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

Submitted by on Thu, 11/04/2021 - 09:00

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

Submitted by on Tue, 10/19/2021 - 09:52

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

Submitted by on Thu, 10/07/2021 - 09:00

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

Submitted by on Tue, 09/14/2021 - 09:59

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

Submitted by on Mon, 08/16/2021 - 10:37

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?

Submitted by on Tue, 07/27/2021 - 09:00

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

Submitted by on Tue, 06/22/2021 - 09:00

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

Submitted by on Fri, 06/11/2021 - 12:31

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:

Deploying AI in defense organizations

Submitted by on Tue, 06/01/2021 - 10:33

Artificial intelligence (AI) has radically redefined many aspects of everyday life. Organizations across both the public and private sectors are exploiting AI for a wide array of applications. For defense organizations, AI solutions also present significant opportunities to improve mission effectiveness.

Creating Public Value using the AI-Driven Internet of Things

Submitted by on Wed, 05/26/2021 - 11:26

Government agencies seek to deliver quality services in increasingly dynamic and complex environments. However, outdated infrastructures—and a shortage of systems that collect and use massive real-time data—make it challenging for the agencies to fulfill their missions. Governments have a tremendous opportunity to transform public services using the “Internet of Things” (IoT) to provide situationspecific and real-time data, which can improve decision-making and optimize operational effectiveness.

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