Management
DATA Act Collection Effort Worked Better for Grants Than Contracts
Charles Clark, Nextgov
GAO found documentation gaps in pilot plan for creating central portal.
One State’s Proven Strategy for Civil Service Reform
Howard Risher, Government Executive
Tennessee has succeeded in shifting to outcomes-based management.
OPM and Pentagon team up to streamline employee training
Jessie Bur, Federal Times
The agreement aims to make Department of Defense training courses more efficient and cross-applicable with other federal agencies.

Analytics/Evaluation
Agencies trying to find their ‘dark data’ face policy, leadership hurdles
Dave Nyczepir, FedScoop
Dark data is all the unknown and therefore unused data across an agency, while grey data is known but unused. IT managers agree capturing this data should be a top priority, but antiquated policies and lack of senior-level support remain major hurdles.

Customer Service
How Improving Employee Experience Leads to Better Citizen Experience
Aaron Boyd, Nextgov
Happier, more productive employees lead to better citizen services and customer experiences, officials said.

Innovation
White House Unveils Joint Committee to Invigorate U.S. Research Communities
Brandi Vincent, Nextgov
Co-chairs from across federal agencies will work together on policy-making insights.
OMB and GSA launch GEAR Center challenge to ‘test the feasibility of the model’
Tajha Chappellet-Lanier, FedScoop
The latest step in the journey toward creating a Government Effectiveness Advanced Research (GEAR) Center is a government challenge.
Innovation From Within: How One Employee-Built Tool is Revolutionizing VA
Frank Konkel, Nextgov
An open source tool called LEAF is saving the Veterans Affairs Department time, resources and perhaps millions in taxpayer dollars.
Army innovation lab experiments with coders on the battlefield
Lauren Williams, Federal Computer Week
The service’s newly launched innovation lab, Army Applications Laboratory, is working to expand ability for soldiers to code in the field to repair communications systems.
Artificial Intelligence in Government Act is back, with ‘smart and effective’ use on senators’ minds
Tajha Chappellet-Lanier, FedScoop
Legislation to boost the government’s use of artificial intelligence is returning with bipartisan sponsorship and a long list of industry supporters.

Leadership
10 Lessons Learned in Search of Success as a Leader
Art Petty, Government Executive
Newsflash: there are no shortcuts to great leadership.