Weekly Round Up - June 7, 2018

Michael J. Keegan

OMB announces first Technology Modernization Fund awards. The Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Housing and Urban Development to receive a combined $45 million from the governmentwide revolving fund.

USAF edges toward an agile future. Air Force IT acquisition lead Maj. Gen. Sarah Zabel said that agile didn't make the program objectives memo for 2020 but an embrace of agile development remains a goal.

Code for America, civic tech and DOD. Defense Department digital experts were invited to speak at the recent CfA Summit, and some attendees took offense. Steve Kelman argues that civic tech should embrace such debates. There is a space for civic tech in the tech ecosystem for two reasons: One is the idealism of some young people in tech, who want a chance to work on something more meaningful than the latest photo sharing app. The other is the cultural shift away from one job for life, which means that more are open to a temporary stint helping government.

Trump team looks to refine workforce messaging. As the Trump administration continues its push to reform the federal workforce, its top management and personnel officials want to change how their message is being received.

How to Seek, Seed, and Scale Innovation. Innovation is dynamic, iterative, and even messy – but with the vast problems facing the world, and opportunities to harness people’s creativity, passion, and desire to make an impact, there has never been greater potential to make a dent in as-yet unsolved economic, social and other issues. Leadership qualities, not always and not simply technology, are the essential ingredients. Amy J. Radin, author of The Change Maker’s Playbook: How to Seek, Seed and Scale Innovation in Any Company. a nationally recognized Fortune 100 Chief Marketing and Information Officer offers her insights…

John Kamensky

Federal Agency Customer Service Scores.  Federal News Radio reports: “ . . . compared to most business sectors, the federal government, as a whole, ranks down toward the bottom of a new customer service scorecard. . . . In fact, the only industry that federal services outperformed in Forrester Research’s 2018 Customer Experience (CX) Index was internet service providers.”

DOD Hiring Shift.  Government Executive reports that  Jay Gibson, the Defense Department’s chief management officer, released a new workforce rationalization plan stating: ““DoD’s civilian workforce is in the business of protecting the American way of life, not regulating or governing it,” the department wrote in its plan. “While it may be appropriate for other federal agencies to reduce their civilian workforce, for the DoD, right-sizing will necessitate targeted growth to both restore readiness and increase the lethality, capability, and capacity of our military force.”

Government Reorg Plan to Be Released Soon. Federal Times reports: “The Health and Human Services Department might get a new name, and a whole lot of new responsibilities, if the Trump administration has its way, Politico reported on Wednesday. . . . The administration is set to release a report in coming weeks that will outline a large reorganization of the

Next Week on The Business of Government Hour: Interview with Frank Konieczny, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Air Force (USAF). What is the US Air Force doing to identify new technologies and promote innovation? How do advances in technology ease the path toward IT modernization? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions with Frank Konieczny, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Department of the Air Force (USAF). 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.