Keeping up with the news can be hard when you are so busy at work and in life. We understand that there are often just not enough hours in the day to read everything you want to. As a result, for this week’s DorobekINSDIER, we rounded up some of this week’s top government IT news stories so you don’t have to. So sit back, grab a cup of coffee and get up to date with these five reads:
Federal IT Spending is Expected to Decline in 2017, Forrester Reports
The research firm Forrester, predicts that tech spending will decline this year by roughly $86 billion, with next year’s IT spending falling by another $1 billion. The spending decrease is projected to affect everything from hardware, software, networks and consulting to outsourcing. However, it does appear that cloud will remain untouched.
Halvorsen ‘Broke a lot of Stuff’ so DoD Could Respond to Threats with Agility
Terry Halvorsen has spent the past two years as the Department of Defense’s Chief Information Officer. During his tenure, he broke down barriers and pushed the military to take advantage of technology. However, the Pentagon is still facing a lot of cybersecurity hurdles that come with modernizing processes. Check out this interview with Halvorsen to learn more about the initiatives he implemented and what the future of tech at DoD looks like.
What Will Trump’s Budget Mean for IT Investment and Modernization?
President Trump still has not released a budget proposal for FY2018. However, reports have indicated that when the proposal does come out it will call for a $54 billion increase in defense spending while requesting cuts of the same amount to all other non-defense discretionary spending. While some federal officials are optimistic that technology won’t take a big hit under the new budget, others are more concerned about the potential impacts.
OPM Grants 3 More Hiring Freeze Exemptions
Since the federal hiring freeze went into effect, OPM has been able to grant exemptions to agencies who fall outside the scope of the original guidance of the order. Most recently, they have exempted administrative law judges and hearing support staff, Social Security Administration processing center employees and general managers at the U.S. Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
How Cities Can Survive Workforce Automation
As processes continue to be automated, many city employees are left wondering if their jobs will soon be obsolete. However, city governments avoid this by working to empower more skilled workforces that can thrive in the rapidly evolving workplace. Through creative strategies that cater to remote work and teach employees the skills they need to work in a digital space, governments can cater to and empower employees instead of cutting them out of the picture.
Did we miss a must read from this month? Be sure to let us know in the comments!