Implementing AI Across the Federal Government

Blog Co-Author: Tom Suder, Founder & President, Advanced Technology Academic Research Center (ATARC)

“Over the past two to five years we’ve really seen a migration of artificial intelligence from the lab out into operations.”

Securing borders with advanced technologies — insights from a dialogue with government leaders from Singapore, Australia and the U.S.

In a post-pandemic world, homeland security and border control agencies are being tasked with transforming how they respond and operate in a highly digitalized environment, while ensuring safety and prosperity of citizens and country. Critical challenges that agencies face include increasing volume of incidents and emergencies, overly complex trade processes, and threats to borders and customs.  Governments can leverage data, AI, and other emerging technologies to address these challenges.

New Research Report Recipients

We are pleased to announce our latest round of awards for new reports on key public sector challenges, which respond to priorities identified in the Center's research agenda. Our content is intended to stimulate and accelerate the production of practical research that benefits public sector leaders and managers.

We expect the following reports to be published starting in early 2022.  Short summaries of each report follow:

Enabling Government to Attract Innovation that Serves the Nation – The Case of “OTAs”

In the more than six decades since “Other Transactions Authority” (OTA) was authorized, OTAs have become a vital part of the Department of Defense (DOD) research process, and are now increasingly used by other agencies seeking to drive innovation through their programs and services. OTAs follow statutory provisions that allow certain federal agencies to enter into transactions with commercial entities using nontraditional procurement methods and contract terms.

The greater prevalence of OTAs has raised a number of questions about their use, including: 

Margie Graves joins IBM Center for The Business of Government as Senior Fellow

Margie Graves comes to the IBM Center for The Business of Government after a successful career with leading technology-focused organizations and initiatives in government, industry, and the non-profit sector.

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

Federal agencies routinely issue guidance documents to announce policy statements and to clarify the meaning of existing statutes and regulations. Over time, guidance documents have become a principal agency policy instrument.

Leveraging the TMF to improve customer experience

Co-blogger:  Margie Graves, Visiting Fellow, IBM Center for The Business of Government

Government’s interaction with members of the public occurs throughout a person’s life.  By focused attention on delivering a great experience for customers – a goal commonly referred to “CX”, short for customer experience – agencies will provide great value for the people they serve.  CX thus becomes a strategic imperative in mission delivery, and a foundational element to build public trust in government.

How Defense Agencies Can Leverage AI Effectively

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.

Deploying AI in defense organizations

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.

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Executive Director
IBM Center for The Business of Government
600 14th Street, NW
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(703) 627-5108

Dan Chenok is Executive Director of the IBM Center for The Business of Government. He oversees all of the Center's activities in connecting research to practice to benefit government, and has written and spoken extensively around government technology, cybersecurity, privacy, regulation, budget, acquisition, and Presidential transitions. Mr. Chenok previously led consulting services for Public Sector Technology Strategy, working with IBM government, healthcare, and education clients.

Mr. Chenok serves in numerous industry leadership positions. He is a CIO SAGE and member of the Research Advisory Council with the Partnership for Public Service, Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, Member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Policy Committee for the Senior Executives Association, Member of the Government Accountability Office Polaris Advisory Council for Science and Technology, and Member of the American University IT Executive Council. Previously, he served as Chair of the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) for the government-led American Council for Technology (ACT), Chair of the Cyber Subcommittee of the DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee, Chair of the NIST-sponsored Federal Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board, and an Adjunct Associate Professor with the U of Texas LBJ School of Public. He is also a three-time member of Cyber and Cloud Computing commissions with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Mr. Chenok also generally advises public sector leaders on a wide range of management issues.

Before joining IBM, Mr. Chenok was a Senior Vice President for Civilian Operations with Pragmatics, and prior to that was a Vice President for Business Solutions and Offerings with SRA International.

As a career Government executive, Mr. Chenok served as Branch Chief for Information Policy and Technology with the Office of Management and Budget, where he led a staff with oversight of federal information and IT policy, including electronic government, computer security, privacy and IT budgeting. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Branch Chief and Desk Officer for Education, Labor, HHS, and related agencies in OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Mr. Chenok began his government service as an analyst with the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, and left government service at the end of 2003.

In 2008, Mr. Chenok served on President Barack Obama’s transition team as the Government lead for the Technology, Innovation, and Government Reform group, and as a member of the OMB Agency Review Team.

Mr. Chenok has won numerous honors and awards, including a 2010 Federal 100 winner for his work on the presidential transition, the 2016 Eagle Award for Industry Executive of the Year, and the 2002 Federal CIO Council Azimuth Award for Government Executive of the Year.

Mr. Chenok earned a BA from Columbia University and a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.