Author Archive
Tech
Tech Force set out to hire 1,000 technologists last year. It’s onboarded 10 so far
The effort is meant to infuse the government with young engineers, cyber and data workers. It follows the loss of almost 20,000 technology workers through the Trump administration’s efforts to downsize the workforce last year.
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Management
The White House is ordering agencies to place its new app on all employees’ government phones
The newly created, often overtly political app places the Trump administration into unprecedented and “dangerous” territory, IT experts say.
Management
DOGE is about making government services easier to access, its head says
In a rare public speaking appearance in which DOGE was discussed, its acting administrator Amy Gleason painted a different vision of its work than that pursued during the government-slashing efforts last year.
Tech
USDA is using AI, but doesn’t have the required controls to manage risks, watchdog finds
The Agriculture inspector general noted the agency has prioritized making use of the technology over setting up controls.
Tech
Inside the effort to connect Congress with the feds enacting its policies
Those writing laws don’t often hear from those charged with implementing them. The POPVOX Foundation wants that to change.
Tech
Education tech chief heads to OMB as deputy federal CIO
Thomas Flagg is a longtime government executive, having worked in the Labor Department for over 11 years prior to joining the Education Department.
Tech
How State finally got online passport renewal to stick
After a failed first rollout, the department reworked how it builds and deploys tech, bringing frontline staff into the process and scaling a system that’s now handling millions of renewals.
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Management
House votes to make IRS publish call metrics online
The bill would require the tax agency to release detailed, real time and monthly call metrics. The House also passed a technology proposal meant to move the IRS off paper.
Tech
Treasury missed security controls in giving DOGE system access, GAO finds
The finding is among the first oversight reports Congress’ watchdog has released about the controversial cost-cutting team.
Oversight
Agencies doled out $186B in improper payments last year, GAO says
That fiscal year 2025 improper payment number is up by $24 billion from the previous fiscal year, even as the Trump administration says that it’s tamping down on fraud.
Tech
IRS lacks transparent plans to leverage tech in the face of staffing cuts, GAO and employees say
Agency leaders are “shoving AI at us,” one IRS employee said, despite the fact that “they don’t have the right tools for us yet.”
Management
Transportation touts air traffic control modernization, presses Congress for more funding
After decades of stalled efforts, DOT says its scaled-back modernization is on track, but needs billions more to finish, as lawmakers weigh the price and past failures.
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Management
VA has touted appointment wait time reductions, but new data shows a more mixed reality
A comparative analysis of select wait-time data for new patients at more than 100 medical centers indicates the department has made progress in some areas, but not all.
Workforce
OPM cuts degree requirements for government tech jobs in new standards
The changes have been years in the making and represent a federal hiring apparatus more focused on applicable skills than specific backgrounds.
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Workforce
OPM seeks cybersecurity talent to join Tech Force
"Through Tech Force, we’re recruiting highly skilled cybersecurity professionals to take on real challenges and strengthen the government’s defenses where it matters most,” OPM director Scott Kupor said in a statement.
Management
Appeals court clears the way for DOGE to access Social Security data despite new red flags
The Friday decision follows a January court filing in which the government conceded that DOGE associates may have improperly accessed sensitive data at the agency.
Tech
Treasury is creating a database with pandemic aid recipients’ sensitive information
Critics say the scope established in the agency’s systems of record notice “is an astonishing and dramatic departure from prior Treasury practice.”
Tech
The IRS wants to shrink its workforce by nearly 4,000 — and use technology to make up the difference
“Without modernization, the IRS would be unable to sustain performance with a reduced headcount,” the budget document says.
Tech
Social Security delays launch of centralized claims system amid staff anxiety
The agency is postponing the rollout of new, national systems the same month they were set to be deployed. It was still working out specifics for how it would move claims processing to a national setup.
Tech
IRS’ move away from paper checks has delayed tax refunds for nearly 1.5 million Americans
Other government agencies are also moving away from paper checks. The Social Security Administration has warned claimants still receiving their benefits via paper checks that their benefits could be disrupted.
