Audit Outlines Missed IT Savings Chances for Agencies

A Government Accountability Office report says federal agencies have largely not developed comprehensive plans to consolidate information technology systems under the PortfolioStat initiative, Nextgov reported Wednesday. Joseph Marks writes GAO identified 200 IT reform opportunities that could save agencies up to $5.8 billion through 2015. GAO’s savings projection is more than double the $2.5 billionRead… Read more »

Report: $20B Up for Grabs in Upcoming NIH IT Competition

Both technology manufacturers and resellers will compete under a potential 10-year, $20 billion government-wide information technology contract vehicle run by a National Institutes of Health office, the Washington Post reported Sunday. Marjorie Censer writes that NIH’s Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center intends to award 50 contracts under the Chief Information Officer-Commodities and Solutions programRead… Read more »

SUCCESS RULE # 24 – Know Your Why

This rule is really only for those who, no kidding, are seeking extraordinary success in their lives, whether it be working out of the “C” suite in corporate America, being a successful entrepreneur, becoming a movie or music star, an SES in the government, a senior NCO or Officer in the military, a great momRead… Read more »

Structure in Threes: Process Value

About two decades ago I was fortunate enough to collaborate with several brilliant people in IBM working in manufacturing research. One of them Dr. Arno Schmachpfeffer had coauthored a paper in the IBM Journal of Research call Integrated Manufacturing Modeling System. One of the key aspects of the paper was a taxonomy of activities inRead… Read more »

PRIME Leadership – Trend 2: Risk

This article was originally posted by Dan Chenok on the IBM Center for the Business of Government blog. It is part of a series called “PRIME Leadership,”* examining six trends driving government. Given budget austerity and increasingly complex challenges facing government executives, managing risk in the public sector has increasingly taken on new significance. RisksRead… Read more »

5 Ways to Avoid Federal Burnout

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” – Audrey Hepburn 5 Ways to Avoid Federal Burnout: Take on new projects…for instance, if you are interested in social media and you want to learn more about it, ask your boss if you can work on optimizing your company’s social media presence. That’s what IRead… Read more »

Veterans Day: Fighting for America Means Not Having to Fight for Jobs

This Veterans Day there’s good news on the job front for vets. As our nation comes together to honor the many sacrifices of our courageous veterans, OPM reports the following: “In Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, the Executive Branch of Government hired the highest percentage of military veterans in over 20 years, surpassing the previous highRead… Read more »

What Federal Employees Can Learn From the Failures of Abraham Lincoln

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln’s life story at a glance: Failed in Business – Bankruptcy, 1831 Defeated for Legislature, 1832 Sweetheart/Fiancee Dies, 1835 Nervous Breakdown, 1836 Defeated in Election, 1836 Defeated for U.S. Congress, 1843 Defeated againRead… Read more »