Government Matters

Modernization efforts at Army Futures Command

GEN John “Mike” Murray (USA), Commanding General of Army Futures Command, discusses how the Army Futures Command is improving acquisitions using soldier-centered design and software-based processes

The COVID-19 Insights Partnership at the Energy Department

Cheryl Ingstad, Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Office at the Department of Energy, explains how the Department of Energy is collaborating with other agencies to help respond to the coronavirus and natural disasters

New IG report finds NASA doesn’t know how many devices connect to its networks

Kim Benoit, Assistant Inspector General for Audits at NASA, discusses a new IG report that finds NASA is having difficulty getting an accurate count of devices on its networks and provides recommendations for cybersecurity measures

NIST releases guidance on Zero-Trust Architecture

Scott Rose, Computer Scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, describes the new Zero-Trust Architecture guidelines and gives advice for agencies on implementation

New ASTRO solicitation the first to use Section 876 authority

Alan Thomas, Former Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at GSA, explains how the General Services Administration’s ASTRO master contract supports competition at the task order level

Lessons learned from the pandemic response at VA OIT

Susan Perez, Chief of Staff for the Office of Information and Technology at the Department of Veterans Affairs, discusses how the OIT’s digital transformation strategy helped the VA respond to the pandemic

Assessing the need for the Pentagon building

James Hasik, Senior Fellow at the George Mason University Center for Government Contracting, details the advantages and disadvantages of remote work at the Department of Defense and the potential risks of continuing to use the Pentagon

Expanding telework options in the Air Force

Deborah Lee James, Former Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, discusses the shift to telework at the Air Force during the pandemic and the possibility of it continuing into the future

Updates on the Chief Management Officer role

Frederico Bartels, Senior Policy Analyst for Defense Budgeting at The Heritage Foundation, discusses the National Defense Authorization Act and the argument for keeping the Chief Management Officer role

Utilizing e-marketplaces in government

Robert Burton, Partner & Expert Witness at Crowell & Moring, discusses e-marketplaces and Congress’ request for GSA to put together a centralized marketplace for federal agencies

Veterans leaving government positions at higher rate than non-veterans

Yvonne Jones, Director of Strategic Issues at GAO, discusses a new report from the Government Accountability Office on job satisfaction among veterans versus non-veterans in federal roles

New ASTRO solicitation the first to use Section 876 authority

Jim Williams, Partner at Schambach & Williams Consulting, explains how the General Services Administration’s new ASTRO solicitation will use Section 876 authority to avoid using price as an evaluation factor

Top challenges the Department of Homeland Security is up against

Tom Warrick, Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, discusses top areas where DHS should focus its mission right now and ways to address challenges facing the department

Next steps in schedules consolidation

Roger Waldron, President of the Coalition for Government Procurement, talks about the plan for schedules consolidation and its relevance to frictionless acquisition

Challenges in recruiting and retaining government employees

Margot Conrad, Director for Government Affairs at the Partnership for Public Service, discusses federal hiring challenges and ways agencies can improve how they recruit talent

GSA enters phase 3 of MAS modification

Emily Murphy, Administrator of the General Services Administration, gives an overview of GSA’s progress on its Multiple Awards Schedules consolidation

The Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract at HHS

Eric Hargan, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Emily Murphy, Administrator of the General Services Administration, discuss how HHS and other agencies have been able to sucessfully transition to the EIS contract

Progress on Letter, Spirit of FITARA Despite Funding Gaps, Law's Co-author Says

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D), Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Government Operations Subcommittee, explains the importance of providing funding for the TMF in the latest House coronavirus relief stimulus bill

Outdated legacy IT systems at DHS

Kristen Bernard, Deputy Assistant Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security OIG, discusses IT reform efforts at DHS and progress the department still needs to make on upgrading outdated systems

Mental health care challenges at DoD

Carolyn Hantz, Assistant Inspector General for Evaluations Programs, Combatant Commands, and Overseas Contingency Operations at the DoD OIG, talks about challenges military members face with access to mental health care and recommendations to improve this situation

Pushing for information dominance

Michael Buscher, Chief Growth Officer at NuWave Solutions, explains the growing trend towards information dominance in the Intelligence Community, Pentagon and civilian agencies

Pentagon to review Navy force structure

Bryan Clark, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, provides updates on the Navy force structure assessment from the Office of the Secretary of Defense

Analyzing the fiscal year 2021 defense budget

Seamus Daniels, Program Manager and Research Associate for Defense Budget Analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, discusses takeaways from the defense budget request for fiscal year 2021

GAO report finds maintenance delays at Navy shipyards

Diana Maurer, Director of Defense Capabilities and Management at the Government Accountability Office, discusses the GAO report on persistent and substantial maintenance delays at Navy shipyards

Takeaways from the TSP participant survey

Kim Weaver, Director of External Affairs at the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, talks about the Thrift Savings Plan participant satisfaction survey and website update

GSA aims for a quick turnaround on the STARS III contract

Joe Jordan, former Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, provides updates on the STARS III multiple awards contract

The potential for classified remote work

Larry Allen, President of Allen Federal Business Partners, discusses the Defense Department’s plans to enable remote work options for classified projects

New GAO report finds some top DHS appointments were illegal

Ricardo Pitts-Wiley, Partner at Federal Practice Group, and Tom Spulak, Partner at King & Spalding, discuss the report from the Government Accountability Office stating that some top Department of Homeland Security appointments were illegal

Inspector General says outdated IT systems hinder DHS’s mission

John Zangardi, President of Redhorse Corporation, discusses the issue of legacy IT systems that are hindering the mission of the Department of Homeland Security

Pandemic relief for defense contractors

Amy Benson, Vice President of Government Affairs at SAIC, explains why benefits under Section 3610 of the CARES Act should be extended through the end of the calendar year