By law, agency inspectors general are given a great deal of independence from pressures from both their agencies and Congress. But to be effective, they need to develop positive relationships with both. Some are more effective than others. What makes the difference? In January 2015, Michael Horowitz, chair of the cross-agency Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, highlighted “independence” as their most-cherished attribute. But what steps can the IGs, agency heads, and Congress take to make sure that the work of the IGs is not ignored?
Rating Federal Mobile-Friendly Websites. Google implemented a new policy regarding the ranking of mobile-friendly websites on its search engine. NextGov tested Google’s ranking criteria on 28 large federal agency websites and found that about half met the criteria and half didn’t. Where is your agency on the list? Bloomberg and Big Data – The “What Works” City Initiative.
Last week’s discussion commenced one part of a multi-pronged Ready to Govern (#Ready2Govern) initiative, through which the Partnership seeks to improve the transfer of power and knowledge between administrations. The effort includes an education component for transition teams around four sets of activities: improving the transition process, congressional support for efficient appointments in a new administration, preparing appointees to succeed in their new roles, and the creation of a “Management Roadmap” – the subject
U.S. CIO Tony Scott: OMB's draft FITARA guidance aims to advance IT reform. OMB released the much-anticipated guidance to reform how agencies buy and manage information technology for public comments. The comment period will remain open until May 30, but federal CIO Tony Scott, in an exclusive Federal News Radio interview, said OMB wants to move on the comments and refinements with a sense of urgency. DHS' Unity of Effort seeds the roots of change. The joint requirements council is one of the best examples of just how much the Homeland Security Department has changed over the last year.
