Government Matters

Simon Szykman, chief technology officer for federal services at Attain and former CIO at the Commerce Department, and Frank Baitman, advisory fellow at Cisco Systems and former CIO at the Department of Health and Human Services, discuss the recent departures and reassignments of several federal IT leaders.

Carten Cordell, senior tech reporter for FedScoop, Mohana Ravindranath, reporter for NextGov, and Adam Mazmanian, executive editor at FCW, discuss the weeks biggest headlines.

Lewis Parker, deputy assistant inspector general for audits at the Office of Personnel Management, discusses the Office of Inspectors General cybersecurity assessment of OPM’s IT systems.

Inside the Pentagon chief editor Tony Bertuca and Inside Defense editor Marjorie Censer join Colby for this edition of the Pentagon Beat. They discuss Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' trip to the West Coast, defense contractors' recent sales reports, and Peraton CEO Stu Shea's game plan.

According to data from the Partnership for Public Service, President Trump is significantly behind his two nearest predecessors (Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama) regarding politically-appointed positions. Mallory Barg Bulman, vice president of research and evaluation at the Partnership, discusses the latest statistics.

Tina Jonas, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic & International studies and former chief financial officer at the Department of Defense, discusses the budget uncertainty facing Pentagon officials.

Clay Brown, special agent at the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General, discusses how agencies can leverage IG hotlines.

Sarah Jovan, research ecologist for the Pacific Northwest Research Station at the U.S. Forest Service, discusses her work on air pollution. Jovan and her colleague Geoffrey Donovan are finalists (in the Promising Innovations category) for a 2017 Service to America Medal.

Federal workplace expert Mika Cross discusses how agencies can meet the long-term requirements of the Office of Management and Budget's reorganization memorandum.

Tajha Chappellet-Lanier, technology reporter at FedScoop, discusses the Government Accountability Office report on the White Office of Personnel Management’s cybersecurity posture.

Kymm McCabe, technology principal at Deloitte, discusses takeaways from the National Contract Management Association Conference and how leadership vacancies in government are impacting the contracting community.

Paul Verkuil, author of “Valuing Bureaucracy” and former head of the Administrative Conference of the United States, discusses why in the midst of a government reorganization effort, agency leaders should value bureaucracy.

Frank Kendall, former Under Secretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, discusses the Pentagon’s announcement of its plan to split the role of the Under Secretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics into two smaller roles – the under secretary of defense for research and engineering, and under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.

Nick Sinai, former U.S. deputy chief technology officer, discusses 18F’s effort to overhaul the way the federal government purchases software, by revamping the Authority to Operate process.

Tony Bertuca, chief editor at Inside the Pentagon, Jason Miller, executive editor at Federal News Radio, and Tom Shoop, editor-in-chief at Government Executive Media Group, discuss the week’s biggest headlines.

Brig. Gen. Gregory Touhill, president of Cyxtera Federal Group and former U.S. chief information security officer, discusses how defense and civilian agencies can craft a successful cybersecurity recipe.

Vago Muradian, editor of the Defense & Aerospace Report, discusses the Pentagon’s decision to split their undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics (AT&L) role into two positions.

Marcus Weisgerber, global business editor for Defense One, discusses the possible implications of a push to lower costs on the Air Force One aircraft.

Bill Zielinski, deputy assistant commissioner for category management at the General Services Administration, discusses the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract.

Jeri Bucholz, former chief human capital officer at NASA, discusses new guidance from the Office of Personnel Management impacting the Senior Executive Service.

Hettinger Strategy Group president Mike Hettinger and Cyrrus Analytics principal Rich Beutel discuss the future of FITARA and offer insight on this fall's federal IT priorities in Congress.

Joseph Kirschbaum, director of defense and capabilities management issues at the Government Accountability Office, discusses the potential impact of IoT devices on the Department of Defense and outlines some of the risks that may be involved.

Stayce Beck, chief of the Diabetes Diagnostics Devices Branch at the FDA, discusses her work on the first automated insulin delivery device in the world. Some refer to it as a first-generation artificial pancreas.

Richard Spires, CEO of Learning Tree International, discusses the emerging role of enterprise risk management in maintaining the safety of federal cybersecurity networks.

Soraya Correa and Chip Fulgham, the chief procurement officer and acting undersecretary for management at the Department of Homeland Security, discuss lessons learned from DHS' Flexible Agile Support for the Homeland (FLASH) contract.

Tom Sharpe and Kevin Youel Page, former commissioner and deputy commissioner of the General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Service, discuss the possible impact of moving OASIS into GSA's FEDSIM office. They also addressed their decision to leave government and establish the Onetegrity consulting practice.

Joanne Woytek, program manager for NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP), discusses her office's new tool -- the Established Authorized Reseller Program.

Military Times Capitol Hill bureau chief Leo Shane III and Politico defense reporter Jacqueline Klimas join Francis for this edition of the Pentagon Beat. They discuss President Trump's announcement of a transgender ban for the military as well as the Navy's push for a 355-ship fleet.

Rory Cooper, director of human engineering research laboratories at the Department of Veterans Affairs, discusses the work that won him a 2017 nomination for the Service to America Medals.

Stan Soloway, CEO of Celero Strategies and former deputy undersecretary of defense & acquisition reform, discusses an innovation program that targets middle-aged bureaucrats.