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HHS is using big data to improve the cybersecurity of their systems, but also using a layered approach to protect the information. Commerce wants to improve the governance and usability of its data. USDA is creating a big data strategy.
McDonough was recognized for improving the labor-management working relationship at the Food and Nutrition Service.
Cheryl Cook, the Agriculture Department's chief information officer, said she's focusing on governance to improve mobile computing and reduce duplication among IT programs.
DHS, HHS, Interior and USDA all are on board to try out the Total Workplace initiative that focuses on open spaces, hotelling and mobile employees. GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini said a new approach to office space will save money and improve how agencies meet their missions.
The Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is using online identification tools to prevent a loss of expertise and institutional knowledge caused by a growing number of people retiring.
Only $50 million remain for the U.S. Forest Service to fight wildfires. The agency is diverting $600 million from timber, recreation and other areas to fill the gap. Sequestration forced cuts of 500 firefighters and 50 engines.
Doug Keeler, national program manager of Feds Feed Families, says he's not surprised federal employees continue to donate food, even with sequestration and furloughs. Since 2009, the campaign has collected more than 15 million pounds of food, and it's striving for a goal of 25 million by Aug. 28.
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) sends another letter to another agency on ways to cut spending. This is the Senator's second letter in June; he wrote to the DOJ earlier this month.
News and buzz in the acquisition and IT communities that you may have missed this week.
Furloughs at the Agriculture Department are looking increasingly unlikely following Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's request to shift funding and the department's ongoing efforts to find alternative cost savings. A USDA spokeswoman confirmed last week that the department wouldn't have to furlough employees in either the Farm Service Agency or the department's Rural Development division.
Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack can move money in-between accounts within the same bureau, but not across the agency under a special provision called Interchange Authority. Vilsack has officially asked Congress for use of that authority in an effort to stunt the negative effects of sequestration at his agency. At at recent House hearing, Republican lawmakers questioned why more agencies haven't movasked Congress for similar permission.
The CIO Council will add 25 more examples of IT project management excellence to its best practice database. DHS CIO Richard Spires said at the Excellence.gov awards Tuesday the goal of all of these success stories is to share what worked and leave a broader legacy across all of Federal IT.
Doug Nash, the Forest Service's CIO, said he sees great promise in using a PC-on-a-stick to let employees securely connect back to the network, save data from the field and do work from anywhere. Forest Service will release a mobile strategy and architecture in the coming weeks. February 21, 2013
This is the Federal Drive show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources. Today’s guests: Joe Kull, Thad…