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OMB Updates Guidance to Improve Accessibility of Online Government Services for All Americans
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OMB Updates Guidance to Improve Accessibility of Online Government Services for All Americans

The Office of Management and Budget revised guidelines on government customer services to require agencies to prioritize digital accessibility.

In a statement released on Thursday, OMB said the updates are designed to lead to full accessibility of government websites to all Americans.

The guidance directs agencies to create user-friendly websites especially for people with disabilities. Electronic content should be tested before publication, and a program manager should be appointed to ensure that processes and policies are followed and errors are tracked and reported.

OMB also recommended selecting accessibility subject matter experts from acquisition teams, making them responsible for communicating and evaluating technologies that can support digital accessibility.

The Potomac Officers Club is cognizant of the challenges in federal customer experience. On Jan. 25, 2024, the organization will host the CX Imperative Forum, bringing together government and private sector experts to share solutions for better digital government services. Register now to take part in the event.

POC - The CX Imperative Forum
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NASA, DOC, DOD Publish Space Manufacturing Technology Report
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NASA, DOC, DOD Publish Space Manufacturing Technology Report

NASA and the Departments of Defense and Commerce submitted a Space Manufacturing Technology Report to the National Space Council, providing 14 recommendations to maintain U.S. leadership in the sector.

The document also highlights public-private partnerships and maximization of federal initiatives including DOC’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, NASA announced Wednesday.

The report was mandated by NSC and the Biden administration in 2022 as part of a strategy to strengthen, diversify and grow the U.S. space sector and workforce.

It discusses seven emerging technologies, including additive manufacturing, advanced materials, robotics and automation, digital production methods, sustainable processes, hypersonics and novel electronics. The report recommended that agencies maintain an inventory of such technologies and identify gaps that need to be addressed in their utilization.

NASA, DOC and DOD also encouraged adoption of the Manufacturing USA model, a network of institutes specializing in different technologies located in different regions across the country.

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DOD Focused on Personal Connection to Navigate Today’s Recruiting Landscape, Says Press Secretary Pat Ryder
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DOD Focused on Personal Connection to Navigate Today’s Recruiting Landscape, Says Press Secretary Pat Ryder

According to Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, press secretary for the Department of Defense, the U.S. military services are optimistic about their efforts to adapt to a changing recruiting landscape.

Only the Marine Corps and Space Force hit their recruiting goals last fiscal year, and currently, only 23 percent of those between the ages of 17 and 24 are qualified to enlist, the DOD said on Friday.

Another factor influencing today’s recruiting landscape is a lack of “propensity” to join the military, said Ryder.

To address these challenges, the DOD is applying a more personalized approach to recruitment efforts.

“There are many different ways for people to learn about the military. But the analysis has shown that at the end of the day, it’s a conversation with someone,” Ryder said.

Today, the military is smaller and more spread out than in previous years, making it less likely that individuals will be able to interact with service members in their communities. COVID-19, said Ryder, was another challenge as it prevented the face-to-face communication “that is absolutely essential to recruiting efforts.”

The DOD has learned from these challenges, and the services are looking at “many different types of ways to get out and engage with today’s youth” and emphasize the benefits of enlistment.

One way the department is targeting these issues is through an Army program that helps recruits meet enlistment standards. According to Army officials, 95 percent of participants have completed the program. The Air Force is offering aviation camps to expose young people to life in the service and aviation jobs.

Public engagement is also an area of focus, and the DOD is looking at airshows, parades, sporting events and base tours, among other activities, as ways to educate people about the military.

Ryder said that personal conversations between young people and those with military experience helps in “breaking down some of the stereotypes in terms of what military life actually is versus what the perception is based on—popular programming or TV.”

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Commerce Department to Launch Survey of US Semiconductor Supply Chain; Gina Raimondo Quoted
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Commerce Department to Launch Survey of US Semiconductor Supply Chain; Gina Raimondo Quoted

The Department of Commerce will release a survey to help determine how domestic companies source mature-node and current-generation semiconductors as part of efforts to analyze capabilities and challenges within the U.S. chip supply chain.

Set to be launched in January, the survey is expected to inform U.S. policy aimed at strengthening the semiconductor supply chain, leveling the playing field for the production of legacy chips and addressing national security risks posed by China, the Commerce Department said on Thursday.

“Addressing non-market actions by foreign governments that threaten the U.S. legacy chip supply chain is a matter of national security,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

“This survey will empower the Department with the data we need to inform our next steps in building strong, diverse, and resilient semiconductor supply chains,” she added.

The survey will be conducted by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. It is a response to findings from a congressional report focused on U.S. microelectronics industrial base capabilities as related to national defense.

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Lt. Gen. Gregory Masiello Assumes DCMA Leadership
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Lt. Gen. Gregory Masiello Assumes DCMA Leadership

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Gregory Masiello officially assumed leadership of the Defense Contract Management Agency from Army Lt. Gen. David Bassett during a Dec. 20 ceremony at Fort Gregg-Adams in Virginia.

According to a report on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, Masiello, as DCMA director, will be responsible for over 10,900 civilians and military personnel comprising the Department of Defense agency and its more than 225,000 contracts valued at approximately $3.72 trillion.

He recently served as a military deputy to the Department of Defense’s undersecretary for policy and, before that, a program executive officer for air anti-submarine warfare, assault and special mission programs at Naval Air Systems Command.

Masiello’s other previous roles include NAVAIR’s assistant commander for logistics and industrial operations as well as director and program manager of the F-35 Joint Program Office’s follow-on development.

Speaking at the event, Masiello said, “We will work well with each other and with industry. And we’ll fight for the right budget for the right workforce that we’re supposed to have.”

The change of leadership ceremony was presided by William LaPlante, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and a two-time Wash100 awardee.

Masiello was nominated in March to take charge of DCMA and was confirmed in early December.

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Heidi Shyu OKs New DOD Instruction on Digital Engineering Implementation
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Heidi Shyu OKs New DOD Instruction on Digital Engineering Implementation

Heidi Shyu, under secretary of defense for research and engineering and a three-time Wash100 Award recipient, has approved and released a new document establishing policy and outlining procedures for the use of digital engineering in the development and sustainment of defense systems.

The document instructs the Department of Defense to apply digital engineering technologies, practices and methodologies throughout the life cycle of defense acquisition programs and systems of systems to back research, engineering and management activities, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering on Thursday.

The digital engineering-related responsibilities of several DOD officials are outlined in the document. These individuals include the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, director of operational test and evaluation, chief information officer and chief digital and artificial intelligence officer as well as component leaders with acquisition authority.

Shyu’s office also provided details on digital engineering capability requirements and elements, the implementation of digital engineering and procedures for maintaining digital models and authoritative data sources.

POC - 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit

Shyu will serve as one of the speakers at the Potomac Officers Club’s 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 31. Register here to attend the in-person event and hear defense leaders, researchers and experts discuss the latest developments in the field of military technology.

OMB Solicits Comments on Proposed Rule Regarding Privacy Act, FOIA Regulations
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OMB Solicits Comments on Proposed Rule Regarding Privacy Act, FOIA Regulations

The Office of Management and Budget has begun accepting public feedback on a proposed rule that would amend OMB’s regulations for implementing the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA.

The proposed revisions are designed to align with changes to OMB’s best practices and organizational structure while ensuring consistency between the access to records procedures in Privacy Act and FOIA regulations, according to a Federal Register notice published Wednesday.

Enacted in December 2024, the Privacy Act identifies agency responsibilities and individual rights concerning the collection, use, maintenance and disclosure of records about individuals. The law directs agencies to promulgate regulations that determine procedures for notifying individuals of records about them; making this information available when needed; and reviewing and adjudicating requests related to changes in a record.

These revisions would align OMB regulations more closely with those of other agencies, such as the Department of Justice.

OMB has also proposed conforming revisions to its FOIA regulations, with a significant focus on identity verification. Under the new rule, FOIA requesters would be given the benefit of both FOIA and Privacy Act disclosure requirements.

The notice states that requests from individuals unable to meet the identity verification requirements of the proposed Privacy Act regulations would be processed as FOIA requests.

Comments are due Jan. 19, 2024.

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FCC to Rebuild Communications Security, Reliability & Interoperability Council; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted
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FCC to Rebuild Communications Security, Reliability & Interoperability Council; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted

The Federal Communications Commission plans to reestablish a committee that will advise on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Upon reestablishment, the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC) will share insights on the ways these technologies could help improve the security, integrity and reliability of communications networks, the FCC said Wednesday.

It is also expected to address reliability and security risks associated with emerging 6G networks and Next Generation 911 networks.

“CSRIC is one of our key venues for tackling these complex issues, which is why I am once again re-establishing CSRIC and charging it with developing plans to address the communications security challenges of tomorrow, setting a path for a more secure and innovative future,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

The committee will be co-chaired by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Rosenworcel said she is “pleased” by this agreement.

According to a public notice, FCC intends to rebuild CSRIC over a period of two years.

The commission has started soliciting nominations for a chairperson and membership for the ninth charter of the council, which is expected to have its first meeting in June. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 3, 2024.

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GSA Solicits Comments on Draft PWS for Ascend Cloud Services BPA
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GSA Solicits Comments on Draft PWS for Ascend Cloud Services BPA

The General Services Administration is expanding market research for the cloud-focused Ascend blanket purchase agreement.

In doing so, the agency is accepting questions, recommendations and feedback on a draft performance work statement (PWS) for the multiple-award BPA that intends to meet the common cloud requirements of federal organizations, according to a SAM.gov notice published Tuesday.

Ascend is a competitive, multiple-award, multi-agency BPA that aims to address the demand for various cloud offerings, including infrastructure-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service cloud platforms; software-as-a-service cloud products; and cloud information technology professional services.

The draft PWS outlines the requirements for IaaS and PaaS offerings under the first pool and defines the general scope for SaaS and IT professional services under pools two and three, respectively.

The GSA sought feedback on the initial draft PWS for Ascend in May 2022.

Questions, recommendations and comments on the latest draft PWS are due Jan. 30, 2024.

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IRS Launches Pilot of New Digital Tax Filing Service
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IRS Launches Pilot of New Digital Tax Filing Service

The Internal Revenue Service launched a pilot for a new tax filing service designed to enable eligible taxpayers to file their federal tax returns online.

Taxpayers participating in the Direct File pilot program will need to authenticate their identity using ID.me, an Identity Assurance Level 2 verification service, the IRS said Wednesday.

Direct File pilot will join existing IRS products using ID.me, including Get Transcript Online and Online Account.

IRS said the Direct File pilot is open to taxpayers reporting specific varieties of income, credits  and deductions across the states of Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

The agency is rolling out the system in stages and is collaborating with the U.S. Digital Service and 18F to further develop the service.

Direct File is free, available in English and Spanish and accessible on a computer, mobile phone or tablet.

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