DigitalGov

The U.S. federal government is probably the one of the biggest (if not the biggest) producers of data. Every day, thousands of federal workers collect, create, analyze, and distribute massive amounts of data from weather forecasts to economic indicators to health statistics. Federal government data is a major driver of the American economy as businesses use the data to make decisions or blend the government data into products and services sold to consumers.

Source: The Value of Federal Government Data / DigitalGov – Building the 21st Century Digital Government

All government agencies have a common goal: to serve the public. As the front door to government information and services, we help agencies achieve this goal. We strive to make it easier for the public to find what they need by aggregating and disseminating information about government programs and services.

Source: New USAGov Program Aims to Help Agencies Market Within the Federal Government / DigitalGov – Building the 21st Century Digital Government

Data.gov recently updated its Metrics page to provide greater detail and transparency to the progress of the Data.gov catalog.

SOURCE: Check out Data.gov’s New Metrics Page | DigitalGov

The Office of Information Policy (OIP) is pleased to announce two new topics and dates for our Best Practices Workshop series as we continue this initiative this summer. OIP launched the Best Practices Workshop series in 2014 as a way to share and leverage successes in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) administration across the government. Each workshop in the series focuses on a specific topical area and includes a panel of representatives who share their success stories and strategies. For example, some of the topics covered in the first series of workshops included panels on reducing backlogs, proactive disclosures, and implementing technology in FOIA administration. This series continues to be an opportunity for professionals at every level of the FOIA process to learn from one another and to leverage the successes of other agencies for their own organizations.

Source: FOIA Best Practices Workshop Continues This Summer

Summary: It’s been two years since we laid out the Administration’s plan to transform the Federal marketplace. Here’s a look at what we’ve accomplished, and what’s next. Over the last two years, we’ve focused on our mission to implement the President’s vision for a modern government– one that leverages private-sector best practices to achieve a Federal Government that is smarter, savvier and more effective in delivering for the American people. We’ve saved more than $2 billion through category management and are on track to save $3.5 billion by the end of next year. We’ve seen prices drop by as much as 50 percent of personal computers since the release of the workstation policy. By the end of 2016, 45 percent of the $1.1 billion spent in annual purchases for desktops and laptops will be consolidated into three government-wide contracts. We’ve hit 10,000 users on GSA’s acquisition gateway, an online portal supporting category management. We’ve not only met our small business

Source: Transforming the Federal Marketplace, Two Years In

One of the questions we get asked the most at FedRAMP from our vendors is: “How much will it cost me to get through FedRAMP?” One of the reasons this is a hard question to answer is that comparing cloud providers to each other isn’t even like trying to compare apples to oranges – those are both at least fruit. Comparing a global content distribution network to a government only ticketing and CRM solution and then comparing to a web-based agile project management tool is like comparing an apple to a bike to a television. The size, complexity, and scope of services of the systems varies greatly and makes a comparison incredibly hard. But, just because a question is hard to answer doesn’t mean I shy away from trying to answer it. Recently I engaged with 4 of our cloud service providers to ask them to help us identify the overall costs for going through FedRAMP. In order to have a good place to start, I chose 4 vendors who were relatively similar. All 4 vendors owned their own

Source: How Much Does It Cost to Go Through FedRAMP?

On September 7th, the Office of Information Policy (OIP) released an updated version of its Guidance for Agency Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Regulations, along with an updated FOIA Regulation Template. These resources were first issued in March 2016. OIP has updated them to take into account changes made to the FOIA by the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 and by recent court decisions. As described in OIP’s guidance, while many of the FOIA’s requirements are contained directly in the statute and do not need implementing regulations, there are areas where the FOIA specifically requires each agency to publish regulations and still other areas where regulations are permitted. Moreover, there are aspects of FOIA administration that can be addressed in FOIA regulations as a matter of good practice. The updates to the guidance and accompanying template for agency FOIA regulations include: Notifications to requesters of assistance from FOIA Public Liaisons and the Office of Government

Source: Updated FOIA Regulation Template and Guidance Now Available

The General Services Administration (GSA) is known for managing federal real estate and leveraging the government’s buying power to get the best deal for taxpayers, but it also drives and leads technology and innovation within the federal government. The Technology Transformation Service (TTS) builds, buys and shares tech to help federal agencies achieve their mission. They create better services for citizens everyday. TTS works closely with the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) and the GSA CIO to be first movers in and apply agile technology in a meaningful way. Mirexon/iStock/Thinkstock On September 8, GSA is hosting its very first Technology Industry Day. Sign up to hear about how GSA is transforming technology in the federal government, see demos of products and solutions developed by technologists and, last but not least, provide feedback on how we can work better with industry. Registration will close on September 6. Below are a few projects we will feature: Agile BPA The Agile

Source: Sign up for the Technology Industry Day