The Wrap: Back to the Office; DoD Records Strategy; Smile, You’re on Camera

Welcome to The Wrap for Wednesday, May 24!

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From the newsroom at MeriTalk, it’s the quickest read in Federal tech news. Here’s what you need to know today:

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Back to the Office for VA

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees will be seeing a lot more of their coworkers soon. The VA announced today it will bring employees into the office more regularly this fall, setting a new minimum requirement for in-person work. In an email sent to VA staff, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the agency will require employees on telework agreements in the National Capital Region to report for a minimum of five days in the office each pay period. McDonough said VA will implement this change in the fall, with a specific date to come within the next several weeks. VA employees, get your water cooler chat ready.

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DoD Records Strategy

The Department of Defense (DoD) is turning to emerging tech to reduce the administrative burden associated with records management, according to the agency’s new records strategy released this week. The DoD Records Strategy seeks to employ the latest technologies, such as AI and cloud-based services, to reduce the administrative burden. The goal: to create an environment where DoD records are automatically identified and captured, expertly curated, and systemically governed.

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Got Broadband?

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will release an updated Broadband Funding Map in June to improve existing inaccuracies, according to National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator Alan Davidson. The FCC released the map earlier this month, but states weren’t pleased. The FCC is taking another stab at it, and Davidson said the new version will inform the NTIA’s allocations to states participating in its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program – a $42.45 billion fund to expand high-speed internet access. “We think that the map that the FCC is working on now is substantially improved, much more accurate, much more granular map than we’ve ever had before,” Davidson told lawmakers.

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Smile, You’re on Camera

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week announced a department-wide policy on the use of body-worn cameras (BWC) for law enforcement officers and agents to be more transparent – a first for the department as a whole. The policy comes as DHS begins work with Congress to create a plan to receive the funds needed to secure BWCs for the department. “Our ability to secure the homeland rests on public trust, which is built through accountability, transparency, and effectiveness in our law enforcement practices,” said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

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Dell Tech World

We’re back with another update from Fabulous Las Vegas! During the second day of Dell Technologies World in Las Vegas, Nevada, former top Federal officials urged the government and Congress to continue to move the ball forward on modernizing technology and keep customers at the center of that process. “We’re not prioritizing those initiatives or funding them in ways that match the pace of technology,” former Federal CIO Suzette Kent said. “Legacy technologies are like ticking time bombs.”

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Once again, let’s “call IT a day,” but we'll bring you more tomorrow. Until then, please check the MeriTalk breaking news website throughout the day for the latest on government IT people, process, and policy.

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