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GSA’s 18F, FEC Add New Tools to Campaign Finance Data Website Through ‘Agile’ Methods, User-Centered Design
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GSA’s 18F, FEC Add New Tools to Campaign Finance Data Website Through ‘Agile’ Methods, User-Centered Design


digital governmentThe General Services Administration’s 18F organization has collaborated with the Federal Election Commission to incorporate new tools to FEC’s legacy website designed to help users access and explore finance data related to political campaigns.

Leah Bannon and Noah Manger wrote in a blog entry published Tuesday that 18F and FEC used a user-centered design approach and agile methods as well as launched an application programming interface in order to introduce new functions to the beta version of fec.gov.

Some of these tools include a calendar of FEC deadlines and election dates, additional datasets for expenditures and a collection of guides to help users create groups and register their candidacy.

Bannon and Manger noted that FEC and 18F adopted several tools and methods in order to collaborate and design the website’s beta version.

These include the use of a story mapping technique, digital sticky note platforms and video calls to organize ideas as well as management of GitHub issues through Kanban boards to monitor feedback and developments.

Manger and Bannon added that both agencies also plan to introduce new features to beta.fec.gov, such as interactive graphics and charts designed to help users understand campaign finance data as well as new functions that seek to facilitate access to FEC’s legal resources.

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Commerce Department Appoints Members to Newly Established Investment Advisory Council
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Commerce Department Appoints Members to Newly Established Investment Advisory Council


Commerce-DepartmentThe Commerce Department has appointed 19 executives from the government and commercial sectors to the newly-established U.S. Investment Advisory Council.

Members will provide input to help draw and keep foreign direct investment interest and will represent local companies, entities and organizations that seeks to promote FDI, DOC said Tuesday.

“U.S. affiliates of foreign companies directly employ 6.1 million people across our nation and pay higher than average wages which positively impacts nearly every facet of our economy,” said Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker.

“I look forward to working closely with the U.S. Investment Advisory Council to implement policies and strategies to ensure the United States remains the top destination for foreign investment.”

The following are the new members of the council:

  • Mark Beariault, general counsel and head of legal affairs, Kudelski Group
  • David Burrows, vice president, Fuyao Glass America Inc.
  • Chris Camacho, president and CEO, Greater Phoenix Economic Council
  • Nikia Clarke, executive director, World Trade Center San Diego
  • Jeffrey Finkle, president, International Economic Development Council
  • Jane Garvey, chair, Meridiam North America and board director, LaGuardia Gateway Partners and IAC chair
  • Mani Iyer, president and CEO, Mahindra North America
  • Peter Lowy, co-CEO, Westfield
  • Elie Maalouf, CEO, The Americas, InterContinental Hotels Group
  • Kenny McDonald, president and Chief Economic Officer, Columbus 2020
  • Ying McGuire, vice president of operations and business development, Technology Integration Group
  • Nancy McLernon, president and CEO, Organization for International Investment
  • Jan Rogers, CEO, Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho
  • Catherine Smith, commissioner, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and IAC vice chair
  • Irene Spanos, director of Economic Development & Community Affairs, Oakland County, Mich.
  • Eric Spiegel, president and CEO, Siemens USA
  • Mark Weinberger, global chairman and CEO, Ernst & Young Global Limited
  • Jeffrey Wilson, president and CEO, Gestamp North America and Gestamp Asia Pacific Corporation
  • Charlton Whipple, chairman of the Southern Economic Development Council

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Tod Wolters Gets Nomination for Several Commander Roles
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Tod Wolters Gets Nomination for Several Commander Roles


Tod Wolters
Tod Wolters

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Tod Wolters, director of operations (J-3) for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, has received nomination to the role of commander for U.S. Air Forces Europe, U.S. Air Forces Africa and Allied Air Command.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced Tuesday that President Barack Obama also nominated Wolters as director of the Joint Air Power Competence Center at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and for promotion to the rank of general.

In his current role, Wolters is responsible for the development of strategic guidance for the combatant commands and for the communications between the president, the defense secretary and the combatant commanders in support of operations and plans.

His command assignments included the 19th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, 1st Operations Group at Langley AFB, 485th Air Expeditionary Wing in Saudi Arabia, 47th Flying Training Wing at Laughlin AFB and 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall AFB.

He also deployed on various missions such as operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Wolters was a director of legislative liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force and deputy chief of staff for operations at the Air Force headquarters.

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Stayce Harris Nominated to Assistant AF Vice Chief of Staff Role
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Stayce Harris Nominated to Assistant AF Vice Chief of Staff Role


Stayce Harris
Stayce Harris

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Stayce Harris, commander of 22nd Air Force within the Air Force Reserve Command at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia, has been nominated to the role of assistant Air Force vice chief of staff.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced Tuesday President Barack Obama also recommended Harris for the rank of lieutenant general and for the position of director of the Air Staff.

Harris was previously the mobilization assistant to the commander of Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois prior to her current role.

From July 2009 to July 2012, she served as the mobilization assistant to the commander of U.S. Africa Command at the Pentagon, with the rank of brigadier general.

Harris also held staff assignments for the deputy chief of staff for plans and operations and for the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force.

Her command roles covered an airlift squadron, an expeditionary operations group and an air refueling wing.

Harris joined the Air Force Reserve in 1991 after she served on active duty.

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IRS Relaunches Tax Return Online Service With Two-Step Authentication Process; John Koskinen Comments
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IRS Relaunches Tax Return Online Service With Two-Step Authentication Process; John Koskinen Comments


TaxFormThe Internal Revenue Service has implemented a two-step process designed to authenticate the identities of individuals who seek to access transcripts of tax returns and related services online in an effort to protect taxpayers from identity theft and other cyber threats.

The IRS said Tuesday it collaborated with the U.S. Digital Service to integrate the two-factor authentication process with the online service Get Transcript that was relaunched by the agency Tuesday.

“Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated and continue to gather vast amounts of personal information as the result of data breaches at sources outside the IRS,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen.

“In the face of that threat, we must provide the strongest possible authentication processes, while trying to enhance the ability of taxpayers to legitimately access their data and use IRS services online,” he added.

According to the IRS, the e-authentication process for the Get Transcript service complies with the security standards of the Office of Management and Budget and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

A taxpayer who needs to access tax returns and other documents through the online service needs to have an email address and a mobile phone as means to receive verification and security codes from the IRS, the agency said.

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Sen. Ron Johnson’s Proposal Seeks to Eliminate Restriction on Navy’s Use of Funds for LCS Acquisition
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Sen. Ron Johnson’s Proposal Seeks to Eliminate Restriction on Navy’s Use of Funds for LCS Acquisition


Littoral Combat ShipSen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) has proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 that would remove a provision that imposes a restriction on the U.S. Navy’s use of funds when it comes to the acquisition of littoral combat ships.

The proposed amendment to the FY 2017 NDAA is in response to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter’s request to the service branch in December to reduce the procurement of LCS from 52 to 40, Johnson’s office said Tuesday.

“The U.S. Navy has pointed out the significance of the littoral combat ship as a critical component of the fleet,” Johnson said.

“The Navy deserves certainty as it plans for its current and future ship needs, and it is not in our country’s best interest to restrict funding for the needs of the men and women of our naval forces in the face of global threats,” he added.

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Reports: Senate’s Fiscal 2017 Defense Bill Faces WH Veto Threat
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Reports: Senate’s Fiscal 2017 Defense Bill Faces WH Veto Threat


PentagonThe White House has threatened to veto a Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2017 over provisions that would impose organizational changes at the Pentagon and block planned closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison, The Hill newspaper reported Tuesday.

Rebecca Kheel writes the Senate’s defense policy bill includes a proposal to split up the responsibilities of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisitions, Technology and Logistics between two other offices.

“Reorganizing DOD without careful study and consideration would undermine the department’s ability to continue to carry out its national security functions,” the White House said in a statement of administration policy.

Kheel reports the Obama administration also opposes NDAA provisions that would extend a ban on the transfer of detainees from a U.S. detention facility in Cuba to other countries that are included in State Department-issued travel alerts and would limit the number of National Security Council staffers to 150.

The House of Representatives passed its fiscal 2017 defense policy bill last month, but the legislation faces a veto threat from the White House because it uses war funds to increase the defense base budget, Patricia Zengerle of Reuters reported Tuesday.

According to Zengerle’s story, the Senate’s NDAA did not adopt the House’s strategy to shift funds from the Pentagon’s overseas contingency operations account.

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DOT IG Office Seeks New CIO to Oversee IT Resources
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DOT IG Office Seeks New CIO to Oversee IT Resources


Department of TransportationThe Transportation Department‘s Office of the Inspector General is looking for candidates to take the role of chief information officer to manage information technology resources and support the agency’s mission needs.

A notice posted Monday on the USAJobs website says the CIO will provide national leadership to support the economical delivery of resources and oversee the development of applicable policies, plans, standards, guidelines and procedures.

The CIO will also develop and maintain information system security programs, assess training requirements and provide IT services to meet customer service and performance accountability requirements.

Duties also cover setting standards for products and services and coordinating IT development plans and strategies with the DOT chief information officer.

GAO Asks VA to Develop Performance Standards for Sole-Source Affiliate Contracts Development
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GAO Asks VA to Develop Performance Standards for Sole-Source Affiliate Contracts Development


healthcare systemThe Government Accountability Office has called on the Department of Veterans Affairs to construct performance standards for the development of sole-source affiliate contracts in order to maintain timely formation of high-value, long-term SSACs.

GAO said Monday it found that three of the five VA medical centers examined spent about three years to develop and award 11 high-value, long-term SSACs and that two medical centers failed to adopt high-value, long-term SSACs.

“High-value, long-term SSACs generally require the most oversight of all SSACs by the Veterans Health Administration, have total initial values of $500,000 or more and provide affiliate services for more than one year,” GAO noted.

Officials from the five medical centers acknowledged that long development timeframes could create gaps in patient healthcare and lead to repetitive development of short-term solutions.

GAO also discovered that contracting officers with responsibility for the development of SSACs in the 21 VHA network contracting offices lack the required experience.

Auditors also called for the setup of the minimum amount of time required to develop and award short-term SSACs and step up the retention of contracting officers.

CDC Director Tom Frieden Calls On Congress to Support $1.9B Zika Emergency Package
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CDC Director Tom Frieden Calls On Congress to Support $1.9B Zika Emergency Package


CDC Director Tom Frieden Calls On Congress to Support $1.9B Zika Emergency Package
Tom Frieden

Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agency, has urged the Congress to back President Barack Obama’s $1.9 billion request in emergency funds for Zika virus response efforts.

Frieden wrote in a blog post published Monday the Department of Health and Human Services has repurposed funds to meet laboratory requirements, develop diagnostic tests and track infections in the U.S. and territories.

He said a so-called “stopgap” funding package is not sufficient to support the Zika mitigation measures that the U.S. needs.

Frieden noted Congress should follow the efforts of private sector leaders such as the anti-Zika campaign of the CDC Foundation — a non-profit organization that partners with private sector entities to aid CDC.

CDC Foundation partners have donated Zika prevention kits to Puerto Rico to aid pregnant women and supported health education missions in U.S. communities, Frieden said.

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