Friday, June 28, 2019
Articles from across the Web that we at the IBM Center for The Business of Government found interesting for the week of June 24-28, 2019.

John Kamensky

People First. NextGov reports: “To combat the growing skills gap metastasizing across the federal government, agency leaders should incorporate human capital strategies into their long-term strategic plans, Chris Mihm, the Government Accountability Office’s managing director for intergovernmental relations and strategic issues said in Washington Tuesday.”

Name Change. Federal News Network reports: “The Defense Department’s security clearance agency officially has a new name — and new acting leadership. . . . The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency — formerly the Defense Security Service — will be led by acting Director Charlie Phalen, currently director of the National Background Investigations Bureau, the NBIB confirmed to Federal News Network.”

Backlog Drops. Government Executive reports: “The National Background Investigations Bureau can be proud of reaching a milestone many didn’t think would be possible—reducing a 710,000+ backlog of pending investigations by nearly 40% and within reach of a steady state in less than a year.”

No One Is Listening. The head of the Government Accountability Office, Gene Dodaro, testifies: “Today, I will discuss the nation’s fiscal health, specifically focusing on issues such as the federal government’s unsustainable fiscal outlook, growing fiscal pressures that could further strain the federal budget, and the need for actions to address the growing debt.

Michael Keegan

Federal CIO issues new data center strategy. Suzette Kent told a House panel that the new policy "focuses on enabling aggressive closure and ensuring efficient operations."

Spy Agencies Turn to AI to Stay Ahead of Adversaries. In a world where everyone can collect data on everything, speedy analysis could make or break U.S. national security, a top intelligence official says.

One State's Plans to Expand Connected Vehicle Technology. More cars and trucks that can communicate with roadside sensors are expected to roll off assembly lines in the coming years.

No One Starts Out Great by Wally Bock. People who become great use a conscious process of improvement to get there. They don’t leave improvement to chance. They track their progress, either by keeping records or journaling or both. You can do the same thing. Set aside some time every day for self-improvement.

Aim Higher: Why It All Starts with Self-Awareness. Once you understand the importance of self-awareness, you can do some really easy, practical things to help build it up as a key leadership skill.

Returning lost wallets. A study about everyday honesty may have implications for managers who want to set standards for good behavior in their organizations.

Next Week on The Business of Government Hour: Special Edition of The Business of Government Hour – SPADE Interview Series with Erwin Rademaker, Program Manager, Port of Rotterdam Authority.  How is the Port of Rotterdam pursing its digital transformation strategy? What exactly is a “digital twin”? How can the use of digital twins be leveraged by other government agencies and mission areas? I explored these questions and more with Erwin Rademaker, Program Manager, Port of Rotterdam Authority who joined me and my cohost Sreeram Visvanathan, IBM Global Managing Director for Government, Healthcare & Life Sciences from the SPADE conference for an insightful and in-depth discussion from the SPADE conference for an insightful and in-depth discussion.

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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