Weekly Roundup: July 22-26, 2024

HHS Creates new Office to Oversee Cyber, AI; Seeks to Fill key Tech Roles. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a reorganization that will streamline and bolster technology, cybersecurity, data, and AI strategy and policy functions. This announcement kicks off HHS’s search to fill the permanent positions of chief technology officer (CTO), chief data officer (CDO), and chief AI officer (CAIO). The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) will be renamed the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and ONC (ASTP/ONC).

NIST Opens Competition for AI Manufacturing USA Institute. The Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) officially opened its competition for a new Manufacturing USA institute focused on artificial intelligence, offering up to $70 million in Federal funds for the new institute over five years. The Manufacturing USA network has 17 manufacturing institutes across the nation, each with a specific technology focus. All institutes work toward a common goal to secure the future of U.S. manufacturing through innovation, education, and collaboration.

Commerce Official: Multilateral Export Controls key to US Tech Leadership. As countries such as China try to obtain U.S. advanced technologies with military potential, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is working to effectively apply export controls to maintain national security and stay ahead in the global tech race while “thwart[ing] China’s military modernization efforts.”

House Panel Clears Bill to Modernize VA Claims Process With AI.  A subcommittee of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs voted on Tuesday afternoon to approve the Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act, which aims to improve the claims process for veterans by requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make AI tools available to its workforce.

GAO: VA Needs Better Risk Response Plans for FMBT Program. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to replace its aging financial management system, but a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that the agency needs to develop more comprehensive risk response plans to help mitigate risks that would affect the system’s integration with other VA IT modernization projects.

GSA’s Mill Previews FedRAMP Program Office Staffing. Eric Mill, executive director for cloud security at the General Services Administration (GSA), offers a preview of planned staffing additions at the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) program office that GSA runs.

Industry Pushing Congress for Harmonized Cyber Regs. A group of industry cybersecurity leaders told lawmakers today that harmonizing “overlapping and inconsistent” government cybersecurity regulations would help reduce the administrative burden on their cyber workforces and free up additional resources for fighting threats.

8 Reasons Why Co-Leaders Fail. When organizations appoint two people to share a leadership role, they typically invest time explaining and justifying the dual structure when it’s launched — but they neglect to continue the work of making people understand how the two leaders are working together. To be successful, co-leaders need an ongoing process to keep from settling into separate fiefdoms that destroy value in the business. By avoiding eight common mistakes, companies can create new kinds of value impossible under unitary leaders.

When Asking Too Many Questions Undermines Your Leadership.  For your inquisitiveness to be viewed as an asset, it should be perceived not just as mere learning, but as a way to gather knowledge, add value, communicate effectively, and make decisions quickly. The author offers five strategies to ensure your stakeholders’ perception of you aligns with your intentions.

Using Persuasion to Spur Lasting Organizational Change. There are well-known tactics for persuading others. But when leaders need to prompt long-term behavioral change, these tactics need to be applied differently. Authors suggest three methods for delivering long-haul persuasion in a complex system that build on Cialdini’s earlier work: Offer compromises proactively, promote unity, and appoint a system steward. Importantly, all three approaches emphasize the agency and involvement of those on the receiving end.

THIS WEEK @ THE CENTER 

RECENT BLOGS

AI Literacy: A Prerequisite for the Future of AI and Automation in Homeland Security by Ignacio Cruz, Michael J. Keegan. This essay is adapted from Chapter 7, AI Literacy: A Prerequisite for the Future of AI and Automation in Government, in Transforming the Business of Government: Insights on Resilience, Innovation, and Performance.

Skills-based hiring smashes through “paper ceiling” by Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene. Multiple states have embraced a movement to drop degree requirements for certain jobs. But the change is not as simple as a stroke of a pen.

Leadership Insights from "The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization" by Peter M. Senge by Michael J. Keegan. This essay explores the leadership insights derived from Senge's book, emphasizing how principles can be applied to foster effective and adaptive leadership, transforming leadership practices and organizational dynamics.