Delivering on the Vision of Multi-Domain Command and Control

Across the defence and national security landscape, all involved are grappling with the speed of technological change and the deteriorating strategic context. Everyone, from capability development to planning to operations, is aware that Western Allies no longer have a technological advantage over peer adversaries. This means to win the future battle, we must be focused on gaining situational advantage—making decisions better and faster than the enemy. Multi-Domain Command and Control (MDC2) is focused on gaining that decision superiority.

Reskilling the Workforce with Technology-Oriented Training

This difficult balancing act requires that government executives maximize the effectiveness of agency transformation efforts. Government agencies use technology to increase the efficiency of their services, but rapid changes in technology create a need for additional training to help the workforce remain current in their knowledge and application of new innovations.

Sustaining a Distant Vision: NASA, Mars, and Relay Leadership

In October 2020, three former NASA administrators—Dan Goldin, Sean O’Keefe, and Charles Bolden—convened with the then incumbent, James Bridenstine, to ponder the state of NASA and human space exploration. Goldin (1992-2001) chafed at the slow pace of returning to the Moon and going on to Mars. He pointed out that China was “moving at the speed of light” and it was “damn time for America to get people out of Earth’s orbit.”

Adopting Agile in State and Local Governments

Agile emerged initially as a set of values and principles for software development, first formalized with the “Agile Manifesto” in 2001. For two decades, Agile approaches helped revolutionize software development. Today, Agile strategies have been adapted to government services beyond software development, offering new ways of thinking and delivering in areas such as project management, policymaking, human resources, and procurement.

Managing The Next Crisis: Twelve Principles For Dealing With Viral Uncertainty

The experiences of the last 18 months have pointed to the importance of well-managed actions at the local, national, and cross-border levels. Many of these steps address issues that are now well-documented, including medical support for testing, contact tracing, and vaccine management; supply chain challenges around vaccine production and distribution; impacts on local job markets; and the importance of addressing equity in delivering needed social services.

Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector: A Maturity Model

The technology is revolutionizing the way we derive value and insights from data in order to improve our daily lives. In addition, governments gather a treasure trove of pertinent data that can be used to execute important missions and improve services to the citizen. An effective AI program can greatly enhance the ability of the public sector to deliver on that promise.

Using Technology and Analytics to Enhance Stakeholder Engagement in Environmental Decision-Making

A key provision in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) calls for public participation in the environmental review of proposed actions by federal executive agencies. The law created the Council on Environment Quality (CEQ) and directed individual agencies to implement NEPA in a manner consistent with their respective department and agency missions.

Other Transactions Authorities: After 60 Years, Hitting Their Stride or Hitting The Wall?

While OTAs have been used by NASA since 1958 and within the Department of Defense since 1989, they have experienced significant growth in recent years following expansion   under the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Guidance on Regulatory Guidance: What the Government Needs to Know and Do to Engage the Public

Federal agencies routinely issue guidance documents to clarify the meaning of existing statutes and regulations. Over time, guidance has become a principal tool to help implement regulations. However, agencies have no uniform process for issuing guidance, no common way to engage the public, and no archival record of past policies. As Professor Yackee argues, this creates a mismatch between: (1) the importance of this policy tool, and (2) the ability of the public to influence the policies that govern them.

Achieving Mission Outcomes Through DevSecOps

DevSecOps—short for development, security, and operations—is an approach to IT security based on the principles of the scientific method of experimentation: observe, question, hypothesize, predict, test, and iterate. This solid foundational methodology has served the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math, including computer science) community well, and has resulted in some of the most impactful innovations and scientific breakthroughs of our time.

This report addresses the critical role that DevSecOps plays to support the DoD mission.  It highlights the:

Pages