Weekly Roundup: October 26-30, 2015

Submitted by on Thu, 01/18/2018 - 13:37

The Rise of Innovation Labs. NextGov reports: “The White House wants more federal agencies to tap into the creative ideas floating around in their employees’ heads by launching innovation labs, according to a newly released administration strategy for boosting U.S. innovation.” Many agencies have created innovation labs – not unlike the reinvention labs in the Clinton Administration – to provide employees a safe space to actively engage in testing out new ideas. DATA Act SBA Pilot.

DOD’s Better Buying Power – A Path to Meaningful Acquisition Reform

Submitted by on Thu, 01/18/2018 - 13:34

The U.S. Government spends nearly $500 billion every year on contracts, where purchases range from office supplies and automobiles to professional services, information technology, and complex weapon systems. The efficiency and effectiveness with which the government makes acquisitions increasingly determines mission success. Perhaps nowhere is this more important than at the Department of Defense (DOD), which accounts for over two-thirds of all federal contract spend­ing, and where sound acquisition enables mission accomplishment and saves lives.

Making Innovation Labs Work

Submitted by on Thu, 01/18/2018 - 13:31

The White House recently released its final iteration of the Strategy for American Innovation – a set of policies and initiatives aiming to drive innovation and economic growth.  Among the suggested initiatives, Innovation Labs are slated to receive additional funding in the 2016 budget.  While Innovation Labs have the potential to create significant improvements for government, they have also received criticism for not meeting their goals.

Moving Forward with FITARA: Agency CIOs Can Lead Real and Lasting Change

Submitted by on Thu, 01/18/2018 - 13:27

The scenario: A House government oversight subcommittee chairman and ranking member have a strong interest in how agencies are managing technology, in light of a new law that gives agency CIOs more leverage over operations. The subcommittee leaders ask the Government Accountability Office to assess agency performance in key areas, and the subcommittee then takes the assessment and assigns grades that come back with far more Ds and Fs than As and Bs.

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