Weekly Roundup: Februay 28-March 4, 2022
Submitted by MKeegan on Fri, 03/04/2022 - 14:19
Friday, March 4, 2022
High-Risk Series: Key Practices to Successfully Address High-Risk Areas and Remove Them from the List. Every 2 years, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) update our High Risk List of federal programs and operations vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement, or needing broad reform. Working on the problems GAO flagged has saved more than $626 billion for the government over FYs 2006–2021. GAO often gets asked what agencies can do to get off the list. In this report, we discuss cases in which agencies took actions to improve programs and yield financial and other benefits. In some of these cases, GAO narrowed the scope of the High Risk areas or removed them from the list.
Government can use emerging tech to improve border security and operation. When borders closed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, it showed the need for governments to share and analyze large amounts of data impacting public safety. The IBM Center for the Business of Government released a report on leveraging technologies to improve operations and security across borders. Dan Chenok, executive director for the IBM Center for the Business of Government discuss the insights of this report on Tech Matters.
B&G's Guide to Government Organization News. We frequently track the work of government membership organizations, one of the best ways to see what state and local decision-makers and appointees in a wide variety of fields are talking about. These are the places that top officials share challenges, solutions and news of their fields with one another. So here we go. We’re introducing a new feature in the B&G Report today in which we scour a selection of membership organizations periodically to give our readers a taste of the information that they’ve recently published.
Beeck Center expands digital service offerings for state, local government. The Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation at Georgetown University this week announced $5.75 million in new investments to expand several digital service and data-focused projects for state and local governments. One initiative set for expansion is the Beeck Center’s State Software Collaborative, which will soon be dubbed the “Intergovernmental Software Collaborative,” said Cori Zarek, the center’s executive director.
JAIC CTO Nand Mulchandani Steps Down. Nand Mulchandani has stepped down from his role as chief technology officer (CTO) of the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC). Mulchandani first took on the CTO role in June 2019. He also served a brief stint as JAIC’s acting director in 2020 after Lt. Gen Jack Shanahan, the JAIC’s first director, retired.
White House Plans to Increase Number of In-Person Feds in April. The White House has released its National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, which details plans to increase the hours of public-facing Federal offices and in-person services in April. The new White House plan follows suit, saying the administration aims to “substantially expand levels of services at public-facing Federal offices.”
Federal Agencies Addressing Risks in Internet Architecture. In a review of Federal agencies work on cybersecurity, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) internet architecture is generally considered resilient, but there are still risks involved that Federal agencies are addressing. Due to its decentralized nature, internet architecture is considered resilient, however Federal agencies must take actions “such as disseminating threat information and participating in global internet governance groups.”
How leaders must prepare before delegating. Delegate projects by outlining the "bottom line" goal, providing relevant advice and sharing how you'll offer support without doing the work for them, writes Lara Hogan. "Though this level of prep might feel like a ton of work for you up front, in reality, you're creating a safety net for your teammate that will (hopefully) result in less work for you over time," Hogan writes. Lara Hogan
Why your strategy needs one key goal. Companies can get lost trying to fit all their objectives and tactics inside a strategic plan, and a better alternative is to "limit yourself to a single, concrete and focused objective," writes Steve McKee, co-founder of McKee Wallwork + Co. "If you're trying to solve the wrong problem, it doesn't matter how good your solution is," McKee adds. SmartBrief/Leadership
What leaders can learn from Willie Mays' catch. Willie Mays' iconic catch during the 1954 World Series illustrates the importance of style, charisma and close study, even if you're at the top of your game, writes Wally Bock. Mays paid close attention to his image, including wearing too-big caps so they'd fly off as he sprinted toward the ball or on the basepaths. Three Star Leadership
Next Week on The Business of Government Hour: A Conversation with Jay Hoffman, Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). What is the financial management strategy for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)? How is it pursuing a Hybrid First workplace model? What is it innovating the way it operates and does business? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Jay Hoffman, Chief Financial Officer at USPTO.
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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