b'InsightsDHS. We were able to meet their objectives withoutpriorities like modernization and innovation. We also must necessarily following design patterns or the architecture thatunderstand how the federal budget process works, and they were proposing. then manage resources accordingly. We can tap into our IT Working Capital Fund or the Technology Modernization What are the top management challenges?Fund. You need to leverage all available funding sources. It also helps to make a solid case in your congressional budget The top challenges we face center around people, budget,justification for increased appropriation. and contracting acquisition. On the people side, we face two key challenges: technology skills gap and sufficient staffing.Our next challenge involves contracting and acquisition. IT is The skills and competencies of the workforce do not alignmoving into what I call a consumption-based model. In this with the skills needed to use modern technologies. Second,model, we see less buying of servers or equipment. It also we do not have enough skilled resources adequate to meetisnt easy to determine how much you will consume of IT the demand we are supporting.services in a given period. You make the projection and then you make the acquisition accordingly. We have taken four specific actions to help mitigate these challenges. First and foremost, we made increasedWould you tell us more about SBAs cloud journey? availability of training, especially in new technologies like cloud, data, and cybersecurity in the cloud environment.Fairly new to federal service, I launched the SBA Cloud Second, we have increased using contractor resources whereInitiative in spring of 2017. There was a confluence of events possible and appropriate. Third, we began a major initiativeat the SBA. Our primary data center had all kinds of creating new career paths for the technology workforce,challenges, from aging and out-of-date equipment to which allows them to grow and advance both technicallyoverheating and reliability issues. We went from no cloud and managerially. Finally, we are augmenting our workforcefootprint to a design architecture to building a cloud by tapping into programs like the Presidential Managementfoundation in eighty-two days. Moving to the cloud did result Fellows Program.in cost saving and cost avoidance. But the most significant result was our enhanced ability to respond and ramp up The next challenge concerns budgeting. We startedduring a disaster. Moreover, having this cloud foundation in looking for cost savings opportunities. What I call self- place has helped SBA tremendously in scaling up in response funding models. You identify cost savings from right sizingto the COVID-19 pandemic. maintenance contracts and direct those funds to core 2022 IBM Center for The Business of Government 37'