FITARA and Friends

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The Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) was enacted in December 2014 with a goal of promoting IT modernization and workforce development for the employees who will work with and manage that modernized IT.

FITARA is focused on four key areas:

  • Data Center Consolidation
  • IT Portfolio Review Savings
  • Incremental Development
  • Risk Assessment Transparency

[Tweet "The Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act is focused on 4 key areas. #GovEventsBlog"]The overarching goals of this Act are more effective use of technology financially (through government-wide purchasing where applicable) as well as better security and usability.  The Act also aims to give more authority to Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in making strategic and budget decision regarding technology use and purchase.[Tweet "FITARA and Friends: Modernizing Government IT. #GovEventsBlog"]

To help speed along progress, Congress has passed a number of other Acts that support these goals. Continue reading →

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

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Going into its (lucky) thirteenth year, the recognition of October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) is becoming as integral to fall as football, sweaters, and pumpkin spice everything. Championed by the National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) of the Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance, Cyber Security Awareness Month is an annual campaign to raise awareness about the importance of proper cyber behavior in our personal and professional lives.[Tweet "October is Cyber Security Awareness Month. #GovEventsBlog #NCSAM"]

In 2016, the NCSAM campaign saw over 151 million impressions of the hashtag #CyberAware, over 43,000 hits to NCSAM webpages, and more than 85 partners hosted NCSAM events. 2017 is shaping up to expand the reach of the program with five themed weeks of activity:

  • October 2-6 - Simple Steps to Online Safety
  • October 9-13 -Cyber Security in the Workplace is Everyone's Business
  • October 16-20 - Today's Predictions for Tomorrow's Internet
  • October 23-27 - The Internet Wants YOU: Consider a Career in Cyber Security
  • Week 5: October 30-31 - Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyber Threats

Continue reading →

Tips to Getting Your Agency to Say “Yes” to Training

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With the government budget funded at least for the short term, agencies can breathe a small sigh of relief and begin making plans for beyond September 30. While most would agree training is a critical piece of getting and keeping a motivated and informed workforce, it still tends to be an "easy" line item cut especially in times of uncertainty.

Whether you are in charge of setting a training budget or simply seeking to get approval for yourself to attend an event, there are several ways you can work to get the funding you need. Here are a few tips: Continue reading →

I Work, You Work, We Cowork: Using Coworking Spaces for Events

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One study estimates that by 2020, more than 40% of the American workforce (60 million people) will be independent workers--freelancers, contractors, and temporary employees. With this steady growth in the independent workforce, the market for short-term, temporary workspaces has boomed.

Coworking spaces are designed for short-term use by freelancers and small companies. These coworking spaces provide an interesting option for event space. Just like the diverse workforce they serve, these spaces vary greatly in what they offer. Some are open spaces with desks available for rent, others have closed offices, and some even offer child care.[Tweet "Coworking spaces provide an interesting option for events. #GovEventsBlog"]

These spaces provide great options for event organizers. From renting out a full suite, to reserving conference rooms, there are a number of ways these venues can provide a flexible meeting space for a variety of events. We've created a list of several different coworking options that are hospitable to event planners. Continue reading →

Identifying and Overcoming the Challenges of Electronic Records

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Moving to electronic records makes sense on so many levels. There are the environmental impacts of less paper as well as reducing the need for real estate to simply house file cabinets. Electronic records also allow for more transparency and access to data for citizens and government alike, leading to more effective sharing of data and collaboration between agencies as well as more efficient workflows. The digitization of government is in many ways a "no brainer." But, just because it makes eminent sense, does not mean it is easy.[Tweet "Identifying and Overcoming the Challenges of Electronic Records in Government. #GovEventsBlog"]

 

There are so many considerations when moving to electronic records. First, it is difficult to backfill old content into today's digital systems. You cannot simply upload terabytes of pdfs and make them searchable. Moving forward, an enterprise digital strategy is needed to ensure documents and information are created in a way that can be digitized, searched, and shared. Continue reading →