Page 10 - FCW, February 2016

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$15M was appropriated in the fiscal 2016 omnibus to fund OMB’s implementation
of cross-agency priority goals
VA’s 2016 priorities include IT improvements
IN THE IT PIPELINE
WHAT: A request for informa- tion on cloud portfolio analysis support services from the Gen- eral Services Administration.
WHY: The RFI, issued Jan. 6, seeks to explore the feasibil- ity of creating a program that would help agencies transition to cloud computing technolo- gies and services.
The effort supports GSA’s move to break down cloud bar- riers through the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program.
According to the RFI, indus- try and the government see FedRAMP as largely successful in setting standards on how to secure cloud services and estab- lishing a “mini-marketplace” of trusted cloud vendors.
In addition, GSA’s 18F has sought to encourage agencies to make better use of the cloud and open-source technologies.
Despite that success, “there are still distinct needs and services GSA could provide to assist agencies greater in their move to the cloud,” the RFI states.
That’s why GSA is trying to expand its efforts with a new portfolio of products and ser- vices to help with the transition.
“Agencies still face obstacles to moving to the cloud,” the RFI states, including a drawn-out procurement process, unclear budgets from year to year, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, various procurement policies and no insight into current legacy systems.
READTHE RFI:
is.gd/FCW_GSAcloud
In a Capitol Hill appearance, the sec- retary of the Department of Veterans Affairs touted the agency’s IT accom- plishments in 2015 and shared 12 goals for 2016. His message, however, was met with skepticism from lawmakers.
“We have a lot of work to do, but we are making progress,” VA Secretary Robert McDonald told the Senate Vet- erans’ Affairs Committee on Jan. 21.
In written testimony, he cited the appointment of CIO LaVerne Council and the development of a multiyear plan for creating a world-class IT orga- nization as achievements in 2015.
This year, McDonald said the VA plans to address all current cyberse- curity weaknesses, develop a holis- tic strategy for managing veterans’ data, ensure that at least 50 percent of projects are delivered on time and on budget, transform vendor manage- ment, strengthen VA’s VistA electronic health record system, and finalize plans to make the VA’s EHR interoperable
with the Defense Department’s system. He added that the agency wants to make Vets.gov the key digital plat- form for veterans and their families to
access benefits and services.
Some lawmakers were cautiously
optimistic about McDonald’s plans. “We have a major culture problem there,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) told FCW. “But I think one of the keys that he suggested was rather than a culture of following rules, we should be follow- ing principles. To me, that is a break-
through discussion.”
Others were not swayed. “There
have been so many plans over so many years that I want to see results,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told FCW.
Rounds said the strategy was a step in the right direction, but more is needed. “It’s one thing to have a plan,” he said. “It’s another thing to actually execute it.”
— Aisha Chowdhry
Daniel J Chenok
@dchenok
Thanks @KelmanSteve for another insightful @FCWnow column on #contracting in #government
7:14 AM - 20 Jan 2016
Open Contracting
@opencontracting
Small fixes: How more #opendata on hourly rates in government contracts saves time & money https://fcw.com/ blogs/lectern/2016/01/kelman-calc-labor-costs.aspx ... @18F HT @dchenok
6:41 AM - 20 Jan 2016
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10 February 2016
FCW.COM