The next evolution of FedRamp is here. A new blog post at FedRamp.gov is titled “Revision 5 Baselines Have Been Approved and Released.” Dave Wennergren, CEO of ACT-IAC & former Chief Information Officer of the Navy, former Deputy Defense Department CIO, and former assistant Deputy chief Management Officer at DOD, explains what the new guidelines mean, and what comes next for industry and agencies.Agencies and other stakeholders have a new list of action items to make their digital modernization efforts work. David Powner, Executive Director of the Center for Data-Driven Policy at MITRE and former Director of IT Issues at the Government Accountability Office, writes about them with his colleague Nitin Naik, and he tells you what’s on the roadmap they’ve written, and how agencies can navigate it.The Thrift Savings Plan is taking a page out of the President’s Management Agenda. It’s reshaping its customer experience organization to serve TSP participants better. Kim Weaver, Director of External Affairs at the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, tells you why the FRTIB has unveiled its new Office of Participant Experience, and what it will do.ACT-IAC Health Innovation Summit 23, Reston VA, June 8, 2023Photo: David Powner testifies to the House Oversight and Reform subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, May 10, 2023 (screen grab from committee site)

This podcast was recorded at GEOINT Symposium 2023, hosted by the US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, in St. Louis, MO, May 22-23, 2023.Technology isn’t the aspect of the metaverse government leaders are strategizing for. Personal privacy and personal security are important considerations for government leaders too. Dan Opstal, Acting Director of the National Civil Applications Center at the U-S Geological Survey, hosted a panel about privacy and security in the metaverse at GEOINT 2023. After that panel, he told me about the intersection of the metaverse with his job.The Chief Information Officer at NGA is new to the job, but he’s not new to the agency. Mark Chatelain has only been the CIO there since February, but he’s been at NGA since before it was NGA. At GEOINT 2023, I asked him how his tenure there informs the way he leads the technology shop.ACT-IAC Health Innovation Summit 23, Reston VA, June 8, 2023Photo (L-R): Francis Rose & Mark Chatelain at GEOINT 2023 (Fed Gov Today photo)

This podcast was recorded at GEOINT Symposium 2023, hosted by the US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, in St. Louis, MO, May 22-23, 2023. The theme of this year’s event is “From Maps To Metaverse.” Many of the discussions here focused on the metaverse. Christy Monaco, Vice President of Programs at the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation and former Chief Ventures Officer at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, explains how the Foundation decided on that theme.NGA is exploring what it calls non-linear career paths to solidify recruitment and retention. Ian Zearfaus, Director of the Human Capital Advanced Capabilities Office at NGA, discusses how non-linear career paths benefit employees and the agency.One of the panels here about the metaverse addressed bringing it to the geoint field. One of the panelists was the Deputy Chief Technology Officer at NGA, Christopher Johnson. I asked him how the practitioners on this panel define the metaverse.ACT-IAC Health Innovation Summit 23, Reston VA, June 8, 2023Photo (L-R): Francis Rose & Christopher Johnson at GEOINT 2023 (Fed Gov Today photo)

Congress could find budget savings in federal agency software, according to a veteran of the Hill. He calls those contracts “software vampire squid.” Matt Cornelius, former Senior Professional Staff Member for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and former Senior Technology and Cybersecurity Advisor at the Office of Management and Budget, writes about software licensing in FCW, and he tells you about legislation that could kill the squid.Federal employees would all become at-will employees if two members of Congress get their way. The Public Service Reform Act would eliminate most of the ways federal employees have to appeal personnel decisions, too. Jeff Neal, former Chief Human Capital Officer at the Department of Homeland Security, explains the nuances of the bill and why he believes it would be bad for the federal workforce.ACT-IAC Health Innovation Summit 23, Reston VA, June 8, 2023Photo (L-R): Francis Rose, Jeff Neal on Government Matters

The debt limit debate on Capitol Hill could have some impact for operations at federal agencies. Those implications for agencies could be somewhat familiar and different at the same time. Janice Haith, industry strategic advisor at Oracle and former Deputy Chief Information Officer of the Navy, tells you why, and how to prepare for it.Operators across the government are using the Team Awareness Kit for a variety of situational awareness uses. Its program center says TAK is the “core of a suite of georeferenced imagery and communications tools that allow for scaled operational planning, data sharing, visualized elevation data, and target management.” Ryan McLean, Director of the TAK Program Center, explains what TAK, how it works, and how it exists as a unique entity inside the DoD ecosystem.ACT-IAC Health Innovation Summit 23, Reston VA, June 8, 2023Photo: TAK logo, courtesy of TAK.gov

The Inspector General’s office at the General Services Administration has a new look at the Transactional Data Reporting pilot on the Multiple Award Schedule. That new look finds more problems on top of the problems the IG office found before. Larry Allen, President of Allen Federal Business Partners, doesn’t think the problems the IG found are problems, and he explains why.U.S. Special Operations Command is running some innovative programs to get special operators the equipment they need. Those programs come from SOCOM’s Science and Technology Directorate. Lisa Sanders is Director of Science and Technology at SOCOM. At SOF Week 2023, she told me about her directorate’s mission.Photo: Francis Rose and Lisa Sanders at SOF Week 2023

The Defense Logistics Agency says its supplier base shrunk 22% between 2016 and 2022. DLA leadership released supply chain data at the Supply Chain Alliance Conference and Exhibition in Richmond earlier this month. Tara Murphy Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer of Govini and former Chief of Staff for Global Strategic Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, describes how data can help the department shore up its supply chain.The Air Force will follow the zero trust strategy the Defense Department released recently. That strategy is supposed to be fully operational by 2027. Wanda Jones-Heath is the Principal Cyber Advisor of the Air Force. In a highlight of my exclusive conversation with her on this week’s Fed Gov Today TV show, I asked her about the factors that drive the evolution of the threat landscape. The Secretary of the Air Force says his service, and the rest of the military, needs timely appropriations to deliver effectively on its mission. Frank Kendall explained why on Fed Gov Today TV last week; you can watch that episode on demand at FedGovToday.com. Before the House Armed Services Committee, Secretary Kendall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown, and Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman answered a question from Committee Chairman Congressman Mike Rogers about the impact of a continuing resolution on the priorities the services laid out in the FY24 budget request.Photo: Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman listen to opening comments while testifying before the House Armed Services Committee for the Department of the Air Force fiscal year 2024 budget request, Washington, D.C., April 27, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)

Today is day three of Public Service Recognition Week. Part of the observation of that week each year is the release of the finalists for Service to America Medals. Max Stier, President and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, outlines what goes into choosing the finalists each year, and some of the great stories of the work this year’s finalists do. The Defense Information Systems Agency says its big cybersecurity project is ready for prime time. The Director of DISA, Lieutenant General Robert Skinner, says his agency will scale Thunderdome after a successful prototyping phase. In this highlight of my exclusive conversation with General Skinner on this week’s Fed Gov Today TV show, he gave me an overview of Thunderdome. The Defense Innovation Unit is spreading the word about what it can do - and can’t do - for the Defense Department and industry. It was doing just that at Tech Net Cyber last week. Johnson Wu, Cyber Commercial Executive for the Cyber Portfolio at DIU, explains why even though DIU has been around since 2015, there are still a lot of misconceptions about it.Photo: Defense Innovation Unit headquarters; DIU photo.

The Chief Information Officer of Space Systems Command, Col. Jennifer Krolikowski, says she’s “cautiously optimistic” about generative artificial intelligence. DefenseScoop reports military services are just one part of the government deciding how they want to use the technology. CDR Juliana Vida (USN ret.), chief strategy advisor at Splunk and former Deputy Chief Information Officer of the Navy, reviews how generative AI snuck up on people, and how tech leaders can stay ahead of the curve.The Internal Revenue Service will get what it calls a “historic opportunity” to modernize its operations through the Inflation Reduction Act. The agency’s IRA Strategic Plan details what, and who, it will spend the money on. Danny Werfel, Commissioner of the IRS, tells you how many people he can hire, what they’ll do, and what technology the agency can transform with the IRA money.Photo: IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel on Fed Gov Today TV, April 30, 2023

The Office of Personnel Management’s new data strategy includes four goals. OPM says those four goals will push the agency toward becoming “the nation’s premier employer and provider of human capital data.” Robert Shea, Chief Executive Officer of Gov Navigators and former Associate Director at the Office of Management Budget, tells you what to look for as OPM works to deliver on the strategy.A deep transformation is coming for the Space Force, according to the Secretary of the Air Force. That transformation is necessary because of China’s priority in space. On Sunday’s episode of Fed Gov Today TV, the 26th Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, explained why he focused on space transformation at the recent Space Symposium. He also detailed his request to Congress to allow his service to start work on programs before funding is in place.AFCEA International TechNet Cyber, May 2-4, 2023Photo: Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on Fed Gov Today TV, April 30, 2023

The National Cybersecurity Strategy is part of the Biden administration’s preparation for cyber attacks against the federal government and the private sector. Former Federal CIO Tony Scott, now CEO of Intrusion, calls them “cyber shocks” in a new presentation in collaboration with the IBM Center for the Business of Government and the National Academy of Public Administration. He joins me to talk about steps governments should take to prevent cyber shocks, and deal with them when they happen.The Thrift Savings Plan has plans in place to analyze and treat potential risks to its operation and its participants. Kim Weaver, Director of External Affairs at the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, discusses how the TSP formulates and executes those plans, and how it decides which risks need the most attention.AFCEA International TechNet Cyber, May 2-4, 2023Photo: Thrift Savings Plan logo, courtesy Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board

This edition of Fed Gov Today is sponsored by Interos and Carahsoft.April is Supply Chain Integrity Month. The theme this year is “Supply Chain Risk Management: The Recipe for Resilience.” Devin Lynch, Director of Supply Chain and Technology Security in the Office of the National Cyber Director, wrote a blog post about the recipe, and joined me to dig deeper into it.Federal agencies have a two-sided challenge with supply chain integrity. They’re working on internal-facing, and external-facing, supply chain issues. Jennifer Bisceglie, Chief Executive Officer of Interos, discussed how agencies can manage both at the same time.Devin Lynch covered some of the ingredients in the “Recipe for Resilience” that forms the theme of Supply Chain Integrity Month. And he called out the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as one of ONCD’s partners in the effort. Jack Cable, senior technical advisor at CISA, helped me understand his agency’s role.You’ve heard my guests talk about the role of the intelligence community in the integrity of the supply chain. Jeanette McMillian, Assistant Director of the Supply Chain and Cyber Directorate at the National Counterintelligence and Security Center in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, reviewed what the IC has to offer the supply chain integrity effort.Photo: Supply Chain Integrity Month graphic courtesy of CISA.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee will review the new edition of the Government Accountability Office’s High Risk List Wednesday. GAO publishes an updated list every two years; the newest list came out last Thursday. Michelle Sager, Managing Director for Strategic Issues at GAO, reviews what’s new about this year’s list.The Coast Guard is expanding its cyber work, and the size of its cyber workforce. It’s growing its offensive cyber capabilities and building new paths for people to do that work. Rear Admiral Jay Vann, commander of Coast Guard Cyber Command, describes how his service is approaching that workforce challenge, and dealing with the unique cyber position the Guard occupies.AFCEA International TechNet Cyber, May 2-4, 2023Photo: Rear Admiral John “Jay” Vann, courtesy U.S. Coast Guard.

The Air Force is on the hunt for a new Chief Information Officer. Lauren Knausenberger will leave that job June 2nd. She’s been in that post since August 2020. Lauren is my guest for the entire show today, to discuss zero trust, the cloud, and her other priorities and achievements as she prepares to wind down her service as Air Force CIO.Photo: Lauren Knausenberger, Department of the Air Force chief information officer, holds a communications and cyber all-call during a visit to Kadena Air Base, Japan, Oct. 3, 2022. Knausenberger toured the installations’ cyber infrastructure and spoke with personnel from the 18th Communications Squadron about their mission, equipment, innovation and capabilities in the region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Savannah L. Waters)

This edition of Fed Gov Today is sponsored by SAIC.The Air Force calls its Cloud One offering a multi-cloud, multi-vendor ecosystem. Cloud One hosts more than 100 applications. Maj. Andrew Beckman, Program Manager for Cloud One, introduces you to some of his team, and explains how Cloud One’s multi-cloud environment drives mission success for the Air Force. The Air Force’s multi-cloud environment is just one example of that approach in the federal government. More and more agencies are taking that approach for the reasons Major Beckman laid out. Bob Genter, president of the Defense and Civilian Sector of SAIC, says that approach works for several key reasons.Most cloud practitioners refer to the cloud “journey” when they discuss the concept. Every agency is in a different place on that journey. Noell Rebellez, Federal lead for Cloud Services in the Office of the Chief Information Officer at the Department of Labor, updates you on where his agency is on its cloud journey, and where it’s going.

This edition of Fed Gov Today is sponsored by Carahsoft and Hitachi Vantara.The Fleet C4I and Readiness Department at Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic is responsible for what it calls three thrust areas. The Department lists cybersecurity; innovative culture; and high velocity learning as those three thrusts. Greg Lancaster, head of the Fleet C4I and Readiness Department, tells me more about his department, and its mission.The Navy will use data to help it make arguments to Congress about which ships to decommission. ADM Daryl Caudle, Commander of US Fleet Forces Command, tells Defense News having that data could make the decommissioning process easier. Phil Fuster, Chief Revenue Officer at Hitachi Vantara Federal, says one of the biggest challenges he heard about from military leaders at Sea-Air-Space is managing mission data.The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star is headed to Phase III of its Service Life Extension Project. The Guard lists the Polar Star as one of its ships operating in the Pacific Area. VADM Andrew Tiongson, Commander of the Pacific Area and Commander of Defense Force West for the Coast Guard, discusses presence in his area of responsibility.AFCEA International TechNet Cyber, May 2-4, 2023Photo: VADM Andrew Tiongsen, USCG at Sea Air Space

4/14/23: The Best Places to Work in the Federal GovernmentNASA is the Best Large-Agency Place to Work in the Federal Government again this year, according to the Partnership for Public Service. This year’s rankings include some big moves in both directions for agencies - for a lot of reasons. Max Stier, President and CEO of the Partnership, reviews the new numbers, and recommends action for agencies to reverse the downward trends of the last several years.AFCEA International TechNet Cyber, May 2-4, 2023Photo: Max Stier, by T.J. Kirkpatrick for the Partnership for Public Service

This edition of Fed Gov Today is sponsored by Carahsoft and Dell.The new National Strategy for the Arctic Region takes a 10-year view of that region of the world. The strategy says it will be “a framework to guide the U.S. Government’s approach to confronting the new challenges and opportunities in the Arctic.” CDR Casey Gon, Director of the National Ice Center, and Commanding Officer of the Naval Ice Center, says his command, and its work in the Arctic, is a collaboration of the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.The importance of cloud technology to the future fight is moving beyond technology leaders in the military. Leaders at every level list edge computing as a key component of warfighting tools like JADC2. Manny Yusuf, Chief Cloud Architect at Dell Technologies, tells me warfighting isn’t the only use for the cloud in the military.Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic will use results from a recent communications experiment to contribute to the development of JADC2. The exercise included manned and unmanned ships at Sullivan’s Island, SC. I asked Pete Reddy, Executive Director of NIWC Atlantic, about his organization’s mission.ACT-IAC Climate Change Summit, April 17, 2023AFCEA International TechNet Cyber, May 2-4, 2023Photo: Pete Reddy, NIWC Atlantic Executive Director, with Francis Rose at Sea Air Space

This edition of Fed Gov Today is sponsored by Carahsoft and Salesforce.Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command features six major commands. One of them is Fleet Weather Center Norfolk. Capt. Erin Acosta, Commanding Officer of Fleet Weather Center Norfolk, says her command is a sister command to Fleet Weather Center San Diego.Readiness is still top-of-mind for the military, including the sea services. Leaders from each of the services referenced readiness in remarks at Sea Air Space 2023. Aaron Duchak, Regional Vice President for Salesforce, says industry can help the services with their readiness challenges.The Coast Guard says its new Unmanned Systems Strategic Plan will drive change in three areas. The Guard lists mission execution improvement; defense against unlawful use of unmanned systems; and establishing and enforcing a regulatory framework for using unmanned systems and automation in the Marine Transportation System safely and lawfully. VADM Kevin Lunday, Coast Guard Atlantic Area Commander and Commander of Coast Guard Defense Forces East, says A-I is a topic everyone should be interested in.ACT-IAC Climate Change Summit, April 17, 2023AFCEA International TechNet Cyber, May 2-4, 2023Photo: VADM Kevin Lunday, USCG with Francis Rose at Sea Air Space

This edition of Fed Gov Today is sponsored by Carahsoft and Nightdragon.The Commandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. Linda Fagan, says her service is in a race for talent. RDML David Barata, Commander of the Coast Guard’s Personnel Service Center,tells me how the Coast Guard competes for that talent.Industry will play a bigger part than ever in solving problems for the sea services, according to leaders at Sea Air Space. Industry leaders say they’re ready to contribute. Dave DeWalt, Founder and CEO of Nightdragon, tells me he sees a lot of that collaboration happening now.The Navy is reviewing results from its first-ever Naval Space Summit. The Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, convened the Summit at the end of March. VADM Jeffrey Trussler, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare N2/N6 and Director of Naval Intelligence, tells me his key message is the importance of space capabilities to distributed maritime operations.ACT-IAC Climate Change Summit, April 17, 2023AFCEA International TechNet Cyber, May 2-4, 2023Photo: Vice Admiral Jeffrey Trussler USN with Francis Rose at Sea Air Space