some ✨personal news✨ - I'm switching beats to cover federal tech policy; service delivery (think unemployment, food stamps, etc.) and the govt's tech workforce.
if this is your jam, let's talk! find me at nalms
@govexec
.com
lots of talk about administrative burden lately, but if you've ever wondered what it is exactly, here's your primer:
also, learn about how
@donmoyn
and
@pamela_herd
are working on a better way to measure it
Huge congratulations to FCW reporter
@AlmsNatalie
for her Neal Award nomination in the Best Series category for her work on digital identity in government. Click for more info on this year's Neal Awards including links to all the finalists:
Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have a new, bipartisan proposal they say would make procurement easier for both federal acquisition staff and contractors buying and selling technology.
At Eisenhower for a National Cyber Director event. OPM just announced they're moving all of 2210 - the govt's IT workforce - to skills-based hiring, to scattered applause throughout the room. Story TK.
.
@YourVoiceAtIRS
is recommending that the IRS make its own free, direct e-file tax return system.
it's unclear if the IRS will act on this recommendation, but if it were to do so, the move would mark a big shift from the status quo.
@FCWnow
scoop, there it is --
@USGAO
will publish a first-of-its-kind report on Tuesday reviewing federal agencies’ artificial intelligence inventories, which collectively total more than 1k current or planned AI use cases, from
@Frank_Konkel
big nerd alert, but new Labor Dept guidance on access to unemployment goes out of its way to note that denials of claims for benefits where someone is entitled but denied IS an improper payment + states must improve access as an integrity mission.
(story tk btw)
yesterday, the Treasury announced that AI-powered fraud detection processes it started in late 2022 are paying off — the department has recovered over $375 million since it put the new processes in place
being a trade reporter is going from being an average person with average interests to very excited abt new NIST guidelines [or insert other weird niche thing here] 🤠
I talked with
@EvermoreMichele
about jobless aid. some takeaways
@FCWnow
- fraud isn't a UI problem, it's a whole of government problem
- equity and potential bias should be the key consideration for fraud interventions
- the system isn't recession-ready
a bit of a deep cut for CX folks in Danny Werfel's IRS confirmation hearing today -- "“I’m kind of a government geek, Senator Carper, I tell people, like, if you want to get a cup of coffee and talk about the latest changes to OMB Circular A-11, I’m your guy.”
.
@USOPM
and Tech to Gov are having a career fair for laid of tech workers tomorrow (see here -)
here's some more abt how this fits in with OPM's work to woo techies
something new from me today -- in the midst of growing distrust and, at times, vitriol against government employees, one federal employee is telling the stories of individual public sector workers.
it's a story abt stories and why they matter.
the IRS is gearing up to launch its Direct File pilot, which limited amounts of taxpayers will be able to use to file their taxes online w the government for free this year. i saw a demo of it today. details here:
Kiersten Todt, chief of staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said during a Billington panel today that CISA will be launching a pilot to hire neurodiverse cybersecurity experts. 👀
The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Finance Committee have a bipartisan framework for legislation they say would equip the unemployment system for the next economic crisis.
who should i talk to about the potential good + potential bad of AI + generative AI in the CX/ government services arena?
esp. interested in its use in plain language 👀
it’s been 10 years since healthcare . gov launched — & crashed — and 9 years since the founding of the tech team born from the rescue effort.
I spoke w
@USDS
administrator Mina Hsiang, who was part of that effort, abt what’s changed and what hasn’t.
“This is a milestone,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel told reporters Tuesday about the full launch of the IRS' Direct File pilot. “Direct File marks the first time you can electronically file a tax return directly with the IRS through our website.”
.
@codeforamerica
today announced that they're adding the ability for folks to claim the earned income tax credit through their simplified filing tool.
Personal news: Today is my first day at
@NextgovFCW
covering cybersecurity! So excited to get started and continue on the cyber beat. Send tips, scoops, story ideas, research reports and anything else you've got to ddimolfetta
@govexec
.com
The White House says that the 2025 budget includes over $500 million for its relatively low-profile but high-impact efforts to make government less crappy to interact with.
one year mark since the Biden administration marked improving the public's perceptions of and satisfaction with their interactions with the federal government as a major priority.
The Biden administration made a slew of commitments around skills-based hiring on Monday, announcing that the federal government will be rewiring the HR policies undergirding most of the government's IT workforce
NJ is getting unemployment modernization right, DOL says. It has a plan to scale the approach its using, but right as its announcing that plan and releasing funding for it, Congress is looking at stripping the covid-19 funding it got for jobless aid away🗞️
Very excited to let people know that I'll be reporting on the federal workforce, labor issues, and workplace technologies at
@FCWnow
starting in a few weeks!!
GSA, which runs the govt's single sign-on, Login gov, is piloting face matching tech to ID proof people.
The changes will be felt by many Americans -- over 40 federal/ state agencies use Login as a front door for programs like unemployment insurance
huge news! my coworker
@chrisriotta
has spearheaded a new, limited edition podcast on the fed100's,
@FCW
's award program that recognizes federal IT folks. the first episode is out now🎤
In 9 states, you have to pass identity verification checks before you can apply for unemployment online, according to new
@BeeckCenter
research.
That's potentially leaving eligible individuals who can't clear identity systems without many options.
story, as promised, on Labor Department's instructions to states to make sure that everyone entitled to unemployment benefits has a meaningful opportunity to get them
big nerd alert, but new Labor Dept guidance on access to unemployment goes out of its way to note that denials of claims for benefits where someone is entitled but denied IS an improper payment + states must improve access as an integrity mission.
(story tk btw)
during the pandemic, USDA was able to use certain flexibilities in how it delivered WIC (e.g., not making ppl go into the office monthly to get benefits).
now it's looking at making some permanent.
.
@USDA
is scheduled to publish a proposed rule that would remove current regulatory requirements that prevent online shopping in the WIC program, via
@AlmsNatalie
.
IRS says its on track w the report on a direct efile system Congress asked for in the Inflation Reduction Act in May.
and
@codeforamerica
has some ideas that it thinks the IRS should think abt - it released a design prototype yesterday for what it says the IRS could make
some specifics for life experience work to rework gov services around ppl's experiences (as opposed to the norm - bureaucracy)
among them: automated benefit determinations in Medicaid, etc.; benefit apps that take >20; a methodology for measuring burden
here's the tea🫖on the White House's directive to agencies on AI, which comes on the heels of the AI EO on Monday. Featuring a convo I had with Jason Miller at OMB on the draft guidance. 👀 for
@NextgovFCW
the IRS is gearing up to launch its Direct File pilot, which limited amounts of taxpayers will be able to use to file their taxes online w the government for free this year. i saw a demo of it today. details here:
NEW: 30,000 died in fiscal 2023 waiting for disability decisions from Social Security, SSA Commissioner Martin O'Malley told me in a recent interview for
@NextgovFCW
weekend reading abt a watchdog report that read like a novel.
here’s why the IRS hasn’t implemented Login yet— as I’ve reported already— and what current plans are.
The govt’s personnel agency has its first new IT strategic plan in over a decade✨ details in retirement modernization, the impact maintaining old vetting systems has on OPM while they wait for DOD to build the new ones and more here
@NextgovFCW
mind: let's ask this in a straightforward way.
mouth: so. given context a, b, c, -- and i know you've been involved with c in d way -- what do you think of e and what are the implications for a, b, c, and also slightly-related f?
🚨Talked to
@OMBPress
CIO Clare Martorana &
@USDS
director Mina Hsiang about federal CX efforts at the
@codeforamerica
summit yesterday.
Here's what I learned:
capacity, capacity, capacity - the chorus from
@bethnoveck
@pahlkadot
@biblauer
to
@HSGAC
on what it'll take for govt to harness AI.
As for what to expect from the committee,
@SenGaryPeters
says that he's zeroed in on AI and federal procurement
a draft (draft! not finalized!) of the identity exec order would call on all public benefits program to offer users a publicly-operated digital identity service📝
@FCWnow
this is, in no particular order, a lesson in passive-aggressiveness, a reminder to be quiet in the library (on all floors) and a little something to say happy almost-finals szn!
One more tweet since this landed in the evening yesterday:
The Biden administration is rewiring the resume requirements undergirding most of the government's IT workforce to support workers who pick up tech skills on the job
.
@SenBillCassidy
and
@RonWyden
introduced a bill over the weekend that would allow USPS to provide IRL identity proofing services to the private sector, a move they say could help combat AI-fueled identity fraud🤖
more here:
your semi regular reminder that unfortunately, i'm ✨not✨ omniscient (shocking, i know!!)
send me tips! send me ideas! send me weird things that are going on or that people are gossiping about, or govt tech policies/practices/problems that are affecting ppl
deep dive on New Jersey's unemployment modernization push by former DOL-er and UI expert
@EvermoreMichele
. 👀 it's a state that's gotten plaudits for their modular, agile approach
Making UI technology work is incredibly complicated and takes an all-hands-on-deck approach to succeed. In my role
@heldrichcenter
, I took a deep dive into NJ's policy and technology and found some truly promising practices. Here is what I found:
the govt is piloting a federally-backed texting service for states/localities to text folks abt key deadlines for government benefits 👀
@USGSA
just announced the first four state/local partners
a lil exclusive: the administration is pitching Congress on a legislative package on how govt agencies can hire and pay cybersecurity employees.
whether it gets traction is TBD, but
@USOPM
says it would help agencies hire more quickly + pay more
1 in 10 agencies websites were not fully accessible for Americans with disabilities
several large federal entities—State Department, VA —were found to have 50% or less of their tested websites in compliance with Section 508👀
from
@EdwardJGraham1
It’s beginning to look a lot like Commencement on the quad! 🎓
At last, we get to celebrate the Class of 2020 starting tomorrow.
Welcome home, Deacs.
#WFU20
#WFUGrad
SSA needs funding to address its ‘customer service crisis,’ commissioner says.
Among the stats: the wait time for an initial disability decision is almost eight months. Another 7 if you ask for a reconsideration.
big news: the government's online single-sign on, Login gov, is adding face verification tech next year -- something the IRS was lambasted for using early last year.
if you’re a senior
@WakeForest
with feelings about recent events and online classes, or stories about when you heard the news about COVID during your spring break, I’d love to chat for an article I’m working on for the
@wfu_ogb
tiny cyber nugget - Office of the National Cyber Director spox told FCW that the cyber workforce strategy should be done this summer
more here from
@chrisriotta