To do list

Feb. 9-12Social Media for GovernmentWhere: Delta Ottawa Hotel and Suites, Ottawa, CanadaWhy: All good ideas aren’t grown in the United States. At this conference, Canada’s Public Health Agency, Treasury Board and Ottawa city government are among the agencies that will showcase how they are using social media. Practical lessons will cover the ins and outs of blogs, podcasts and wikis, and participants will discuss strategies for encouraging reluctant senior managers to embrace the new technologies.Want more: Feb. 26Washington Technology Top 100 Executive BriefingWhere: Fairview Park Marriott, Falls Church, Va.Why: One in a series of events that bring industry and government speakers together to discuss critical issues in the marketplace. This breakfast session will focus on enterprise network security. The keynote speakers are Robert Carey, the Navy Department’s chief information officer, and Ron Knode, Computer Sciences Corp.’s director of global security solutions.Want more: What: Grant Thornton’s 14th Annual Government Contractor Industry SurveyWhy: The survey is a good indicator of where the industry is headed. It covers critical business issues, such as government contracts, employee salaries, executive compensation and intellectual property.The researchers found that 88 percent of respondents believe their relationship with government auditors is good or excellent. Eight percent said their relationship with government auditors had improved from the year before, compared with 6 percent who said the relationship was worse.According to the survey, executive compensation was the Defense Contract Audit Agency’s most frequently challenged item. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said DCAA’s methodology for auditing executive pay was invalid, but 43 percent said otherwise.The report will be the subject of a breakfast briefing Feb. 24 at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner in McLean, Va.To register for the event, go to .