Tech
The Agriculture Department is taking a ‘cautious’ approach to generative AI
The agency’s data “also needs to be in a condition… to support those kinds of tools,” according to USDA chief data officer and responsible AI officer, Chris Alvares.
Management
CISA director touts hiring progress
The agency’s culture has been key to its hiring successes, Jen Easterly says.
Tech
GSA is looking for participants for its facial recognition study
Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Sonny Hashmi said the study will help determine how to move forward with Login.gov.
Tech
Senators seek details on SSA’s plan to modernize and simplify disability benefits applications
Three Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee asked the Social Security Administration for details on improvements to the Supplemental Security Income application.
Tech
White House cyber office has its eye on workforce data
Data on the cybersecurity workforce is fragmented and inconsistent. A top White House official is looking to change that.
Oversight
How the IRS accidentally tagged thousands of taxpayers as dead
The IRS confirmed that 6,821 tax accounts were marked as deceased and locked — meaning that the agency wouldn’t process the tax returns associated with it — when the person was, in fact, alive.
Tech
White House cyber office makes new workforce-focused hire
Daniel “Rags” Ragsdale is joining the White House Office of the National Cyber Director, following work in the private sector, Defense Department and cyber research space.
Pay & Benefits
The ‘future is at risk’ for government’s biggest civilian payroll provider, study finds
The National Finance Center — a part of the Agriculture Department — provides payroll services for over 170 agencies, but a lot of them aren’t happy with the services they’re getting.
Tech
IRS seeks states’ input on its direct file pilot
States have until Sept. 4 to tell the IRS if they’re interested in participating.
Tech
What will the federal government do with generative AI?
Federal employees are going to see AI tools show up in cloud-based productivity suites sooner rather than later, but it's not clear yet how the trending tech will impact public-facing digital services.
Oversight
Senate Appropriations Committee looks to claw back TMF funding
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. — an original backer of the law that created the Technology Modernization Fund — called the move a “mistake.”
Tech
CDC rolls out new COVID-19 website
The reworked COVID-19 website is part of a larger push to make the public health agency’s web presence easier to navigate, with plans to relaunch CDC.gov early next year.
Oversight
Want to track pandemic relief spending? Data problems make that difficult, committee says
“These challenges limit the degree of transparency into the use of pandemic relief funds,” a new report from the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee says.
Management
The White House promotes success stories in the government’s customer experience push
Filling out forms to recertify for disability insurance is “more frightening than cancer,” one beneficiary said. The Social Security Administration is trying to make it easier.
Tech
How some agencies used tech to decrease improper payments
Governmentwide, improper payments are up relative to fiscal year 2020. But digital tools — alongside other management tactics — enabled some agencies to find reductions.
Management
Is government culture stifling customer experience innovation?
Risk aversion among government managers is blocking needed improvements to key programs, according to a recent white paper.
Management
Government has a policy over people problem, civic tech leader argues
In a new book, Code for America founder Jennifer Pahlka argues that government implementers need more authority to avoid becoming risk-averse compliance agents.
Tech
The Library of Congress is Looking for the Next Oregon Trail Game
Video game developers can win up to $20,000 as part of a new video game contest from the Library of Congress meant to inspire civics-related games.
Management
Budget and Tech Challenges Loom Over IRS's Direct File Pilot
The news of the forthcoming pilot was followed this week by a compromise debt ceiling bill that includes reallocating $20 billion of the funding the IRS got as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Management