ASPA Center for Accountability & Performance

Management:
Survey: Most Feds Say the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Had a ‘Major’ or ‘Extreme’ Impact on Agency Operations
Eric Katz, Government Executive
Only 4-in-10 of those still reporting to work say their agencies have provided adequate protections.
Coronavirus Outbreak Could Make the Upcoming Presidential Transition the Toughest Since the Depression, Nonprofit Says
Courtney Buble, Government Executive
“I think that the current crisis makes this the most important and, perhaps, challenging transition since 1932,” resource center director of the Partnership for Public Service says.

Open Data, Analytics, & Data Governance:
What all policy analysts need to know about data science
Alex Engler, Brookings Institution
Excellent resource summarizing the “buzzwords” and their pertinence to governance and policy.
Traffic Data Useful in Monitoring, Planning Around COVID-19
Skip Descant, Government Technology
Movement data pointed to an increase in vehicle activity on Easter Sunday in several U.S. counties. This revelation comes as many states urge residents to avoid nonessential travel to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Lawmakers push for answers on SBA data leak
Mark Rockwell, Derek B. Johnson, FCW
Despite a glitch that made headlines, the Small Business Administration had planned in advance to build tech tools to support legislative mandates for emergency business loans.
Needed to fight COVID-19: A program for data on social determinants of health
Joel Gurin, FedScoop
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data on COVID-19 cases is an initial basis for tracking and analyzing the spread of COVID-19, but it is not enough.

Open Government & Innovation
Senators want federal innovation centers to help state and local governments
Andrew Eversden, Federal Times
However, red tape prevents the organizations from quickly partnering with state and local governments.

Management
SBA’s Continuity of Operations during the Pandemic and its Tech Enablers
Pearl Kim, GovLoop
The key enablers that keeps the agency’s operations running during the pandemic are innovative, improvisational thinking, and the technology modernization efforts that had laid a foundation to allow the agency to scale up.
A New Era of Telework Should be the Beginning of a More Flexible Federal Workforce.
Shawn Skelly, Government Executive
In the federal government, fewer than half of employees are authorized to telework, despite a requirement for agencies to incorporate telework into their continuity of operations plans.

Innovation & Open Government
The Pandemic Is a Clarion Call to Remove Barriers to Innovation
Stan Soloway, Government Executive
The COVID-19 crisis presents an opportunity to put in place solutions that will benefit us all, now and in the future.
What’s New in Civic Tech: New App Traces Coronavirus Contact
Zach Quiantance, GovTech
A team of researchers at the University of California, Irvine announced the tool this week which is something governors have described as a vital step in reopening the economy. The tool is called TrackCOVID, and it is a free, open-sourced app that its creators say also ensures the privacy of those who are potentially affected.

Data Analytics, Data Governance, & Open Data
Real-time government data on pandemic remains scant as crisis continues
Jackson Barnett, FedScoop
The limited amount of publicly available real-time data on the impact of COVID-19 has raised questions on the federal government’s handling of critical information at a time when the public and other institutions depend on it to stop the virus’ spread.

Podcasts
GovExec Daily: Overseeing Agencies’ Pandemic Response
Adam Butler and Ros Gianfortune, Government Executive
Katherine McIntire Peters and Courtney Bublé join the podcast to discuss how IGs, agencies and Congress can account for the money in the CARES Act.

Management
We Know Almost Nothing About the Costs of Grant Administration
Jeff Myers and Kathryn Newcomer, Government Executive
A recent survey finds surprisingly wide variation and few efficiencies of scale.

Data Analytics & Governance
Mission analytics: Data-driven decision making in government
Federal News Network
How can government agencies better use data to improve their resource decisions? It all starts with making their mission measurable—and asking the right questions to connect operational data with mission outcomes.
3 Keys to Full Spectrum Data Management
Darren Pulsipher, NextGov
Full-spectrum data management means having a grasp on data across complex systems composed of private and public clouds, edge devices, and legacy applications and infrastructure.

Open Government & Innovation
The Early Internet Years in Government Are a Model For Fostering Innovation
John Kamensky, Government Executive
It’s critical to begin with a compelling vision for how life could be made better for the end user.
Partnerships, Cooperation Key to Long-Term Gov Tech Success
Luke Stowe, Government Technology
Public-sector agencies are often tasked to “do more with less,” but challenges faced by today’s gov tech leaders are more manageable when tackled with support from peers at all levels of government.

Podcasts
GovExec Daily: Oversight of the Stimulus Plan
Adam Butler, Ross Gianfortune, and John Kamensky, Government Executive
The hosts and John Kamensky  discuss the oversight of the $2.5 trillion in the CARES Act and contrast it with the 2009 Recovery Act accountability provisions.
GovExec Daily: Management Challenges in a Unique Time
Adam Butler and Ross Gianfortune, Government Executive
National Academy of Public Administration CEO Terry Gerton joins the podcast to explain how federal managers can handle the challenges brought to the fore by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maintaining collaboration during a pandemic
Tom Temin, Federal Drive/Federal News Network
Teleworking is great for email, phone calls, and futzing with documents online. But what about the detailed collaboration needed to keep your agency or company’s projects moving along properly?

Management & Oversight
Where’s the Money? Keep an Eye on the CARES Act
John Kamensky, Government Executive
With the passage of the $2.3 trillion economic relief bill, things are happening at breakneck speed.
There’s a Playbook for Implementing the CARES Act; Agencies Need to Follow It
Stan Soloway, Government Executive
We are going to see billions of dollars in new contract spending for both surge and ongoing requirements.
Implementing the 2020 Stimulus: Lessons From the 2009 Recovery Act
Tim Conlan and Priscilla Regan, Government Executive
The new loan initiative could overwhelm the Small Business Administration’s staff and is likely to be a high-risk area for implementation bottlenecks and confusion.

Open Data & Data Governance
Boston Turns to Data Analytics to Track COVID-19 for Residents
Lucas Ropek, Government Technology
The city has launched a number of data-enabled digital applications over the past few weeks as a way of keeping residents up to date about the public health crisis occurring throughout the state.
How CISA Chief Data Officer is Spreading the Data Management Message
Pearl Kim, GovLoop
For Preston Werntz, CDO of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the mission is acting as the nation’s risk advisor, leading the effort to understand and manage the cyber and physical risks to critical infrastructure.

Podcasts
GovExec Daily: How to Maintain Mental Health During the Pandemic
Adam Butler and Ross Gianforune, Goverment Executive
Neuropsychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez joins the podcast to explain how self-isolation can affect one’s emotional state– and how to stave off the problems inherent in isolation.

Management
Government Transparency Is More Critical Now Than Ever, Experts Say
Courtney Buble, Government Executive
“If there was ever a time for citizen oversight and media oversight and, obviously, insider oversight … it’s now,” says one former USAID official.
Rigas to take on DDM role
Adam Mazmanian, FCW
Michael Rigas, the acting director of the OPM, is taking on a second government role as acting deputy director for management at OMB.
OPM Director Abruptly QuitsKatherine McIntire Peters, Government Executive
The government’s top HR manager Dale Cabaniss was reportedly frustrated by White House interference.

Open Data & Data Governance
Using data in the fight against coronavirus
Tom Temin, Federal Drive, Federal News Network
Researchers at Georgetown University have been gathering open source information on the coronavirus and the illness it causes. They’ve created a public repository, known as CORD-19, that even the White House and federal agencies are using to better understand what’s going on.
Predictive Analytics: What Is It and How Can It Help the Federal Government?
Phil Goldstein, FedTech Magazine
Powerful data analytics tools can help agencies save money and make more informed decisions.
Better data could be the missing link in cyber policy
Andrew Eversden, Federal Times/Fifth Domain
The government needs to collect and store better data to develop a more effective cyber strategy and strengthen defenses, Cyberspace Solarium Commission said.