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Daily Archives: May 15, 2015

GAO – Additional Actions Are Needed to Meet Requirements of Managing Government Records Directive

Information Management: Additional Actions Are Needed to Meet Requirements of the Managing Government Records Directive, GAO-15-339: Published: May 14, 2015. Publicly Released: May 14, 2015.

“The federal government collects large amounts of information, increasingly in electronic form, to accomplish its missions. This greater reliance on electronic communication and information technology systems has, as a result, radically increased the information that agencies must manage. In 2012, NARA and OMB issued a directive to reform federal records management in response to a 2011 presidential memorandum on managing government records. The directive requires federal agencies, NARA, OMB, and OPM to take actions toward reforming records management policies and practices. GAO was requested to evaluate federal agencies’ implementation of the directive. GAO’s objectives were to (1) assess the extent to which federal agencies have taken the actions called for in the directive and (2) determine the extent to which OPM, OMB, and NARA have taken actions called for in the directive. To do this, GAO reviewed policies, guidance, and other documentation of actions taken through December 31, 2014, by 24 selected federal agencies, NARA, and OMB, and interviewed the agencies’ records management officials. What GAO Recommends – GAO is making 10 recommendations to 5 federal agencies and NARA to ensure records management directive requirements on designating senior officials and identifying, reporting, and managing records are met. In commenting on a draft of this report, the agencies and NARA generally agreed with the recommendations.”

New GAO Reports: Broadband Performance, Financial Audit Congressional Award Foundation

Broadband Performance: Additional Actions Could Help FCC Evaluate Its Efforts to Inform Consumers, GAO-15-363: Published: Apr 17, 2015. Publicly Released: May 15, 2015: “FCC should take additional steps to evaluate its efforts to provide consumers with broadband performance information. This should include: (1) conducting or commissioning research on the effectiveness of its efforts and making… Continue Reading

Beyond college rankings: A value-added approach to assessing two- and four-year schools

Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, Jonathan Rothwell and Siddharth Kulkarni: “The choice of college is among the most important investment decisions individuals and families make, yet people know little about how institutions of higher learning compare along important dimensions of quality. This is especially true for colleges granting credentials of two years or less, which graduate… Continue Reading

NARA proposed rules – how Executive Branch offices and agencies handle Controlled Unclassified Information

NARA issues proposed rules on how Executive Branch offices and agencies handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). “President Obama issued a memorandum on January 21, 2009 that articulated his plan to make government activity more open and accessible to ordinary citizens. In that memo, the president explains that a fundamental characteristic of democracy is transparency and… Continue Reading