Weekly Roundup: May 7-18, 2018
Submitted by rgordon on Fri, 05/18/2018 - 16:02
Friday, May 18, 2018
John Kamensky
Sage Reorg Advice. Alan Balutis writes a commentary for FCW where he lays out nine lessons for rightsizing, downsizing and reorganizing. Definitely worth the read!
Reorg: State-USAID. Government Executive reports: “The future of the State and USAID redesigns is uncertain under newly installed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, given that Congress largely rejected many of the cuts proposed by predecessor Tillerson and the White House.”
Breathing Life. Federal News Radio reports: “President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday in an effort to build institutional capabilities to drive IT modernization and bring the government into the modern era when it comes to managing technology and people. . . . Officials said the Defense Department will be exempted from the requirements.”
Service vs. Privacy. A Governing podcast highlights: “For many policymakers, troves of data can seem impenetrable. It can be hard to parse through the gathered information and even harder to apply that information to policy. Many cities, however, are getting better at using data to fix problems and improve the lives of people in their communities. . . . But at what cost?”
Who Are You? NextGov reports: “The Defense Department is funding a project that officials say could revolutionize the way companies, federal agencies and the military itself verify that people are who they say they are and it could be available in most commercial smartphones within two years.
Michael J. Keegan
President Trump issues executive order that boosts agency CIO role. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to promote the CIO authorities called for in the FITARA legislation and to help speed direct-hire authority for tech personnel at agencies in need.
GSA takes the long view on shared services. The General Services Administration is taking the long view on shared services, using the transition model of its big next-generation telecommunications contract as a guide, GSA's top manager said on May 15. Agency administrator Emily Murphy said a gradual move to shared services will take a concerted, collaborative effort between government and commercial providers.
DHS releases cyber strategy. The Department of Homeland Security released its long-awaited cyber strategy May 15. The document, which will guide DHS policy for the next five years, articulates the department's cybersecurity role as almost entirely defensive in nature. It lays out five "pillars" of managing cybersecurity risk: understanding the evolving nature of threats from state and non-state actors, protecting federal networks and critical infrastructure sectors, countering transnational criminal hacking groups, imposing consequences on nation states for malicious cyber activity and globally promoting best practices around cybersecurity.
How agencies craft mobile-friendly messaging. From style guides to web site color schemes, agencies like the Census Bureau and the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs are looking for ways to become more responsive to customer requests.
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Next Week on The Business of Government Hour: Interview with John Wagner, Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). How is the mission of the CBP's Office of Field Operations? What are CBP's key strategic priorities? How is it pursuing innovative security strategies? Join host Michael Keegan next week as he explores these questions and more with John Wagner, Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 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 Radio 1500AM WFED.
If you can't wait, though, you can listen to (or download) this week's program and all our previous interviews at businessofgovernment.org.