John Kamensky

John Kamensky

AI Transparency, Consistency. Federal News Network reports: “Lynne Parker, the assistant director for artificial intelligence at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, speaking Thursday at the National Academy for Public Administration, said her office expects to release an updated National AI R&D Strategic Plan later this spring.”

“In the last six months, my supervisor has talked with me about my performance.” was one of the highest rated responses – at 81 percent – in the 2018 governmentwide survey of federal employees. But how did those conversations go?

GAO Invests in Science Capacity. Federal News Network reports: “The Government Accountability Office . . . requested a funding increase of $57.8 million more than it received in fiscal 2019, for a total of $647.6 million . . . Part of that increased budget . . .

There has been declining participation in the survey. While 598,000 responded last year, that was a bit less than 41 percent of the 1.47 million who were asked to participate.

So, does the survey matter?

John Kamensky

John Kamensky

GAO on VA IT. The Government Accountability Office testified on the IT challenges at the Department of Veterans Affairs, noting: “Despite spending over $4 billion annually on IT . . . VA still doesn't have IT systems that fully support critical services—e.g., veterans health care, the Family Caregiver Program, and disability benefits.”

The answer: The U.S. Forest Service – 100 to 150 years – because it takes a long time to grow a forest!

An intrepid band of foresight analysts from across the federal government met last week to continue their regular round of sharing insights and practices. The group quietly celebrated their fifth year of informally gatherings and the band of volunteers who organize the meetings announced the creation of a community website.

Strategic foresight is not futurist forecasting, nor is it the sole purvey of Popular Science magazine, the World Future Society, or the Jetson Family. It is about having the imagination to be prepared for what may come, regardless of which scenario occurs – it’s a mindset, not a process.

Creating a Federal Community.

In a research project last year, Carnegie Mellon University students used prescription data provided by the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Department of Human Services to create a model that could, with 78 percent accuracy, predict who was at a high risk of opioid abuse outside of pain clinics.  Early detection allows clinicians to intervene before an addiction even develops.

The big challenge for top leaders is - How do you create a leadership framework to achieve results, day-in and day-out, in a sustainable way, that stays focused and doesn’t let the organization get distracted by the inevitable headline-grabbing urgencies that arise on a regular basis that sap focus away from key mission goals?