Fire, Army and Cloud – What They Have in Common

The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire! Ok, not the roof, but during GovLoop, Vion and Hitachi Data Systems’ federal cloud procurement event, the basement was literally on fire. And while the jokes were obvious – a topic so hot it burst into flames – the fiery atmosphere did cut the wonderful eventRead… Read more »

Cloud Procurement: Looking For Solutions

Cloud is, ironically, a cloudy topic. At the February 19 in-person GovLoop training event entitled “Buying the Cloud: Procurement Made Easy” the opening keynote speaker, Mark Day, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Integrated Technology Services at the General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service, kicked off the event by sharing with the audience the challenges facing theRead… Read more »

Automating your Identity and Access Management System

The following post is an excerpt from GovLoop’s recent executive research brief, Transforming Agency Security with Identity and Access Management. In the brief, we discuss the importance of consolidating and automating IAM systems to better secure information at government organizations. The first step to securing user accounts and privileges at your agency is to consolidate all currentRead… Read more »

Walk the Walk of Cloud Procurement

At our event, Buying the Cloud – Procurement Made Easy, we heard from a number of experts about how current acquisitions processes, forms, and procedures impede agencies from effectively procuring cloud models. Some argued they weren’t flexible enough to fit new service models. Others said they were not specific enough to individual agency needs, thus requiring significantRead… Read more »

Another Congressional Impasse

I was a federal employee during the government shutdowns of 1995–96 and 2013 which resulted from conflicts between a Democratic President and Republican-controlled Congress. It is 2015, and here we are again. A federal agency and its employees are being subjected to Congress’ inability to pass a funding bill. Last week, a House bill was re-filed to fund the DepartmentRead… Read more »

DorobekINSIDER Live: Big Hopes For Big Data

Big data is a versatile tool for the government to examine what is happening in our country on a minute level. Big data can tell you anything – from statistics on population, to federal spending, and all the way to density of commercial businesses such as coffee shops. This month’s DorobekINSIDER Live, called “Should YouRead… Read more »

Improving the Efficiency of FOIA at the EPA

The following is an excerpt from GovLoop’s latest industry perspective on information governance. To read the full thing, head here. The EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment. To accomplish that, officials must be able to provide information and data to researchers, policymakers and citizens when they need it. This means the agencyRead… Read more »

The Dunce Cap For Government Agencies

The government, like first-grade classrooms, has a system to draw attention to those who have misbehaved. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has developed a list, issued every two years, that identifies programs that are underperforming and need significant improvement. Chris Mihm, Managing Director of Strategic Issues for the GAO, spoke with Christopher Dorobek for theRead… Read more »

Workplace Romance: If Loving You is Wrong…

A place where we share a common interest, and spend most of our time: The workplace. It provides the perfect prospect for love. In the workplace, proximity and people grow connections that can go way beyond just having lunch together. However, those who develop workplace romances may cause damages to morale and productivity in theRead… Read more »