Weekly Round Up - January 25, 2019
Submitted by MKeegan on Fri, 01/25/2019 - 15:42
Friday, January 25, 2019
Michael J. Keegan
DOD's Section 809 panel proposes a revolution in contracting. An unlikely band of revolutionaries has proposed major changes in how the Department of Defense chooses what contractors to do business with. These change agents are members of the Section 809 panel on streamlining and codifying acquisition regulations, set up by Congress in 2016.
DISA looks to pilot AI platform, DevSecOps model by summer. Terry Carpenter, DISA's program executive officer for the National Background Investigation Service, talks about what to expect from a system in transition.
Air Force outlines 2019 modernization agenda. The Air Force is pushing forward with several key IT changes for the coming fiscal year. Air Force Undersecretary Matthew Donovan said during an Air Force Association Mitchell Institute event Jan. 18 that the service's future success hinges on digital adeptness.
John Kamensky
GAO Inventories Vet Programs. The Government Accountability Office released a report that “identified 45 federal programs and one tax expenditure with the primary purpose of providing education, employment, or self-employment services to service members, veterans, or their families to help them achieve civilian employment. Eleven federal agencies administer these programs, usually independently of one another.”
Less Info to Make Decisions. Government Executive reports on a study that concludes: “people may believe that exchanging ever-more information will foster better-informed opinions and perspectives when the reality is people are making snap judgments without even begin aware of it.”
Optimism About Data. FedScoop reports: “Government officials are feeling overwhelmingly positive about the status and prospects of open data.. . . This is the essence of a new study released by the Data Foundation, the think tank spun off of the Data Coalition. Dubbed the “State of the Union of Open Data.”
Re-skilling Sweetspot. FedScoop reports: “A partnership between public and private entities could be the key to cutting the costs of reskilling the current workforce for the future, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum.”
DOD Reorg Status. The Government Accountability Office found: “DOD's organizational and management challenges have made it hard for the department to find efficiencies and cut costs. To address this issue, DOD created 9 teams of experts from various DOD offices to reform the department's business processes (such as health care and financial management). . . . We found that these teams identified 135 reform initiatives, such as consolidating IT systems, but 104 of these initiatives have yet to be implemented. One reason is that some teams lack resources to fully implement their initiatives.
AI Tradeoffs. Government Computer News reports: “Improving customer service is an imperative for governments at all levels as evidenced by the goals of the President’s Management Agenda and the National Association of State Chief Information Officer’s top 10 priorities list for 2019. To do it, more agencies are turning to emerging tools such as chatbots, virtual assistants and robotic process automation. . . . So what's the difference and how are agencies using the new technologies?”
Sourcebook of U.S. Government Agencies. Published by the Administrative Conference of the US, second edition. . . . Now available, free, on-line.
Next Week on The Business of Government Hour: Leadership Stories in Science, Technology, Commerce, & Children and Family Services - Special Edition of The Business of Government Hour
Leadership stories are at the core of The Business of Government Hour. Join host Michael Keegan in the second of a 2 part series exploring the leadership stories and public service of nine government leaders encompassing a wide range of disciplines, a diverse set of experiences, and a vast span of geographies. This edition introduces 5 government executives leading missions and programs that include government-wide acquisition, science and technology, commerce, children and family services, and innovation. That's next week on The Business of Government Hour.
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