Weekly Round Up - May 10, 2019

Michael J. Keegan

GSA plans civilian DEOS counterpart. GSA is developing a cloud email and enterprise services contract inspired by the single-source vehicle the Department of Defense devised for back-office software.

Three industry experts told Mark Rockwell that GSA's latest plan is mostly on the right track. The General Services Administration rolled out its plans for a five-year pilot to test a planned e-commerce platform required under a recent defense bill. Lawmakers wanted to apply an Amazon-like customer experience to small-scale federal procurement.

Chase Gunter takes a look at the recent cyber workforce executive order, which looks to make it easier for employees to take on cybersecurity roles within government, but agency IT officials say the measure has limitations when it comes to retention. So what will it take to get government-trained cyber talent to stay on the job.

Air Force pushes fast-tracked ATOs. The Air Force plans to migrate 100 applications to the cloud this year with as many as possible opting for the fast track authority to operate process.

Simplicity in the Age of Complexity. “The answer is simple,” the professor said, then he waited a minute and added the important qualifier, “if you are a mathematical genius.” He was attempting to explain one of the most complex concepts of the semester. I remember laughing along with the class as we struggled to make sense of it at all. In business, I often wonder if there are any simple problems. We are living in a world that is complex, full of ambiguity and more difficult to navigate. That’s why I was interested to see how David Komlos and David Benjamin tackled the subject. Their new book is Cracking Complexity: The Breakthrough Formula for Solving Just About Anything Fast.

John Kamensky 

Talent Management Strategies. The Government Accountability Office released a new report, “Federal Workforce: Key Talent Management Strategies for Agencies to Better Meet Their Missions.” The report identifies (1) key trends affecting federal work and workers; and (2) key talent management strategies that agencies can employ to achieve a high-performing workforce, given those trends.”

DOD-OPM Reskilling Partnership. Federal News Network reports: “The Defense Department has agreed to use OPM’s USALearning platform, the agency’s fee-for-service training and education consultancy, in an effort to abandon thousands of duplicative education courses and learning management systems. . . . A memorandum of understanding, which the two agencies signed Friday, makes the partnership official.”

GEAR Awards.  Federal News Network reports: “To mark the beginning of Public Service Recognition Week, the Trump administration on Monday announced the winners of its newly re-branded and revamped annual customer service awards. . . . The administration for the first time recognized five agency teams and three individuals with “Gears of Government President Awards.”

DATA Act: Progress, Falls Short. Government Executive reports:  “Continuing efforts by the Office of Management and Budget to streamline mandatory agency data collection show progress, but still fall short on evidence that they will ease reporting burdens on grantees and contractors. . . . So said the Government Accountability Office in its latest review of White House compliance with agency data standardization requirements under the 2014 Digital Accountability and Transparency Act.”

Next Week’s The Business of Government Hour: Conversation with Amb. Reuben Brigety, Dean, Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University. What are some of the most significant challenges facing the African continent? What is the mission of the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University? How is it developing the next generation of international leaders? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Ambassador Reuben Brigety,  Dean, of the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University. That's next week on The Business of Government Hour.

Broadcast Schedule: The show airs Monday at 11 a.m., and Friday at 1 p.m. on Federal News Network 1500AM WFED

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