Author Archive
Natalie Alms
Staff Reporter, Nextgov/FCW
Natalie Alms is a staff reporter at Nextgov/FCW covering federal technology policy, service delivery, customer experience and the government's tech workforce. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University and has written for the Salisbury (N.C.) Post. Connect with Natalie on Twitter at @AlmsNatalie.
Digital Government
IRS considers future of Direct File pilot
The agency hasn’t decided if it’ll field the program long term but does say that user feedback of the tool has largely been positive.
- By Natalie Alms
People
Login-dot-gov gets new leadership
Dan Lopez, Login’s director since 2022, will be taking on an advisory role inside the Technology Transformation Services at GSA.
- By Natalie Alms
Acquisition
House panel advances bill to make federal contracting easier to understand
The Plain Language in Contracting Act would require agencies to use easy-to-understand language for certain procurement notices pertaining to small businesses.
- By Natalie Alms
Policy
Bipartisan group looks to push IRS towards simpler math error notices
The IRS MATH Act would require the tax agency to send more specific, straightforward notices when it corrects simple math errors on tax returns.
- By Natalie Alms
Acquisition
New rule cements sustainability mandate for federal buyers
A new update to the Federal Acquisition Regulation is meant to help the government meet goals for net-zero procurement by 2050.
- By Natalie Alms
Exclusive
Digital Government
30,000 died in fiscal 2023 waiting for disability decisions from Social Security
SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley sat down with Nextgov/FCW recently to talk through the agency’s biggest challenges, including how it delivers disability assistance.
- By Natalie Alms
Digital Government
100,000 have used IRS Direct File to submit their tax returns
The agency has not yet determined whether the pilot program for the tool will be extended into a permanent offering.
- By Natalie Alms
Cybersecurity
HHS removed Login from its grantee payment system after funding theft
Hackers used data from a federal contracting hub to steal funding from seven grantee organizations in an HHS breach that occurred last year. Both HHS and GSA say that Login.gov was not compromised or connected to the theft.
- By David DiMolfetta and Natalie Alms
Digital Government
GSA to pilot face matching technology this summer for Login
The agency is also rolling out a new pricing model for agencies that want to use in-house single sign-on.
- By Natalie Alms
Digital Government
White House, Senate Democrats tout new $1.4B anti-fraud proposal
Among the efforts that would see funding under the sweeping proposal are a new “early warning system” for fraud in government benefits.
- By Natalie Alms
Exclusive
Acquisition
Mace sponsors bill to ban educational requirements for government contractors
The bill tracks with ongoing bipartisan efforts to push the government towards skills-based hiring.
- By Natalie Alms
Featured eBooks
Digital Government
The Labor Department wants Congress to help to fix unemployment insurance tech, delivery
Among the asks: fund the program adequately, the Labor Department says.
- By Natalie Alms
People
DHS names a new CISO
Hemant Baidwan will be in charge of securing DHS information technology systems.
- By Natalie Alms
Exclusive
Acquisition
Senate bill looks to chop through red tape in procurement
The bipartisan legislation aims to both expand access to special acquisition authorities and give new, innovative contractors more opportunities to work with the government.
- By Natalie Alms
Digital Government
Lawmakers propose extending pandemic analytics center beyond 2025 sunset
Oversight officials say that the Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence needs to survive past the looming sunset date, unlike a similar analytics center used to oversee stimulus spending that shuttered in 2015.
- By Natalie Alms
People
Top women officials say there’s more work to do on gender balance in government tech
Women seem to be far more common in government’s top tech leadership positions than they used to be, but “we are far from done,” one such leader warns.
- By Natalie Alms
Digital Government
Help wanted: Regulators worldwide need tech expertise
As economies continue to digitize, governments say they need more technological expertise to evaluate companies and technology, as well as detect problems.
- By Natalie Alms
Artificial Intelligence
New White House policy mandates safeguards for federal AI use
The White House also announced new hiring goals for AI talent, a request for information on the procurement of AI and more.
- By Natalie Alms and Alexandra Kelley
People
NAPA's Terry Gerton to step down
The longest-serving president of the influential public policy group is leaving at the end of the year.
- By Natalie Alms
Digital Government
SSA needs funding to address its ‘customer service crisis,’ commissioner says
Applicants have to wait eight months on average for an initial disability decision.
- By Natalie Alms