Author Archive
Natalie Alms
Staff Writer

Natalie Alms is a staff writer at 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.
Contracts
White House budget proposal includes CX, fraud prevention
The Biden Administration's fiscal year 2024 budget request emphasizes funding for the President’s Management Agenda goals, including customer experience.
- By Natalie Alms
Contracts
National cyber strategy faces major implementation challenges, industry execs say
A depleted workforce, lack of funding and barriers to information sharing across the public and private sectors are among several challenges these executives cite regarding the federal government's new sweeping cybersecurity strategy.
- By Natalie Alms and Chris Riotta
Contracts
Biden's equity executive order includes data, AI provisions
The order directs agencies to consider including their civil rights offices in decisions about artificial intelligence systems.
- By Natalie Alms
Contracts
Agriculture pushes out funds to modernize key nutrition benefit
The Agriculture Department awarded over $50 million in grants last month for WIC modernization and outreach and is pursuing efforts to change regulations to permit online shopping in federally funded nutrition programs.
- By Natalie Alms
Contracts
OMB prioritizes CX in budget planning
The inclusion of customer experience and service delivery priorities in budget preparation guidance from OMB will likely get the attention of agencies as they prepare their budget requests for the next fiscal year, experts told FCW.
- By Natalie Alms
Contracts
DHS looks to cyber self-assessments over CMMC model
DHS is considering how it might use self-assessments for vendors to measure their cyber hygiene—an approach that would set it apart from the Defense Department’s plans for third-party assessments.
- By Natalie Alms
Contracts
GSA looks to help get LGBTQI-owned small businesses in the contracting mix
The agency is going to work with the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce as part of an effort to increase access to contracting for LGBTQI-owned small businesses.
- By Natalie Alms
Contracts
Tech trade group seeks bumps to TMF, agency-based IT funds
FedRAMP funding and budget to support zero trust initiatives at civilian agencies are also on the appropriations wish-list of the Alliance for Digital Innovation.
- By Natalie Alms
Contracts
There's no final number yet for pandemic fraud, oversight leaders tell Congress
Total fraud levels in pandemic relief programs are upwards of $100 billion, but getting a clear estimate is made difficult by data gaps and ongoing fraud recovery efforts, officials said at a Senate hearing.
- By Natalie Alms
Contracts
OMB: This is the year for security clearance reform
Jason Miller, deputy director of management at the Office of Management and Budget, a key leader in security clearance reform efforts, says to expect major milestones in 2022.
- By Natalie Alms
Contracts
Supreme Court hearing turns to the contractor mandate
Chief Justice John Roberts invoked the federal contractor mandate – currently blocked from taking effect due to a lawsuit – at a hearing at which two separate vaccine authority cases were argued on Friday.
- By Natalie Alms
White House releases 'vision' for president's management agenda
The coming president's management agenda will stress the federal workforce, customer service user experience and equity as well as a push to build capacity in financial management and improve acquisition.
- By Natalie Alms
White House extends vaccine deadline for contractors
Federal contractors have until Jan. 4, 2022, to comply now that the White House has extended the deadline into early next year.
- By Natalie Alms
Details on discipline emerge as contractor vaccination deadline looms
Federal contractors will decide for themselves on how to manage employees who decline COVID-19 vaccinations but agencies can restrict unvaccinated workers from federal facilities.
- By Natalie Alms
How GSA is implementing the contractor vaccination mandate
The agency is using robotics process automation to send out contract changes to contractors covered by the White House's vaccination requirements.
- By Natalie Alms
OPM looks to modernize IT, set up revolving fund
In a report to Congress, the Office of Personnel Management said it largely agreed with a set of recommendations from the National Academy of Public Administration about the future of the HR agency and that it should prioritize spending around IT modernization.
- By Natalie Alms
Biden mandates COVID vaccine for feds, contractors
The vaccine mandate will supplant administration workforce policy put in place in July that requires either vaccinations or regular testing for federal employees and contractors.
- By Natalie Alms
House infrastructure bill includes over $3 billion for federal tech
Under an amendment from Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the Technology Modernization Fund could see another $1 billion in capitalization.
- By Natalie Alms
Was DOD ready for telework in 2020?
Slow networks, a lack of management buy-in and the need for more government equipment all affected how Defense Department civilians transitioned to telework at the start of the pandemic, new reports from DOD's inspector general found.
- By Natalie Alms
Workforce panel explains new COVID testing requirements
Agencies can't assign employees to remote or telework based solely on their vaccination status, the guidance says.
- By Natalie Alms