The federal government’s open source software is now available through the Code.gov portal, giving agencies at all levels of government access to custom tools developed for federal projects.
The newly opened repository is a follow-on to this past summer's White House federal open source policy aimed at improving agency sharing of federally developed software source code, Federal CIO Tony Scott wrote in a Nov. 3 blog post.
Scott demoed the launch at the 2016 Code for America Summit.
Scott said the code developed for digital tools such as We the People app, the White House Facebook chatbot and Data.gov, is "the People's Code" and is now available in a single location through Code.gov.
Code.gov, itself an open source site, has almost 50 open-source projects from more than 10 agencies, including NASA 3-D resources, the Environmental Protection Agency’s E-Enterprise Portal and the National Archive’s file analyzer and metadata harvester tools.
The number of projects will grow, Scott said, as the new open source policy works its way into federal agencies' IT efforts.
The new platform also aims to help accelerate the policy's implementation through federal government agencies. Agencies can begin populating their enterprise code inventories immediately using the metadata on Code.gov. continued…
first published week of: 11/07/2016
The 2016 Legislative Data and Transparency Conference (#ldtc16), hosted by the Committee on House Administration, brought individuals from the legislative branch together with data users and advocates to review existing efforts to improve access to legislative data and explore what else could and should be done to increase government transparency. The day was devoted to efforts underway in Congress to make it easier for the public to understand what their representatives in Washington, D.C., are doing on their behalf and to enable citizens to participate in the process, as well as to make it easier for Congress members to do their jobs. A recording of the conference, as well as links to past events (2012–2015), can be found on the committee’s website.
… GIS Data and Legislative Composition
The morning’s second panel offered an overview of how Congress uses geographic information system (GIS) data. Several Senate offices and committees use Esri’s Senate Analytical Mapping System, a product provided for free to congressional offices; the House MAP (Mapping and Analytic Platform) allows members to visualize their districts in terms of demographics and issues. These GIS tools are vital for Congress members who need to understand the makeup of their districts. They include the ability to share mapped data so the public can appreciate the effect congressional action will have on issues about which they are passionate. continued…
first published week of: 08/22/2016
Greg Spiridonov with a map of the county. The GIS specialist will receive an Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner's Letter of Commendation
Greg Spiridonov isn't a gumshoe by trade, but his eye for mapping and his commitment to serving the public good was enough to help police with one of the most high-profile murder investigations in recent Sarnia-Lambton history.
Using his tools of the trade – a computer, mapping software and aerial photography – the 34-year-old County of Lambton geographic information system (GIS) specialist worked with the Ontario Provincial Police to map out locations pertinent to its investigation into the murder of Noelle Paquette.
His data is believed to have helped police with the time line of events surrounding the murder of the beloved 27-year-old Sarnia teacher whose body was discovered in a wooded area 18 kilometres outside of Sarnia on Jan. 2, 2013.9Spiridonov is now set to receive an OPP Commissioner's Letter of Commendation – one of the highest honours bestowed by provincial police – for his role in the Paquette homicide investigation.
“Greg's efforts to assist the OPP directly contributed to justice being served and we, as a corporation and as a community, are proud of him,” Lambton County Warden Bev MacDougall said in a press release.
For Spiridonov – a quiet-natured county worker who admits he isn't comfortable with the spotlight – the recognition has been nothing but humbling. continued…
first published week of: 09/19/2016
Attorneys for the Dakota Access Pipeline have asked state regulators to keep the exact location of the pipeline confidential due to safety concerns.
The company is requesting that the North Dakota Public Service Commission issue an order that restricts access to geographic information system (GIS) data "for the safety of Dakota Access representatives and the public."
The request submitted Thursday does not specifically mention the ongoing protest of the pipeline, but it was filed a day after pipeline opponents bound themselves to equipment at a Dakota Access construction site south of Mandan.
Attorney Lawrence Bender states in the request that the GIS data should qualify for an exemption from North Dakota's open records law.
PSC Chairwoman Julie Fedorchak said staff will review the request and prepare an order for commissioners to consider.
The commission has already denied two requests for the GIS data for the Dakota Access Pipeline, Fedorchak said.
State law provides an exemption from the open records law for "critical infrastructure," which the PSC believes applies to the crude oil transmission line. The agency has provided detailed maps of the project but has not released the GIS information, which provides exact coordinates for the pipeline, Fedorchak said. continued…
first published week of: 09/12/2016
Darrin Harris, a technology professional with 25 years of leadership and technical experience, has been appointed chief information officer for the city of Boise. He’ll lead the city’s Department of Information Technology. Harris’ appointment was affirmed by members of the Boise City Council Nov. 30 and he’ll begin work Dec. 5.
Harris will oversee a department with an $8.6 million budget and 56 employees charged with application, website, and geographic information system development, technology infrastructure management, technology project coordination, technology system implementation, and internal network and computer customer support. continued…
first published week of: 12/05/2016
James Collins talks about recent efforts to bolster connectivity in the state.
What's the most disruptive technology to chief information officers? It depends on who you ask. Delaware CIO James Collins points to broadband as the great enabler of all disruptive technologies, which is why creating a robust network is vitally important.
At the annual NASCIO conference in Orlando, Fla., Collins explained that even though Delaware ranks high when it comes to broadband access, there's still more work to do. continued…
first published week of: 09/26/2016
Brass were afraid findings were "unrealistic"—and would lead to bigger budget cuts
In January of 2015, as the US Department of Defense was chafing under the sequestration of its budget, the Pentagon leadership got some great news. A study prepared by the Defense Business Board (DBB) and a team from the global management consulting giant McKinsey and Company found that even with "moderate" changes to business practices, the DOD could save $125 billion over five years.
That would be enough to fully fund operations for 50 Army brigades, 10 Navy carrier strike group deployments, or 83 wings of F-35 fighter aircraft (one wing being about 36 aircraft—purchase price not included) for each of those five years. And all that savings could be had simply by fixing the military's bureaucratic back-office, according to the study—a force of more than one million uniformed government, civilian, and contractor employees. DOD's bureaucratic force is now almost as large as the military's active duty force itself, which stands at 1.3 million soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen. continued…
first published week of: 12/12/2016
Dubai taxis will soon be fitted with the Makani mapping app, allowing passengers to provide drivers with more precise directions, Dubai Municipality has confirmed.
We have been following up the process with the manager and are expecting the system to be implemented by next month to introduce a better and faster link between residents and the government's services Abdul Hakim Malek, director of geographic information systems
Dubai Taxi Corporation is currently testing the app, which allows users to find locations in Dubai within 1 sq m, Abdul Hakim Malek, the body’s director of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), told Khaleej Times. He said it would be implemented by the end of August.
"We have been following up the process with the manager and are expecting the system to be implemented by next month to introduce a better and faster link between residents and the government's services," said Malek.
Dubai Police has already implemented the smart system in its operations, enabling residents to report an emergency and share their Makani 10-digit coordinates, said the report. continued…
first published week of: 08/01/2016
The FGDC announces the availability of the A–16 National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) Theme Summary and Dataset Reports and the associated GeoPlatform.gov Performance Dashboard. This information provides consistent reporting for facilitating management of the A–16 NGDA geospatial portfolio as part of the implementation of the NGDA Management Plan (NGDA MP). The NGDA MP is the 3-year process developed to implement NGDA portfolio management as outlined in the OMB Circular A-16 Supplemental Guidance (2010). These outputs are the result of efforts by the NGDA Theme Leads and Dataset Managers across the Federal agencies.
The 177 NGDA Dataset Reports contain points of contact, links to metadata, and output from the 2015 Lifecycle Maturity Assessment (LMA), which provides key information about each NGDA Dataset. The 16 Theme Summary Reports contain information about the Theme, an overview of the Theme’s NGDA Dataset maturity and a summary table. The GeoPlatform.gov Performance Dashboard visualizes the information from the 2015 NDGA LMA as well as a summary aggregation. For NGDA Datasets with identified Web services, the dashboard also shows Web service availability and reliability. The dashboard is available to anyone but requires a GeoPlatform.gov login. Instructions to create an account are on the login page.
first published week of: 08/15/2016
Facebook Ireland Holdings Unlimited" helped company lower its US taxes
Facebook has formally informed its investors that it could be on the hook for billions more in back taxes if the Internal Revenue Service’s legal efforts are successful.
This notice comes weeks after federal investigators asked a judge in California to force Facebook to open up its financial and business records for 2010—the year that the social networking giant established a subsidiary in Ireland largely for tax reasons.
Facebook and many other tech firms have recently come under increased scrutiny for using this method to drastically—and legally—reduce tax burdens. The "Double Irish" technique was phased out in early 2015, but companies already using it have until 2020 to transition to something else. continued…
first published week of: 08/08/2016