GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts

As the year comes to an end, we bid adieu to our beloved Flywheel Fridays. Join our co-hosts Deputy Editor Kate Macri and Staff Writer/Researcher Sarah Sybert as they reflect on the most memorable moments and headlines of the year, such as the passage of the PACT Act for veterans, the Defense Department's new zero trust strategy and more. We also discuss leveraging lessons learned from the show fo...

The Department of Veterans Affairs is placing the veteran at the center of every digital service. With the expansion of benefits following the passage of the PACT Act and new tools like VA's Health and Benefits mobile application, customer experience plays a critical role in how veterans access their services. VA's Chief Experience Officer John Boerstler joins us to explain how his agency is liste...

It's been a busy year for the federal family as agencies accelerate IT modernization efforts. Join Staff Writers Sarah Sybert and Katherine MacPhail at the Thanksgiving dinner table for reflections on the outcomes of those efforts and what they're thankful for this year. They'll unpack major initiatives like automation, DEI&A in the workforce, cybersecurity, CX and climate resilience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs' first permanent Chief Data Officer Kshemendra Paul announced last month that he would be leaving VA to become the Department of Energy's new assistant inspector general for cybersecurity assessments and data analysis. Paul reflects on his time as VA CDO, including developing VA's Data Strategy and Roadmap, and left a few words of advice for his successor.

GovCIO Media & Research has been hard at work covering key events and conferences to keep you informed. Join Deputy Editor Kate Macri and Staff Writer/Researcher Sarah Sybert for our top federal tech takeaways on CyberSatGov, VHA's Innovation Experience (iEX) and FedHealthIT's Women in Leadership Awards. They'll dive into the latest trends around cybersecurity, satellites, encryption, health care...

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently launched its Vision 2022 strategy, which outlines how the agency will approach its widespread IT modernization and digital transformation. Longstanding leader in software and tech development who was behind salvaging HealthCare.gov, CIO Kurt DelBene discusses the agency's continued focus on transparency, the user experience and breaking down silos across...

From 2012 to 2021, data center closures and optimization brought government an estimated 6.6 billion in cost savings and avoidances. Data center and energy management also play a key role in sustainability targets and the Biden administration's goal to hit net-zero emissions by 2050. General Services Administration (GSA) Director for the Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI) Thomas Santucci d...

A lot happened in federal IT over summer 2022. Join senior researcher Kate Macri and staff writer/ researcher Sarah Sybert for a recap of some of the top headlines you may have missed on vacation, including updates on the PACT Act, green IT acquisition, JADC2, federal leadership changes and more.

From streamlining digital services to incorporating plain language, the Education Department's Federal Student Aid (FSA) Office has been working to modernize processes and improve user experience for the 10 million students it serves every year. Margaret Glick, FSA CIO, dives into how her office is working with schools to enhance the aid process and strengthen cybersecurity practices. To sign up a...

Leaders from across government are turning to strong DevSecOps strategies to shake up the status quo and increase the speed of software development. Our Digital Services: Disruptive DevSecOps virtual event brought together many of these innovators to talk agile methodology, infrastructure support and security, and more. Staff writers Sarah Sybert and Nikki Henderson join Flywheel Fridays to break...

DAV's 2022 National Convention in Orlando featured an all-star lineup of speakers from the Department of Veterans Affairs, including all three undersecretaries from the agency's benefits, memorial and health arms, as well as Secretary Denis McDonough. The event also happened just days before President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act into law. Senior Researcher Melissa Harris and Staff Writer Sarah S...

President Biden's recent executive order on diversity, equity, inclusion and access calls on federal agencies "to cultivate a workforce that draws from the full diversity of the nation." Department of Veterans Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Dewaine Beard, as VA's No. 2 tech chief, discusses how his agency is implementing new workforce initiatives to drive a diverse, innovative cultur...

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,...

The Census Bureau ramped up capabilities to enable the first digital decennial census in 2020. In the midst of that, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the bureau to a telework environment. Now Census Bureau Deputy CIO Gregg Bailey highlights the data science modernization underway in analyzing 2020 data and gearing up for the next census to prepare the bureau for its important role it plays in federal...

GovCIO Media & Research's second annual Women Tech Leaders event came back in-person this year. During the event, speakers explored the strides women are making in cybersecurity, data, customer experience, workforce issues and more. Senior researchers Kate Macri and Melissa Harris discuss highlights from the event and key takeaways.

With the 2022 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in the books, Special Operations Command CIO Peter Tragakis discusses his tech priorities. This includes a look at how the command is moving to a hybrid-cloud environment securely and balancing legacy IT with new technologies amid a highly disparate and mobile ecosystem.

The AI landscape is quickly moving as a collaborative effort across government. Staff Writer Katherine MacPhail joins Senior Researcher Kate Macri to unpack top takeaways from the AI Gov: Data virtual event. Topics include how to make AI research and infrastructure equitable and accessible while balancing privacy rights and civil liberties, as well as testing strategies for ensuring AI model accur...

From hardware access to public health networks and responsible AI principles, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is working to shape effective programming that empowers its partners and breaks down digital divides. With over 25 years of international development experience primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, Chief Digital Development Officer Christopher Burns spearheaded the agency...

On the heels of SOFIC, our researchers brief us on some major developments in the federal IT space. Most notably, there is the formation of the Biden-backed ARPA-H at NIH to improve government's ability to speed biomedical and health research, and also the rollout of the Defense Department's new Chief Digital and AI Office. Senior Researcher Melissa Harris and Staff Writer Nikki Henderson break do...

USSOCOM S&T Director Lisa Sanders discusses her funding and program priorities and why she thinks she has one of the top five jobs in the entire Defense Department.

USSOCOM S&T Director Lisa Sanders discusses her funding and program priorities and why she thinks she has one of the top five jobs in the entire Defense Department.

Director Ryan McLean discusses his modernization strategy for the Tactical Assault Kit, a map-based software application connecting USSOCOM, other U.S. military services and allied partners. TAK is critical for effective, efficient communication in warfighting scenarios. McLean's plan could launch the product center to software factory status under the Defense Department's new software modernizati...

The State Department is at the forefront of many international affairs, supporting American interests and values abroad. Behind the scenes, however, is a team that provides the IT infrastructure, cybersecurity and solutions that support those diplomatic activities. We talk with State CIO Keith Jones to dive deeper into what those IT activities and modernization priorities are, as well as how State...

With the fiscal year 2022 budget finalized last month, why not look ahead? Our senior researchers break down key components of the Biden administration's proposed FY 2023 budget, including increases in spending for DOD, VA, IRS, DOJ and more. We'll talk cybersecurity, customer experience and infrastructure.

Federal agencies typically pursue contracts and engagement with industry vendors to produce solutions for different mission areas, but what if the barrier to entry to helping agencies overcome challenges was lowered? Today, we dive into the General Services Administration Technology Transformation Service's Challenge.gov and CitizenScience.gov initiatives to learn how the platforms are allowing ag...