The GovNavigators Show

The GovNavigators are joined by Andrea Sampanis, Acting Director of the Grants Quality Service Management Office (QSMO). Andrea talks about some of the challenges faced by the over 50 different grant making agencies and the work the Grants QSMO has undertaken to help improve the federal grant making process. And she shares some of the amazing work the QSMO did using human centered design to deliver real solutions that lessen the burdens on tribal grant recipients in rural and underserved areas.

Show Notes
Tribal Customer Experience Pilot for Post-Award Reporting
Federal Grants Systems Hub
GSA Announces Open Government Federal Advisory Committee
Washington Post "Who is Government" Series
Urgent Need for a Congressional Evidence Commission

Events on the GovNavigators' Radar
NASCIO Annual Conference (September 29 - October 2, New Orleans, LA)

This week the GovNavigators are joined by Margot Conrad, the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of Personnel Management. Margot shares some of the details of a slew of exciting new policy initiatives at OPM and how the agency is working to create tools and flexibilities that support federal agencies human capital needs.

Show Notes
OMB Circular A-129 Update
OMB/OPM Memo: Improving the Federal Hiring Experience
2024 Service to America Medal Winners

Events on the GovNavigators' Radar
AGA Internal Control and Fraud Prevention Training (Sept. 19-20) 

Commerce Department Senior Advisor Shannon Arvizu rejoins the GovNavigators Show to share the latest on the development of the Department's new data strategy and talk about the release of its Equitable Data Playbook.

Show Notes
NY Times: Leaked Reports and Political Heat Are Testing Trust in Economic Data
Washington Post: The Canary

Events of the Week
Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals
Service to the Citizen Awards
 

The GovNavigators take a respite to celebrate Labor Day and also the first GovNavigators wedding as Robert's middle daughter got married over the holiday weekend. And they'll need the rest - Congress returns this week to an overflowing slate of to dos, there are only a few weeks left in FY24 for agencies to spend end of year funds, and a presidential transition (or one kind or another) is imminent. 

Lauren Stocker, Acting Director of GSA's Office of Evaluation Sciences stops by to talk about her interesting career path at GSA, what the Office of Evaluation Sciences does to improve government programs and why we need more of it. Oh...and she drops the bomb that she's a Houstonian! 

Show Notes
Call for Participation: NIST-Supported Nationwide AI Red-Teaming Exercise
WSJ: Schumer Optimistic About Passing Federal AI Regulation This Year
Social Security to Simplify Disability Evaluation Process
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas Ruling

Upcoming Events
Transforming Workforce Management with Agile, Human-Centered Design and AI

FOGN Christina Ho joins the GovNavigators Show to talk about her role as a Board Member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the many nicknames she has been given, and how she has made principled stands on policy in her role on the PCAOB.

Show Notes
WSJ: The Auditing Industry’s Regulator Has a Vocal Critic. And She’s on Its Board
FNN: Pentagon releases key CMMC contracting rules
OMB Report to Congress on Telework and Real Property Utilization
OMB Memo: Improving the Federal Hiring Experience

Upcoming Events
PSC: Overturning Chevron Deference: Impacts on GovCon Industry (August 20)
Alliance for Digital Innovation: FedRAMP 2.0 (Part 2) (August 22)
ACT-IAC 45th Anniversary Golf Tournament (August 26)
AFCEA DC 1st Annual Golf Tournament (August 26)

The GovNavigators consult with the Oracle of Congress - Managing Partner and Founder of Brumidi Group Charles Cooper. Charles reviews the (small) progress made in Congress so far this year and previews the host of work left to do when it returns from the August recess. Oh - and he gives an (unpaid) shout out about how much he likes the GovNavigators!

Show Notes
FedRAMP Request for Comments on Program Metrics
President's Management Agenda Quarterly Updates
GSA Announces First OASIS+ Award Decisions

Upcoming Events
GSA Industry Symposium (August 7)
AGA/Celonis Public Sector Process Intelligence Forum (August 13)

Washington Post reporter Liz Goodwin joins Robert and Adam to talk about her work shining a light on the U.S. Congress. Specifically Liz talks about her report opening up and analysing the data on a new House program allowing for reimbursement for living expenses while in Washington D.C. And she and Robert talk about their shared TX roots.

Show Notes

• OMB Memo: Modernizing the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program
• FACT SHEET: OMB Releases FedRAMP Guidance to Accelerate the Secure Adoption of Cloud Services
• OMB Releases Update to Circular A-11
• What your member of Congress expensed under a new, receipt-free program
• Galveston Oh Galveston (by Glen Campbell)

John Salamone, Chief Human Resources Officer of the House of Representatives joins the GovNavigators Show to talk about bringing structure and resources to the 435+ offices of the U.S. House of Representatives. John shares how he fell into working in human resources and some of the exciting new programs and supports he is helping to create in the House.

Show Notes
OIRA: Tackling the Time Tax


Upcoming Events
PSC: Artificial Intelligence Roundtable (members only)
Crafting a Secure AI Framework

The GovNavigators are joined this week by Tim Brennan, Vice President of Government Relations at the Professional Services Council (PSC). Robert and Adam grill Tim about dressing for the job you want, the levels of calcification of the federal bureaucracy, and the wide range of policy issues he is leading the charge on for PSC.

Show Notes
Biden Administration's Cybersecurity Priorities for the FY2026 Budget
PPS Center for Presidential Transition Persistently Vacany Positions Report
IRS reports collecting $1 billion from rich households’ back taxes