The Fed Mission Success Round Up: The Cloud, Modernization, Workforce and More in Federal Agencies

Weekly News Round Up
Written By Fareeha Khan

Welcome to the Fed Mission Success News Round Up brought to you by Makpar. Each week, we will provide a summary of actionable news and insights to help aid in overall mission success for Federal agency IT decision-makers and influencers.

The Federal Government Must Overcome 2 Challenges to Advance Cloud-Smart Strategies

Manageability and application mobility are the key challenges hindering the progress of the U.S. Federal government’s rapid acceleration of its digital transformations. Hybrid multicloud solutions seem to be the answer to address these challenges.

CDC Looks to Improve Internal Data Sharing with Centralized, Cloud-Based Ecosystem

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a centralized, cloud-based data ecosystem to streamline intra-agency information sharing. Next, the agency’s Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) will connect EDAV core services with its Microsoft Azure cloud environment to rearchitect siloed systems like ArboNET, used to share arbovirus case information.

Why GSA Believes its New Cloud Services Contract is Different Than Past Efforts

GSA published the draft statement of work for its latest cloud services effort. The Ascend BPA will emphasize cloud smart/security smart objectives, and establish minimum baseline requirements for the acquisition, business, operations, reporting and technology capabilities provided by commercial cloud service providers (CSPs) and cloud-focused labor service providers that are not currently accessible under other GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) or governmentwide acquisition contracts (GWACs). The Ascend BPA will focus on enabling support for both vertical (e.g., IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and horizontal capabilities across the ecosystem and will provide more effective system integration and managed support services for the delivery of flexible, diverse, and secure cloud solutions.

$13.5M in New TMF Awards to NARA, USDA

The General Services Administration announced $13.5 million in new investments for the National Archives and Records Administration and the Department of Agriculture through the Technology Modernization Fund. 

$756M Still Left in TMF, But Not for Long

The administration plans to exhaust the $1 billion addition to the Technology Modernization Fund made under last year’s American Rescue Plan Act by the end of the current fiscal year.

HHS Establishes Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health

The Health and Human Services Department announced the formal launch of its Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H.ARPA-H will function as an independent entity within the National Institutions of Health, and will lead “high-risk, high-reward” biomedical and health investments.

Management Report: IRS Needs to Improve Financial Reporting and Information System Controls

During its audit of the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) fiscal years 2021 and 2020 financial statements, GAO identified four new deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting. The new deficiencies related to information system controls, specifically in the areas of access controls and configuration management, and contributed to GAO's reported continuing significant deficiency in IRS's internal control over financial reporting systems.

OPM Issues Skills-based Guide to Recruitment for Federal Agencies

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) outlined more detailed skills-based hiring guidance for Federal agencies to overcome persistent Federal recruitment challenges in a memo last week. Federal hiring historically relied on education and candidate self-assessments to determine a potential employee’s capability to perform the job. In lieu of evaluating job applicants based on their degree, the guidance encourages agencies to examine the candidate’s knowledge. In addition to the guidance, OPM supplied an updated qualifications manual and occupational questionnaires for the General Schedule (GS), as well as assessment and hiring instructions.

Energy Issues $40 Million to Provide STEM Training for Historically Underrepresented Groups

The Energy Department announced $40 million in funding toward research opportunities to historically underrepresented groups in science, technology, education and math, or STEM, fields.

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