Weekly Round-up – December 09, 2011

Gadi Ben-Yehuda

• You Can Take It with You. Two articles on Mobile Web this week: first, from Aaron Smith of Pew Internet Research, “Americans and Mobile Computing: Key Trends in Consumer Research” and Max Cacas writing in Signal interviews Gwynne Kostin about government use of the moblie Web. Take-away quote:

“One of the biggest challenges we see is that many people think of mobile as little Web,” says Gwynne Kostin “Mobile is a new animal. . . it’s a different form factor, it’s a different movement factor, it’s a different location factor, and it’s different in terms of its capabilities.”

• And You Probably Should: On Fast Company, an article on how results-only workplaces are better for employees (and employers), and on Federal Computer Week, an article on how teleworking in government is evolving.

Dan Chenok

• GSA looking to improve incentives through better use of cost-plus contracts.
• Administration leads work toward international data development platform.

John Kamensky

• GAO: Here’s a good update report on OMB’s IT Dashboard: IT Dashboard: Accuracy Has Improved, and Additional Efforts Are Under Way to Better Inform Decision Making.
• More Cost Cuts: The White House released a presidential memo on performance-based contracting for energy savings as part of its Better Buildings Initiative. The new memo directs agencies to “identify in the Department of Energy’s Compliance Tracking System (CTS) any ECMs that have been implemented, and ensure that the CTS is regularly updated.” . . . is this presidential memo in compliance with OMB guidance implementing the Plain Language Act? Fortunately, the accompanying press release explains that what the memo means is that agencies are directed to produce $4 billion in energy savings over the next two years!

The Business of Government Radio Show: The Business of Government Magazine Fall/Winter 2011

The Business of Government Hour features a conversation about management with a government executive who is changing the way government does business. The executives discuss their careers and the management challenges facing their organizations.

The show airs fives times a week on two radio stations in the DC Metro Area.

On this week’s program, we survey the intersection where leadership, complex challenges, and the need for transformation meet. Our guests are Dr. Paul Anastas, Linda Gibbs, Robert Hale, David Lebryk, David Matsuda, Beth McGrath, Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, Dr. Nick Nayak, and Jonathan Woodson, M.D. Hear their insights, lessons learned, and recommendations.

Broadcast Schedule: Saturday, December 10 at 9:00 a.m & Friday, December 09 at 2:00 p.m on CBS Radio 1580AM on For those outside of the Washington, D.C. area, you can listen to our live webstream on CBS Radio 1580AM. Monday, December 12, at 11 a.m., Wednesday, December 14, at Noon, and Thursday, December 15, at Noon on Federal News Radio 1500AM WFED

If you can’t wait, though, you can listen to it or download our interview with Beth and all our interviews at businessofgovernment.org and by searching our audio archives.