Innovation is a buzz word in federal Washington. But what does it mean really? Harvard University recently called the National Archives’ Citizen Archivist Initiative one of the best government innovations. NARA chief innovation officer Pam Wright says it’s about getting the public to help the agency organize its treasure trove.

Over the past decade, the Department of Homeland Security has poured money and resources into securing the nation’s borders. Illegal immigration to the United States has dropped. But a new report suggests one might not have much to do with the other. John Whitley is a former DHS official and one of the authors of the Council on Foreign Relations report “Managing Illegal Immigration to the United States.”

What might be the nation’s most critical infrastructure is mostly out of sight. It’s the system that produces and delivers drinkable water to every tap. The water system needs hundreds of billions of dollars in upgrades from federal, state and local agencies who don’t have the money. The Competitive Enterprise Institute believes a different approach to traditional government contracting can help solve the problem.

President Barack Obama has directed agencies to spend $2 billion on performance-based contracts to improve energy efficiency. Energy Savings Performance Contracts let agencies carry out green projects without investing money up front. Changes are coming to how they operate.