Open Data/Transparency

• NSF develops predictive model to flag improper payments in grants

  NSF’s Payments and Analytics Branch has created an open-source predictive model to flag potential improper payments, and is looking to share its work with other grant-giving agencies.

  Big Data

  January 06, 2021
• NIST updating guidance on facial recognition algorithms

  The pandemic has inspired new uses for facial recognition software, but may require tweaking of algorithms.

  Technology

  January 05, 2021
• ‘Uncertainty’ in budget process after OMB ends call for agency performance metrics

  The Trump administration has suspended a requirement for agencies to set strategic planning goals and to share progress made with Congress and the public as part of the annual budget process.

  Budget

  December 29, 2020
• Congresswoman wants to make sure Trump administration preserves records

  In today's Federal Newscast, House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) wants to make sure President Trump doesn't dispose of any vital presidential records on his way out the door.

  Federal Newscast

  December 22, 2020
• ODNI asks White House to undo ‘overcomplicated’ system for sensitive records

  Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe has asked the White House to repeal an Obama-era executive order putting controlled unclassified information requirements in place.

  Agency Oversight

  December 16, 2020
• Yes, Virginia, federal agencies can be agile

  Census had to dance around pandemic, but it will have gotten the job done.

  Tom Temin Commentary

  December 15, 2020
• Mapping out a transparent approach for the Biden administration

  Every new administration promises transparency and accountability. Typically they say it shortly after entering the Oval Office after the inauguration parade.

  Workforce

  December 10, 2020
• Pandemic Response Accountability Committee flags gaps in federal data sources

  In today's Federal Newscast, a report by the MITRE Corporation found 16 key concerns with the quality and accuracy of data available to the PRAC.

  Federal Newscast

  November 30, 2020
• Agencies improving in CX but need to worry less about digital – more about human design

  Speakers at a virtual summit this week detailed how the pandemic gave their agencies a chance to make long-talked about improvements to customer experience.

  Technology

  November 20, 2020
• VHA cuts FOIA backlog in half, thanks to telework infrastructure

  Michael Sarich, FOIA director for the Veterans Health Administration, said “FOIA programs are going to be fine if our people are fine."

  IT Modernization

  November 10, 2020
• This is not your father’s artificial intelligence

  This week on Federal Tech Talk, Arash Rahnama, head of Applied AI Research at Modzy, joins host John Gilroy to talk about artificial intelligence, data security, data filtering, and federal IT.

  Federal Tech Talk

  November 09, 2020
• Some agencies not fulfilling open data reporting requirements

  The Open Government Data Act calls on agencies to make their data publicly available, and for OMB to track it. Some of it isn't happening says the Government Accountability Office.

  Open Data/Transparency

  October 21, 2020
• DoD to establish data commandments based on new strategy

  The Defense Department finalized its first-ever data strategy focused on eight guiding principles and seven goals to bring some standardization and governance to how the services and agencies manage information.

  Defense News

  October 09, 2020
• PRAC builds data transparency to create ‘citizen watchdogs’ for pandemic fraud

  The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee oversees a bailout about three times as large as what Congress spent on the 2008 recession, but also benefits from advances in data analytics tools that weren’t available to auditors more than a decade ago.

  Agency Oversight

  October 01, 2020