Weekly Roundup: May 6-10, 2024

USDS Impact Report Shows Tech Talent Demand Boom. The United States Digital Service (USDS) received over 100 requests from government agencies for help with technology projects in fiscal year (FY) 2023 – a demand level that USDS said greatly exceeds its current resources.

Driving Greater IT Efficiency and Innovation

In the fast-paced and ever-evolving realm of information technology (IT), public sector organizations face unique challenges in delivering effective services while ensuring security, efficiency, and scalability. The International Trade Administration administration (ITA) is a agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce focused on promoting U.S. exports, ensuring fair trade through enforcement of trade laws, and fostering a competitive business environment for U.S. companies.

Weekly Roundup: April 29 - May 3, 2024

A new push by OMB to get a handle on 10,000 federal websites. Over the last six months, agencies inventoried over 10,000 public-facing federal websites and identified their top websites with the most user traffic. This may have been the first time agencies completed such a website inventory as it was part of the requirements under the Digital Experience (DX) memo from Office of Management and Budget released in September.

Accelerating Technology Acquisition within the U.S. Department of Defense

The traditional approach to defense acquisition has long been criticized for its complexity, rigidity, and slow pace. However, the rapid advancement of digital technology and AI has compelled the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to rethink its acquisition strategies. Bonnie Evangelista, acting chief digital and AI officer for acquisition with her extensive experience in federal contracting and acquisition, is working on accelerating tech procurement.

Weekly Roundup: April 22-26, 2024

DHS launches new AI safety and security board. The board will be made up of 22 representatives from private sector, government and academia and will advise the DHS Secretary on risk mitigation for AI in critical infrastructure. 

The Art of Leadership: Insights from Edward Briceño, Jen Pahlka, and Roger Spitz on The Business of Government Hour

Leadership is a complex and dynamic endeavor, requiring adaptability, resilience, and a forward-thinking mindset. This is especially true in today's fast-paced, disruptive world, where leaders must be prepared to embrace change and navigate uncertainty. Over the last year, I have had the opportunity to interview innovative thinkers on leadership, including, Eduardo Briceño, Jen Pahlka, and Roger Spitz, who were spotlighted on this week's The Business of Government Hour.

Resilient Leadership: How to Adapt and Thrive

“Leadership is not a static trait—it is a dynamic state,” declares Hitendra Wadhwa in his articleLeading in the Flow of Workwhich appears as part of the spotlight feature, "The Leadership Mindset", in the Harvard Business Review January-February 2024. He offers a critically important insight especially at a time when disruption and disorientation seem to be ever present and the need for effective leadership even more pressing.  

Weekly Roundup: April 15-19, 2024

IRS seeks $104B for multi-year modernization fund maintain high level of customer service. The IRS is telling lawmakers that billions of dollars in multi-year modernization funds are helping the agency provide a level of customer service that taxpayers expect — and is asking for more funding to keep up with that demand.

Weekly Roundup: April 8-12, 2024

Managing Strategically: A Thought Process for Federal Managers. Federal managers are expected to advance measurable progress against an increasing number of competing demands, but making sense of these demands can often be overwhelming. This paper by Donnie Matlock and Amy Squires from Mitre attempts to address challenges by outlining a thought process for federal managers to make strategic decisions.

Exploring Life Ignition Tools (LIT)

Just before the start of 2024, the IBM Center released its latest book, Transforming the Business of Government: Insights on Resiliency, Innovation, and Performance, to mark its 25th anniversary. We recognize that government leaders continue to face the unforgiving realities of disruption and uncertainty. They need, now more than ever, practical, actionable insights on how best to manage and lead through uncertain and disruptive periods.

Pages

Leadership Fellow & Host, The Business of Government Hour
IBM Center for The Business of Government
600 14th Street, NW Second Floor
Washington, DC 20005
United States

Michael has two decades of experience with both the private and public sectors encompassing strategic planning, business process redesign, strategic communications and marketing, performance management, change management, executive and team coaching, and risk-financing.

Michael leads the IBM Center for The Business of Government's leadership research. As the Center’s Leadership Fellow, his work is at the nexus of the Center’s mission – connecting research to practice. My work at that the Center complements frontline experience of actual government executives with practical insights from thought leaders who produce Center reports – merging real-world experience with practical scholarship. The purpose is not to offer definitive solutions to the many management challenges facing executives, but to provide a resource from which to draw practical, actionable recommendations on how best to confront such issues. Michael also hosts and produces the IBM Center’s The Business of Government Hour. He has interviewed and profiled hundreds of senior government executives from all levels of government as well as recognized thought leaders focusing on a range of public management issues and trends. Over the last four years, Michael has expanded both the show’s format and reach – now broadcasting informational and educational conversations with dedicated public servants on two radio stations five times a week and anywhere at anytime over the web and at iTunes. Michael is also the managing editor of The Business of Government magazine, with a targeted audience of close to 14,000 government and non-government professionals. Additionally, he manages the Center’s bi-annual proposal review process that awards stipends to independent, third party researchers tackling a wide range of public management issues.

Prior to joining the Center, Michael worked as a senior managing consultant with IBM GBS (Global Business Services) and as a principle consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Washington Consulting Practice (WCP). He led projects in the private and federal civilian sectors including the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, FEMA, and the Veterans Health Administration. Before entering consulting, he worked in the private sector as product development manager at a New York City based risk financing firm.

Since 2003, Mr. Keegan has been a reviewer for Association of Government Accountant’s Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting (CEAR)© program, keeping abreast of the most recent developments in authoritative standards affecting federal accounting, financial reporting and performance measurement. He is also a member of APPAM, the NYU Alumni Association, and the Data Center & Cloud Talent, USA. He holds masters in public administration and management from New York University and was the founder of its DC alumni group as well as previous treasurer of the NYU graduate school’s alumni board.