Lawmakers need to draft a stronger information technology procurement reform legislation that gives agency chief information officers greater control of the infrastructure and business systems, former DHS CIO Richard Spires writes in a column for FCW. He noted that the Obama administration’s HealthCare.gov website woes have thrust the business of buying and managing IT toRead… Read more »
The Thanksgiving lull was a good time for me to read On My Watch. I had retired well before Martha Johnson became GSA Administrator. I was there however, in a high level position, when she was Chief of Staff to GSA Administrator David Barram. During Mr. Barram’s administration, GSA, in my opinion, underwent the mostRead… Read more »
Recent contracting missteps, as reported by the Washington Business Journal (WBJ) and Microtech by the Washington Post, seem to have endangered the Veteran’s Affairs (VA) programs for certifying firms as either Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) or Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB). Although the current certification process is challenging enough, this recent issueRead… Read more »
Photo by ActiveRain After weeks of reports about the debacle known as healthcare.gov (here and here), the latest news and actions around preventing the next IT boondoggle are now headed in the direction of reforming IT acquisition. Although President Obama got in on the action, I do not expect any significant reforms to take place,Read… Read more »
There’s been no shortage of negativity surrounding the government shutdown and near debt default – and for good reason. The federal family and the American people were badly hurt again for partisan political purposes. This shameful development should have never occurred in America, which prides itself on being the world’s role model for democratic governanceRead… Read more »
Too many Americans don’t know what Congress is, or how it works. Congress has most of the political power in the United States. Public support for Congress has reached another all-time low. Our disapproval should be based in reality, not in fantasy, rumor, or ignorance. Our schools don’t bother to teach this stuff. What’s aRead… Read more »
While the government shutdown is over for now, the calamitous costs to America and the world linger. The most blatant financial costs have resulted from a major “sucker punch” to the gut of the fragile U.S. economy. This occurred at an inopportune time for America. Like a boxer absorbing a knock out blow, we wereRead… Read more »
According to the so-called “conventional wisdom” in Washington, the current fiscal impasse should end any day now. This is especially true as Thursday’s deadline fast approaches for dodging a disastrous debt default. Moreover, the American people’s anger continues to grow over the government shutdown. But what is considered to be Washington wisdom these days mayRead… Read more »
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has run out of funds to continue operations and will be forced to close down Thursday until it receives a new appropriations measure. Ninety percent of the NRC’s budget comes from collected fees that must be deposited in the U.S. Treasury and Congress must pass a new funding measure for theRead… Read more »
For years now, the beleaguered federal workforce has paid too high a price for the political ineptitude of Congress. Hard working and loyal public servants should never be used as political pawns in an ideological chess match. Feds are not sacrificial lambs that lawmakers can conveniently use to cover up their own conspicuous failure toRead… Read more »