Understaffing everywhere you look is making employees work into overdrive
Immersive technology has shown real promise in treating both physical and psychological illnesses. It is taking hold at the Veterans Health Administration, enabled by a special network called the Extended Reality Network.
The push for ever-more productivity. The noodging to return to the office. the political comings and goings. The funding uncertainty. It's enough to convince some feds it's time to retire. But think about it first. There's an opportunity cost to retiring.
In the view of one business group, the Federal Data Strategy needs a top-to-bottom rethinking. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation says the strategy simply doesn't serve the needs of a government trying to modernize and digitize.
In today's Federal Newscast: The IRS has its third new technology leader in four months. Reforms to the national security classification system were just passed by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. And a hefty pay raise is in the works for American service members.
The State Department's modernizing program includes a news emphasis on data, what is called, Data for Diplomacy. State gives annual awards to employees who advance the use of data to improve things. Federal Drive host Tom Temin's guest was recognized for how he identified challenges in collecting data about foreign assistance.
The Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General, Joseph Cuffari, is hanging onto his job by a thread. He acknowledge in a hearing that he has deleted messages from his government cell phone, which at least two members of Congress say is a violation of federal records laws.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seems kind of new at a mere 20 years of age. But it has a lot of really old information technology, politely called, "legacy systems." The Government Accountability Office gave DHS a list of recommendations for modernizing. But, as you might have guessed, there's still a lot of work to do.