Podcasts about it modernization

The VA is set to resume its electronic health record modernization program in 2026, nearly three years since it was paused in 2023. During the pause, the agency focused on developing a new strategy for deployment to improve success and boost patient safety. VA now plans to jumpstart the program with a focus on functionality and interoperability of the system, Dr. Neil Evans, VA's acting program executive director of VA's Electronic Health Record Modernization Integration Office explains. Evans discusses how this shift in thinking is building the foundation of a stronger, more functional EHR program. He said the EHR rollout will be conducted in “waves,” where geographically connected medical centers will deploy at the same time so that patients who maneuver between them will have their record accessible no matter where they seek care.

In an era where government tech projects often end in billion-dollar failures and privacy nightmares, there's a tiny Baltic nation that's quietly revolutionized what's possible. Estonia—a country of just 1.3 million people—has built what might be the world's most efficient digital government. Every public service is online. Digital signatures save 2% of GDP annually. And in a twist that should intrigue American conservatives, they've done it with smaller government, not bigger.How did a former Soviet republic become a model of lean digital governance? What's their secret for avoiding the "big-bang IT project" disasters that plague Washington? And most importantly—can America's divided political system learn anything from Estonia's success?Joining for this episode are two experts who've studied Estonia's digital miracle up close. Dr. Keegan McBride is senior policy advisor in emerging technology and geopolitics at the Tony Blair Institute. He's also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation. Joel Burke is the author of Rebooting a Nation: the Incredible Rise of Estonia, E-Government, and the Startup Revolution, and Senior Public Policy Analyst at Mozilla.

Sean O'Lone, former senior assistant to the Department of Navy CIO and current CTO of SAIC's Navy Business Group, joined us at Nutanix .NEXT to discuss federal modernization efforts and the future of defense IT. O'Lone served in various positions across the Navy and Joint Staff before joining industry. He shared insights into key pilot programs that modernized endpoint IT capabilities for Navy personnel, including supporting the Navy's Flank Speed. He explored the persistent challenges of federal IT modernization, from navigating budget constraints to balancing security and innovation. O'Lone explained opportunities to reduce duplication in the software enterprise to drive cost and mission efficiency, and how industry can best support the Pentagon's digital transformation.

Col. Ret. Michael Medgyessy, former CIO at Air Force Intelligence, joined us at Nutanix .NEXT to reflect on his career and share forward-thinking strategies for modernizing defense infrastructure. Medgyessy offered a behind-the-scenes look at how Air Force Intelligence deployed Nutanix solutions to support distributed services, increase resilience and streamline operations. He highlighted the power of hyperconverged infrastructure and software-defined storage to enable seamless failover and continuity across missions. He also explored how modern IT environments are helping services break away from legacy, monolithic systems and provided advice to federal CIOs as they continue on their modernization journeys. He emphasized the importance of an “invisible” infrastructure for end users and reducing administrative overhead across classification levels through scalable platforms.

Listen to the smart governance podcast to hear industry experts discuss how the City of Linden leverages Google Workspace to digitally transform essential State and Local Government workflows. Explore how Google Workspace's cloud-based productivity suite empowers agencies to improve organizational efficiency and protect sensitive data with advanced threat detection.

On this episode, host Dave Wennergren talks with long-time federal technology leader Melvin Brown and he also speaks with REI Systems leaders on the innovative work they're doing with FEMA. Guests: Melvin Brown, consultant, Contract Administration Network International (CANI), LLC, former OPM CIO and Deputy CIO, and vice president at Large for the American Council for Technology.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/melvinbrownii/ Samidha Manu, vice president, Federal Solutions, REI Systems and recipient of a 2025 ACT-IAC Innovation Impact Award.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/samidha-manu-45316317/ Rujuta Waknis, vice president, Digital Solutions, REI Systems and recipient of a 2025 ACT-IAC Innovation Impact Award.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujuta-waknis/ Brian Robertson, project manager/scrum master - IT Modernization & Change Management, REI Systems and recipient of a 2025 ACT-IAC Innovation Impact Award.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-robertson-b918671/ Additional Resources: To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode, host Dave Wennergren talks with long-time federal technology leader Melvin Brown and he also speaks with REI Systems leaders on the innovative work they're doing with FEMA.Guests:Melvin Brown, consultant, Contract Administration Network International (CANI), LLC, former OPM CIO and Deputy CIO, and vice president at Large for the American Council for Technology.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/melvinbrownii/Samidha Manu, vice president, Federal Solutions, REI Systems and recipient of a 2025 ACT-IAC Innovation Impact Award.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/samidha-manu-45316317/Rujuta Waknis, vice president, Digital Solutions, REI Systems and recipient of a 2025 ACT-IAC Innovation Impact Award.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujuta-waknis/Brian Robertson, project manager/scrum master - IT Modernization & Change Management, REI Systems and recipient of a 2025 ACT-IAC Innovation Impact Award.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-robertson-b918671/Additional Resources:To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Everyone wants government to work better, and part of that is updating outdated systems and embracing modern technology. The problem? Our federal government faces a critical tech talent crisis. Only 6.3% of federal software engineers are under the age of 30, which is lower than the percentage of total federal workers under 30. That means that federal tech talent skews older than lawyers, economists, etc. Not to mention, Silicon Valley pays 2-3x more than the feds, which makes it hard to attract computer science majors into government. The shortage threatens America's ability to navigate an era of technological disruption across AI, quantum computing, defense tech, and semiconductors.While recent initiatives like Elon Musk's temporary team of young engineers and the $500 billion Stargate program highlight the urgency, they don't solve the fundamental problem: creating a sustainable pipeline of technical talent willing to take a pay cut for public service. This talent gap could hamper innovation despite the current AI boom that's receiving 60% of venture funding. How can the private sector and federal government work to bridge this gap?Evan is joined by Arun Gupta, who pivoted from 18 years as a Partner at Columbia Capital investing in cybersecurity and AI startups to leading NobleReach Foundation, which works to bring some of the best assets of the private sector into public service. They explore how to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley and government service to ensure America can effectively regulate, adopt, and leverage emerging technologies for the national interest.

Former Energy Department CIO Ann Dunkin managed a $5 billion IT budget and a $1 billion high-performance computing budget during her tenure. With a new administration taking shape, she offered insights into some of President Donald Trump's new priorities and how they might impact the agency. She discussed the new AI executive order, the growing influence of global AI competition and the federal government's evolving strategies for cybersecurity and quantum advancements. She also highlighted ongoing challenges in recruiting top tech talent and streamlining acquisition processes. Hear Dunkin's take on the administration's priorities, the risks and rewards of AI deregulation, and what's next for federal IT modernization.

The newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is working to modernize government and combat waste, fraud and abuse. The Congressional DOGE Caucus co-chaired by Rep. Pete Sessions aims to bridge efforts between Congress and DOGE and examine the need for a comprehensive technology strategy to tackle inefficiencies within government. Rep. Sessions discussed how his caucus is working with DOGE staffers to tackle the waste in government operations at agencies like IRS and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Sessions broke down how his caucus is using data, the budget process and working groups to make government more efficient for taxpayers. Sessions also examined the fast-paced changes happening within the executive branch and how his caucus is keeping up.

Former Defense Department CIO John Sherman anticipates many shifts from President Donald Trump and his administration's incoming leadership on tech development and defense priorities. Sherman, who now serves as Dean of Texas A&M's Bush School of Government and Public Service, has spent 30 years in national security and intelligence positions in the CIA, DOD and other agencies. As DOD CIO, he oversaw technology and cyber modernization for a 4 million-person enterprise with a $60 billion IT and cyber budget. He was also politically appointed as Intelligence Community CIO under Trump's first administration. Since taking office, Trump has released new guidance, shifting government's approach to technology modernization and personnel management. Sherman explained how he sees the new administration's priorities developing and provided insight on the Office of Personnel Management's recently released guidance regarding redesignating SES CIO positions. Plus, he shared his perspective on the new AI executive order and the Defense Department's push to develop an “Iron Dome.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for the nation's largest internal help desk in government. Robert Cunningham, executive director for Enterprise Command Operations at VA, explains his oversight of the agency's internal help desk, which processes more than two million requests per year with the help of automation and AI. The tech also enables VA to better manage outages and bugs within the agency's systems. Cunningham also shares how he collaborates with VA employees, government agencies and industry to offer IT services unrivaled in scale to better serve veterans and those that serve them.

Maintaining legacy communications systems is expensive and can leave military services like the Navy and Marine Corps behind. During AFCEA West in San Diego, Verizon Navy and Marine Corps Public Sector Director David Reaves explained how he's seeing the Navy's challenges in modernizing voice and data communications, focusing on the Defense Department's mandate to transition from outdated systems to IP-based infrastructure. Reaves said that the high cost and difficulty of maintaining legacy systems means that the Navy should modernize to an enterprise-wide deployment strategy to ensure consistency and cost-effectiveness across bases. Reaves also discussed the importance of converging voice and data networks for operational efficiency and explained how the Navy can leverage existing contracts to streamline the acquisition of modern technologies like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

As AI continues to take off – a talent gap persists. Host Dion Hinchcliffe is joined by Amazon Web Services' Leo LaBranche, Director, Global Business Innovation on this episode of Six Five On The Road at AWS re:Invent. They look at how AWS and its partners are reshaping the landscape of AI in enterprise IT through strategic cloud migration, modernization efforts and upskilling existing workforces. Get their take on: The change from lift-and-shift to modernization: Enterprises are increasingly re-architecting or building cloud-native applications The talent gap: Upskilling existing workforces is crucial, and AWS is investing heavily in training and career path development IT Outsourcing (ITO) and Application Outsourcing (AO) in today's business environment Rethinking commercial constructs: How AWS is working with partners to develop more flexible models that enable modernization The C-Suite Perspective: CIOs should seek partners who can deliver tangible business outcomes, not just billable hours. AI is the next frontier: AWS's approach to partnerships in enhancing cloud migration and modernization AI is transforming how workloads are migrated, modernized, and managed.

There is a changing technology landscape and government is having to undergo a shift to become as effective as possible. There are unique challenges and opportunities of the public sector in adapting and innovating with new technology: legacy systems, regulation, data foundations, and workforce skilling.​Listen as our experts share how they are driving progress for their organizations – guiding their organizations to be more agile, customer-centric, and collaborative – while putting both their employees and their citizen stakeholders first. Featured ExpertsTom Kambouras, Chief Information Officer, NYC Employee Retirement System​Valerie Adamo,  Chief Technology Officer, Ontario Pension Board​ 

IT Modernization is an ongoing effort for the Federal Government. In this episode of the GovFuture podcast we interview Marty Fromuth. She is Chief of Staff, Legislative Liaison at U.S. Cyber Command. In this podcast Marty shares the role she sees AI playing in modernization efforts. Modernization with AI can be daunting, particularly when there The post The Role of AI in IT Modernization: Interview with Marty Fromuth – Chief of Staff, Legislative Liaison, U.S. Cyber Command [GovFuture Podcast] appeared first on GovFuture.

Progress demands transformation. But in a digital-first world, with the velocity of change increasing every day, how do you know you're making the right kind of progress? How can you think big while juggling rising IT complexity, costs, and vulnerability?Welcome to The Progress Report, a podcast brought to you by Kyndryl, your partner for continuous innovation. Join us as we sit down with thought leaders, technologists, and creative problem solvers. We'll explore provocative ideas about to how to modernize IT for efficiency and growth, create differentiated experiences, secure a resilient business, and ensure you're always ready for change.Keep your finger on the pulse—listen to The Progress Report.

In this episode, we chat with Mandi Walls, DevOps Advocate at PagerDuty, about the evolution of infrastructure management and operations over her career. We discuss the rise of configuration management tools like Chef and Puppet, and how Infrastructure-as-Code solutions like Terraform are now better suited for cloud-native environments.Mandi shares insights on key shifts like increased automation to reduce incidents, centralizing infrastructure code management, and using Terraform providers to configure SaaS products. Tune in for a thoughtful perspective on how infrastructure teams have matured their processes and adapted tools to the modern stack! Mandi Walls is a DevOps Advocate at PagerDuty. For PagerDuty, she helps organizations along their IT Modernization journey. Prior to PagerDuty, she worked at Chef Software and AOL. She is an international speaker on DevOps topics and the author of the whitepaper “Building A DevOps Culture”, published by O'Reilly.

In this episode of the GovFuture Podcast we feature a panel discussion from the November 16, 2023 GovFuture Forum DC event that took place in Washington, DC. The hot topic panel focused on “IT Modernization, Data, and Analytics”. The panel discusses how they are exploring emerging technologies, such as AI, machine learning, and IoT to The post November 2023 GovFuture Forum DC Hot Topic Discussion: IT Modernization, Data, and Analytics Featuring Dept. of Energy, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and FDA [GovFuture Podcast] appeared first on GovFuture.

The United States Census Bureau is a federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating various demographic and economic data about the United States and its population. As you can imagine, they collect and prove data that influences numerous aspects of American life, from congressional representation to economic development, urban planning, and public policy. In The post The Role of Data & IT Modernization at Census: Interview with Dr. Skip Bailey, Deputy Chief Information Officer at Census [GovFuture Podcast] appeared first on GovFuture.

This week on Off the Shelf, Bill Greenwalt, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Moshe Schwartz, president of Etherton and Associates, discuss the national security threats and how the Department of Defense (DoD) is responding to deliver the capabilities to meet the challenges facing our nation.  Greenwalt and Schwartz discuss the DoD ‘s changing mindset, focusing on contested logistics, speed of innovation, data driven decision making to improve operations and cybersecurity.  They also highlight what DoD is doing in the contracting world to deliver capabilities, including DOD's increased use of contracting flexibilities including leveraging the Defense Production Act to invest in long term production capabilities. Finally Greenwalt and Schwartz give their thoughts on DoD's IT Modernization and the role of Artificial Intelligence in supporting the mission.They also discuss the health of the Defense Industrial Base and the critical importance of accessing innovation from both traditional and non-traditional firms. At is core, discussion centers on the need to the time to bring capability to the field to meet national security challenges now and in the future.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Off the Shelf, Bill Greenwalt, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Moshe Schwartz, president of Etherton and Associates, discuss the national security threats and how the Department of Defense (DoD) is responding to deliver the capabilities to meet the challenges facing our nation.   Greenwalt and Schwartz discuss the DoD ‘s changing mindset, focusing on contested logistics, speed of innovation, data driven decision making to improve operations and cybersecurity.   They also highlight what DoD is doing in the contracting world to deliver capabilities, including DOD's increased use of contracting flexibilities including leveraging the Defense Production Act to invest in long term production capabilities.  Finally Greenwalt and Schwartz give their thoughts on DoD's IT Modernization and the role of Artificial Intelligence in supporting the mission. They also discuss the health of the Defense Industrial Base and the critical importance of accessing innovation from both traditional and non-traditional firms. At is core, discussion centers on the need to the time to bring capability to the field to meet national security challenges now and in the future. 

This week on Off the Shelf, Sonny Hashmi, Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Commissioner, provides an update on the state of FAS, including outlining the ongoing realignment of the organization. Hashmi addresses the new organizational approach breaking down stove pipes to better respond to customer agency needs and industry partner engagement. He also discusses the latest on implementation of Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) across the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) and what industry partners can expect. IT Modernization if a high priority for FAS and Hashmi talks about some key initiatives, including the progress being made to towards the launch of the FAS Catalog Platform. Hashnmi gives an update on buy.gsa.gov, which was launched in 2022 and employs human-centered design to support customer agencies acquisition planning and market research, and he shares some little know tidbits about FAS and the unique role it plays in supporting the federal government.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's guest is Jonathan Alboum, Federal Chief Technology Officer at ServiceNow. In his role with the Federal Government at ServiceNow, Jonathan works with federal agencies to deliver digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity. Prior to ServiceNow, Jonathan was the Public Sector CTO for Veritas Technologies, where he helped government, healthcare and education organizations manage, secure and identify business value from data on premises or in multi-cloud environments. Jonathan's Federal government tenure includes serving as the CIO for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). He led the development of the USDA's IT Modernization strategy, including Cloud computing, network modernization and enhanced cyber security for a $3 billion annual technology spend. In addition, he served as a leader in USDA's Acquisition community, supporting the oversight, assessment and strategic planning of national programs comprising an acquisition portfolio of more than 70,000 awards worth $6 billion annually. In this episode, Jonathan will discuss: His background working in federal government, How ServiceNow is being utilized in the federal sector, A Case study of ServiceNow in the Fish and Wildlife service, Overcoming challenges of implementing ServiceNow, How ServiceNow integrates with existing systems and technologies, The role of ServiceNow in Cybersecurity & Data Privacy, ServiceNow's RiseUp program, and How ServiceNow will continue to evolve in federal government

Today's guest is Jonathan Alboum, Federal Chief Technology Officer at ServiceNow. In his role with the Federal Government at ServiceNow, Jonathan works with federal agencies to deliver digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity. Prior to ServiceNow, Jonathan was the Public Sector CTO for Veritas Technologies, where he helped government, healthcare, and education organizations manage, secure and identify business value from data on premises or in multi-cloud environments.Jonathan's Federal government tenure includes serving as the CIO for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). He led the development of the USDA's IT Modernization strategy, including Cloud computing, network modernization, and enhanced cyber security for a $3 billion annual technology spend. In addition, he served as a leader in USDA's Acquisition community, supporting the oversight, assessment, and strategic planning of national programs comprising an acquisition portfolio of more than 70,000 awards worth $6 billion annually.In this episode, Jonathan will discuss: • His background working in federal government • How ServiceNow is being utilized in the federal sector • A Case study of ServiceNow in the Fish and Wildlife service • Overcoming challenges of implementing ServiceNow • How ServiceNow integrates with existing systems and technologies • The role of ServiceNow in Cybersecurity & Data Privacy • ServiceNow's RiseUp program • How ServiceNow will continue to evolve in federal government This episode is hosted by Mark Kelly CCO at Alldus.See video recording here: Link to YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest is Jonathan Alboum, Federal Chief Technology Officer at ServiceNow. In his role with the Federal Government at ServiceNow, Jonathan works with federal agencies to deliver digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity. Prior to ServiceNow, Jonathan was the Public Sector CTO for Veritas Technologies, where he helped government, healthcare, and education organizations manage, secure and identify business value from data on premises or in multi-cloud environments.Jonathan's Federal government tenure includes serving as the CIO for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). He led the development of the USDA's IT Modernization strategy, including Cloud computing, network modernization, and enhanced cyber security for a $3 billion annual technology spend. In addition, he served as a leader in USDA's Acquisition community, supporting the oversight, assessment, and strategic planning of national programs comprising an acquisition portfolio of more than 70,000 awards worth $6 billion annually.In this episode, Jonathan will discuss: • His background working in federal government • How ServiceNow is being utilized in the federal sector • A Case study of ServiceNow in the Fish and Wildlife service • Overcoming challenges of implementing ServiceNow • How ServiceNow integrates with existing systems and technologies • The role of ServiceNow in Cybersecurity & Data Privacy • ServiceNow's RiseUp program • How ServiceNow will continue to evolve in federal government This episode is hosted by Mark Kelly CCO at Alldus.See video recording here: Link to YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the GovFuture podcast we get the opportunity to talk to Mitch Winans who is Senior Advisor, Enterprise Digitalization Office at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He recently demoed and joined our hot topic panel discussion on “IT Modernization in the Government” at our GovFuture Forum DC June 2023 event. In this The post Five Cultural Principles for IT Adoption Success – Interview with Mitch Winans, IRS [GovFuture Podcast] appeared first on GovFuture.

As Don Yeske is wrapping up his last days as the Navy's acting chief technology officer, he joins us to talk about how the Navy is working to transform its legacy global network systems to be able to move information securely anywhere in the world. Plus, he reflects on the lessons learned from his current position as he is preparing to step into a new position at the Department of Homeland Security.

Hear Justin Mescher discuss the biggest trends in modern enterprise infrastructure, including how more organizations are adopting hybrid cloud strategies because they need the flexibility to deploy at the right place at the right time for the right workload.

Cloud Smart is one of several initiatives underway to boost IT modernization at the Department of Homeland Security. This approach is not only helping DHS better manage and access data, it's also empowering the workforce to make decisions in their environments at a faster pace.  DHS CTO David Larrimore has created a Chief Technology Officer Council that will restructure the CTO role to be more grounded in federal IT management. DHS has also leveraged the Cyber Talent Management System to hire a more diverse and high-tech workforce ahead of anticipated shortages.

The Department of State is using robotic process automation to cut the processing time for its monthly financial statement from two months to two days. Speaking at FedScoop's ITModTalks last week, State Department Chief Information Officer Kelly Fletcher explains how her organization is using artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency of back-office operations. Last month you heard on The Daily Scoop Podcast how the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is supporting one of the first federal civilian agency software factories. That software factory is supporting a remote workforce of nearly 500 thousand employees and has shortened the development of programs from years to weeks. At ITModTalks, USPTO CIO Jamie Holcombe closed out the event by explaining the approach his organization takes to IT Modernization. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher. And if you like what you hear, please let us know in the comments.

Infrastructure is one of the four pillars of IT Modernization, along with theDevelopment Process, Application Architecture and Deployment methodology. Leveraging the promise of Cloud Native means using the best of each of these. However, most organizations have a spectrum of applications in their portfolio to manage from the traditional VM based to the fully Cloud Native, microservices based apps deployed in containers. The challenge for today's CIO has is to ensure the Dev teams have access to the modern tooling, processes, and infrastructure they need, while simultaneously providing a modern platform for the traditional parts of their application portfolio. All while ensuring security, and compliance, reducing complexity, and being cost effective.

Federal IT modernization is a continuous process, and agencies are focusing on the different avenues and strategies they need to pursue to seek improved IT capabilities. Senior Researchers Kate Macri and Melissa Harris break down the top takeaways of the July 28 Blueprints of Tomorrow event featuring civilian and defense federal agencies and their work around data management, foundational tactics, workforce development and more. 

Digital transformation projects initiated this year will take twice as long and cost two times more than expected, according to Gartner. After more than a decade of investment, many companies are still struggling to make digital deliver at scale. What are the most common pitfalls leaders face in their pursuit of digital-first experiences? What role should IT modernization play given the pace of technology change? And where and when does the digital business journey end?Join our experts as they discuss the state of digital business now and explore how you can take a more holistic approach to continuous innovation in a digital-first world.

The Biden administration, following a windfall of IT modernization dollars Congress approved through COVID-19 spending, is outlining its vision of how it will make the most of this money. The Office of Management and Budget released a plan last week detailing projects made possible through three governmentwide IT modernization funds, as well as upcoming spending plans. Meanwhile, congressional spending on IT modernization for fiscal 2023 is coming into focus. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman had more on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

If you've recently logged in to access the Thrift Savings Plan, you've seen a new look for the TSP “My Account” website. But the launch of the TSP board's modernization project so far has been a bumpy road. In an exclusive Federal News Network survey, close to 2,000 respondents shared their experience with the rollout of the new system. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman shared what they had to say on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The State of Oklahoma and the City of Philadelphia are using key partnerships to simplify network architecture and lower operational costs, says Juniper Networks' practice leader for state and local government, Ben Caruso. He highlights how state and local agencies can continue to optimize and security for their expanded networks for their remote workforce. Guest: Ben Caruso, Practice Leader, State and Local Government, Juniper Networks Host: Wyatt Kash, SVP, Content Strategy, Scoop News Group Look for more coverage of “IT Modernization in Government” on www.statescoop.com/listen

Learn about the top challenges that disrupt modernization initiatives in a hybrid cloud and multicloud world and the leading strategies that organizations are following in order to boost reliability and increase uptime while modernizing their infrastructure. Jim Rapoza, VP & Principal Analyst with Aberdeen and Joseph George VP Compute and industry Alliances with HPE share their expertise.

Two major Defense Department information technology initiatives took major steps this week. The Fourth Estate Network Consolidation, involving most of DoD outside of the armed services themselves, has awarded a big contract to modernize its underlying network. Plus on the armed services side, DoD is putting the initial pieces in place to create the backbone of the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) Project. For more on these two efforts, Federal News Network Executive Editor Jason Miller and Deputy Editor Jared Serbu joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The Army decided it needed a redesign of how it approaches information technology. The result: a digital transformation strategy. Now, just four months in, Army officials see some results, although in some places more than others. Joining the Federal Drive with the latest, Federal News Network's Scott Maucione.

The shift in the workforce landscape has made upgrading and improving network infrastructure a necessity. In a new podcast, Cisco and Presidio discuss how state and local agencies confront the digital divide across communities in the U.S. and ensure constituents can access resources with reliable broadband connectivity. Guests: Meghan Steele, Senior Director, U.S. Public Sector East, Cisco and Dan Lohrmann, Field CISO, Public Sector, Presidio Look for more coverage of “IT Modernization in Government” on www.statescoop.com/listen

This episode features highlights from every episode so far, including a mix of VMware Tanzu Labs experts and clients. Because of the show's focus, the topics here range from building your first product as a startup to scaling Kubernetes inside a large organization, and cover industries including retail, financial services, and health care.

By any measure, the federal market for information technology is enormous -- close to 8% of the discretionary budget. And while it's not growing as fast as it did maybe in the 1990s, it's by no means static. For what's in the immediate future for this $118 billion industry, Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the senior director of research at Deltek, Deniece Peterson.

Today on the Government in Plain Language Podcast, MaBinti Yillah talks to Geoffrey Odlum, the president of Odlum Global Strategies, a company that provides creative scenario planning, strategic forecasting, and geopolitical analysis to clients from the government, industry, and NGO sectors. Before founding Odlum Global Strategies, Geoff was a U.S. diplomat with 28 years of experience in national security and international affairs. He led negotiations on sensitive nonproliferation agreements and oversaw a $7 million foreign assistance program to counter global nuclear smuggling. [01:20] Geoff's 28-year Stay Working for the State Department [02:28] Why Geoff Left the Federal Government for the Private Sector [04:41] Top Challenges Facing Public Managers [08:50] Tips for Managing Multiple Stakeholder Interests [11:30] Transitioning from the Public to the Private Sector [13:54] IT Modernization in the Federal Government [17:35] Can the Government Keep Up with the Rapid Changes in Tech? [22:01] Comparing Innovation Policies in the US and other Countries [26:05] How the US And other Nations Stack up in Tech and Innovation [29:00] Closing the Government Tech Talent Gap [37:03] Government Tech Policies that Need to be Retired [39:30] The Role of Federal Contractors in Tech Advancement [45:10] Government Recruiting: How to Attract More Tech Talent [50:50] Innovation and Government's Fear of Failure [52:20] Geoff's Experience at FedTech [57:40] Geoff's Key Takeaways Top Challenges Facing Public Managers As employees progress through their careers in public offices, the next natural step is usually management. Of course, management does come with its fair share of rewards, but it's also packed with several difficulties too. First, managers in the public sector face many challenges when handling staff, keeping them motivated, and providing professional opportunities. Unfortunately, the state rarely offers professional opportunities for civil servants to better their skills. And while the past generation was content on working without professional growth, millennials are very interested in career growth. If you look at the Department of Defense, every new manager or team leader must take a year off and take up management training. Yet, the State Department is reluctant to implement such strategies. Little wonder, the military is often credited for its ability to develop leadership competencies. IT Modernization in the Federal Government Although the federal government has struggled with technology adoption in the past, recent administrations, fortunately, understand that the world is headed for AI domination. This is seen in the introduction of The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). The program was established in 2011 to provide a cost-effective, risk-based approach for the adoption and use of cloud services by the federal government. The good news is that FedRAMP empowers agencies to use modern cloud technologies, emphasizing security and protection of state information. Sadly, the adoption process is at a snail's pace, making the transition slow and painful for civilian entrepreneurs and innovators. Links and Resources Geoff's LinkedIn Odlum Global Strategies NSCIA website Government in Plain Language's Twitter Page MSY Associates Twitter Page --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mabinti-yillah/message

Name: Arthur Allen (arthur.allen@va.gov) Short Bio: Arthur Allen is an infrastructure Project Manager in Service, Delivery Management section of VA's IT Operations and Service division within DevSecOps of OIT. He has been with the Department of Veterans Affairs since June 2015. He has led a diverse team of IT professional responsible for the implementation of several enterprise-wide infrastructure projects (SCCM – 2012, Google Chrome-Pexip, ITSM Tool [ServiceNow] EHRM Facilities Server Room (Data Center) Assessment/Remediation and Microsoft Teams). These projects satisfied two of VA's strategic principles, namely, Innovation and Teamwork. At the same time, the projects satisfied three of OIT's Strategic Imperatives specifically providing Exceptional Customer Service, IT Modernization, and Seamless and Secure Interoperability. Arthur is a retired U.S. Air Force Officer that can claim he enjoyed his Atlantic crossing aboard the USS Cape St. George while training Navy CIC personnel. His favorite hobbies are traveling, photography, and jazz music. Name: Kathy Lipkea-Durkop Short Bio: Kathy Lipkea-Durkop is an Implementation Manager with the Service Management and Planning (SMP), Service Delivery Management (SDM), National Implementation Management Team. Ms. Lipkea-Durkop has been with the Department of Veterans Affairs since April 1991. She worked several administrative positions before joining the Office of Information Technology (OIT) in February 1998. Her 23 years of OIT experience ranges from VistA Application Support, System Analyst, Deputy Facility Chief Information Officer, Former Region 2 OIT Project Manager to her current position. She has led the implementation of several enterprise-wide infrastructure projects to include VA Applications Consolidated Servers (VACS), Microsoft Teams, and the Real Time Location System (RTLS). The Microsoft Teams implementation fulfilled VA's strategic principles, namely, Innovation and Teamwork. Name: Stacy Washington Short Bio: Stacy Washington is a Manager, Technology Consulting Group (TCG) in VA National TeleStroke Program.  She has been with the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) since August 2007.  She has led diverse teams responsible for the implementation of several enterprise-wide infrastructure projects the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and as a Project Manager with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Healthcare Transformation (OHT).  OHT is a program office in the Office of the Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health (PDUSH) and provides the USH | PDUSH with program management, healthcare systems engineering, and strategic implementation services.  She led the successful migration of VA Pulse Social Platform to Microsoft Office 365 (O365) and SharePoint Online (SPO) and provided custom MS Teams and SharePoint Online (SPO) training to the VA employees.  She demonstrates the VA's ICARE core values and characteristics on each Project using her interpersonal skills to include my ability to resolve potentially difficult situations, which reduced resistance to change. Her favorite hobbies are traveling, cooking, and DIY projects.

On this episode of the CX Tipping Point we chat with Brian Whittaker, former Acting Director of 18F & Deputy Director of GSA's IT Modernization of Centers of Excellence, on the role that diversity and inclusion play in delivering government services. Hear how these play an important role in the research and implementation to achieve the desired outcome. Brian is currently the Director of Design and Development on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

A year later than expected, the 18F organization at the General Services Administration will finally break even in 2020. The technology consulting and service provider spent 600 thousand dollars more in 2019 than it brought in from agency customers. Getting to this point was a long time in coming for 18F, which the Obama administration created in 2014 to help agencies move the IT modernization needle forward faster. In his weekly feature, the Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about why House lawmakers questioned 18F's finances and its role in IT modernization. Jason joins me now to discuss.

The Trump administration, in a budget request that comes in below the spending caps for civilian agencies, is asking for a record level of information technology spending. But it's what's underneath the $92 billion request that is real story in the fiscal 2020 budget request the White House sent to Congress yesterday. Federal News Network's executive editor Jason Miller dug through the pages of the annual exercise to find some of those important policy tidbits. Hear more on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Tucked in to the nearly 1,800 pages that is the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act are several provisions that many may have overlooked. Admit it, you haven't read the document that if printed out would weigh about 8 pounds. Most of the people who voted for it didn't, either. Federal News Network Executive Editor Jason Miller asked several federal experts for some help in finding IT and cyber provisions that may have flown under the radar. In his weekly feature, the Reporter's Notebook, he writes about five of them, and he joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin in the studio.

When it comes to modernizing systems the Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs are taking on some big projects. The Army expects to move one of the world's largest financial enterprise systems to the cloud next fiscal year as part of a modernization agenda that includes agile transformation and shared services. Meanwhile the VA will take another shot at consolidating its financial management system this summer, based on lessons learned from its previous two failed efforts. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more information on those efforts.