In recent years, government agencies have been transitioning to artificial intelligence (AI) for more efficient, accurate, and cost-friendly results. This trend will continue as technology improves and becomes more accessible and cost effective. Technology using AI, including tools that exploit data, is integral to solutions that improve agency operations and processes and data-driven decision-making.
More and more, Information Technology (IT) modernization programs are improving customer experience for those who interact with agencies. The modernization process identifies new technology that can replace legacy systems or promote electronic processes. A taxpayer’s experience in filing tax returns or a senior seeking public housing are two examples where modernization makes a difference for citizens.
As the Government continually looks for ways to increase efficiency and encourage innovation, Information Technology (IT) is emerging as a solution to these needs. Recent Federal guidance mandates all agencies to adopt a new framework for better understanding IT costs. Technology Business Management (TBM) is a framework that incorporates IT departments into the overall business network, shifting away from treating IT as an independent unit. This provides a clear way to evaluate and manage IT, running IT as a business and communicating the value of new IT investments.
As threats evolve and technology reinvents how we perform work, the Government must continue to find solutions to increasingly complex and multifaceted problems. Thanks to the expanded availability and relevance of data, agencies are now equipped with more resources to make accurate fact-based decisions surrounding these complex issues. As agencies make increasing use of this data, they need to determine whether to implement a centralized or decentralized analytical structure.
We’ve all been there, a moment in a past job where you ask yourself if your work really matters. You are approaching mid-career and what matters more to you now is seeing your work make a difference. I knew that I wanted to spend more time “doing” homeland security, rather than writing policy memos about what other people were doing. With this mindset, I walked into my interview with Arc Aspicio four years ago. My question for my interviewer—how do your people make a difference every day?
As threats evolve, the Federal government acquisition process must keep pace and even get ahead. Federal acquisitions remain driven by systems that have been in place for decades. Challenges exist within the agencies, and between government and industry, in awarding contracts. The complex nature of acquisitions leads to higher costs, slow procurements, and sometimes minimal innovation.
