Federal Eye: Obama Marks VA’s 20th Anniverary

President Obama marked the 20th anniversary of the Department of Veterans Affairs today, saying the coming year “will be the true test” of the department’s mission to provide assistance to the nation’s veterans, as many start returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. “Until we reach a day that not a single veteran sleeps on our nation’sRead… Read more »

Security Guidance on Social Media

NIST has posted for public comment a draft of NIST Special Publication 800-53 (Revision 3), Recommended Security Controls for Fedral Information Systems and Organizations. This revision is the first major update of NIST Special Publication 800-53 since December 2005. The proposed draft standard PL4 from the document contains a control enhancement that applies to postingRead… Read more »

ARRA of 2009 and Watching the money

I’d like to get responses from all levels of government on these questions… The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, (a.ka. “ARRA of 2009”) is in the throws of having $825 billions distributed and plans implemented. My cabinet agency is responsible for administering $16.3 billion in assistance, which does not include the $3.92 billionRead… Read more »

Control and Coordination in Federal Administration

Since joining govloop just last month, I have joined several exchanges on topics related to my doctoral dissertation in Economics (title same as this post), which I successfully defended last Friday at George Mason University. Since I mentioned the connection, several members have expressed interest in reading it (at least in part), so I’ve attachedRead… Read more »

Social Media Subcouncil, at your service

In December 2008, the members of the Federal Web Managers Council presented a white paper to the Obama transition team addressing perceived and real barriers as well as opportunities for government entities to engage in a social media environment. Recognizing the challenges many government agencies face in moving towards implementing a social media strategy, theRead… Read more »

Death and taxes

For most of my adult life, I have prepared my own (and my husband’s and my joint) tax returns. There were a few years where I also did the taxes for one of my aunt’s, my father-in-law, and our two sons. I would sit down at the dining room table with all the bits andRead… Read more »