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Everything in Government is Based on Data

(this was originally posted on the Powertek Corporation blog at http://www.powertekcorporation.com/index.php/blog/162-everything-in-government-is-based-on-data)

Data.

Whether it is prefaced with “Big” or sometimes with “Open”, it is the lifeblood of government IT.

We talk about using data to do Business Analytics. We write about XML and XBRL standards. There is a famous saying that “Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” In this month’s blog we will focus on how companies doing business with the Federal Government might dosomething about data standards.

Everything in Government is Based on Data

Why FedRAMP Is Worth Caring About

Reposted from AOL Government, http://gov.aol.com/2011/12/12/why-fedramp-is-worth-caring-about/.

If you have been at a recent Washington Capitals hockey game when the opponent scores a goal, you know the crowd routinely shouts out “Who cares!”

Last week, Steven VanRoekel, Federal CIO, released the long awaited OMB plan for the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, or FedRAMP; which reminds me to be thankful for pronounceable acronyms. The purpose of FedRAMP per the implementing OMB memorandum, is to “provide a cost-effective, risk-based approach for the adoption and use of cloud services”.

This blog entry is my attempt to answer the question “Who cares!”

Why FedRAMP Is Worth Caring About

On Leadership

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I often refer to Leadership as being the ability to get people to do things when you are not in the room. For most of my professional career I did not particularly think about the… On Leadership

Practical Experiences in Using Cloud Computing

There is an exchange in Through the Looking Glass between Humpty Dumpty and Alice:

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.”
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”
“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master – that’s all.”

And thus it is with Cloud Computing. The question on the table is whether we are to be the master of the Cloud Computing concept and what it means to us as practitioners and/or users or whether we will treat it as magic providing whatever value we have need of during that moment in time.Practical Experiences in Using Cloud Computing

Webinar on Cybersecurity: Building Secure Federal Systems

I was pleased to be asked to be part of a webinar sponsored by Government Executive this Thursday at 2:00pm EST and even happier when Pat Howard, the CISO from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission accepted an invitation to join me.

The webinar, moderated by Adam Ross, the Managing Editor from the SANS Institute, will focus on some of the challenges faced in creating secure Federal Systems. With the growing movement for speed-to-market and the movement to the cloud, and associated buzz words, and with the increased publicity about cyber-attacks, how we should best deal with such issues is becoming a still greater issue.Webinar on Cybersecurity: Building Secure Federal Systems

Management of Change Conference, May 23-25, Philadelphia, Be There or Be Unchanged

This year I was lucky enough to be allowed to be one of the Workshop Co-Chairs for the Management of Change Conference, sponsored by ACT-IAC; with two wonderful co-chairs Goldy Kamali, the Goddess of FedScoop!, and Valarie Burks, from the Department of Agriculture.

In this entry I wanted to give a Workshop committee update, encouraging readers to either comment here or send me an email, and also talk a little bit about ACT-IAC.

Management of Change Workshops

Each year Government and Industry IT and associated functional leadership get together to discuss key challenges facing the Government usage of IT. This year the conference is being held in Philadelphia, May 23-25, http://www.actgov.org/EVENTS/MANAGEMENTOFCHANGE/MOC%202010/Pages/default.aspx.Management of Change Conference, May 23-25, Philadelphia, Be There or Be Unchanged

Ch-ch-ch Changes, or Why I Decided to Join Powertek Corporation

I recently accepted a position to serve as the Chief Operating Officer at Powertek Corporation (www.powertekcorporation.com). Powertek is an 8(a) woman-owned small business involved with all aspects of information technology, including business engineering and program management. Nancy Scott, President and CEO, and Samar Ghadry, Executive Vice-President, are both talented and delightful leaders I look forward to supporting.  The staff they have put together is bright, hardworking, and creative.

Despite my decision to move, CSC, the company I am leaving, continues to be a  great place to work  with committed and talented employees, many of whom have become friends over the last year. So why did I leave?Ch-ch-ch Changes, or Why I Decided to Join Powertek Corporation