by November.

“In the past situations, what we’ve seen historically is that when everyone is responsible, no one is responsible," said GAO's Carol Harris. "I think that’s what has led us to where we are today."

As Congress debates whether to fund the TMF in 2019, its board members are already weighing new IT modernization projects.

Ongoing efforts at IT modernization are fueling a potential 32 percent surge in federal cloud spending in fiscal 2018, according to Bloomberg Government.

Trump administration officials met with industry experts Wednesday to discuss how to redesign the federal workforce for the 21st century.

It could take a massive redesign of skills needed in the workforce to utilize the technology to ensure the government can capitalize on AI's potential.

Empowering leadership, improving cross-team alignment and sharing stories of success are just a few of her early guideposts.

The department recently joined the trend of federal bug bounty programs, which boost cybersecurity resources in ways that traditional methods probably can't.

John Zangardi wants to use the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract as a vehicle to help overhaul the agency’s aging IT infrastructure and has established an EIS program office to oversee the transformation.

The Fairfax, Virginia, technology company secured the Group E contract of the CDM DEFEND program, ManTech officials said. Nine federal agencies are involved.

The bill seeks to codify the Department of Homeland Security’s signature cybersecurity program and provide new strategy and technology.

Mobile devices are providing some unique challenges for CDM officials, who are building cyberdefenses against a wave of variables.

“We have to be iterative in the technology work that we do and we have to be iterative in the policies that support those,” the federal CIO says.

Genevieve Morris said the program is headed in a direction that is different than she anticipated.

The President's Management Agenda urges agencies to increase efficiency. Process robotics is a way to do that, Mick Mulvaney says in new guidance.

OMB knows it’s not easy to bring new ideas to the federal government, so that’s why it wants to set up its new research center outside of it.

"I've threatened this before, but if other agencies aren't going to go after the rest of that money — I am," Department of Energy CIO Max Everett said.

Olson will oversee GSA's technology acquisition arm, including its IT Modernization Centers of Excellence initiative.

Intelligence community leaders didn't envision how much agencies' cloud usage would grow in just a few years, says Sue Gordon of ODNI.

At FedTalks 2018, top officials from DOT and CBP discussed how people play an essential role in ensuring that automation and other technologies are used to the fullest extent.

New agency CTO Ed Simcox will take over in an acting capacity.

Agencies looking to transform their IT infrastructures with technologies like cloud better take a long look at their data first, two former CIOs told FedScoop.

The agency is ready and willing to advise others looking to get in on the efficiency-boosting technology.

Zielinski has seen a quick rise as an IT acquisition leader at GSA.

Continuing resolutions, the weapon of choice for financing the government for the past dozen years, could be a way for the TMF to sidestep appropriators.

Investments are undergirded by a surge in IT spending, with 14 percent growth between 2016 and 2017.

The agency put out a request for information this week.

Amid both a massive reorganization and ongoing IT modernization efforts, the General Services Administration is losing its technology chief.

Finding more efficiency in the ATO process has been a conundrum for public and private sectors, but an 18F team thinks they may have finally cracked it.