Michael J. Keegan

Michael J. Keegan

Michael J. Keegan

Preston Finley, Director of Foresight, Strategic Planning & Risk Management at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs joined me on The Business of Government Hour to discuss the mission of his team and the importance of customer-driven risk management. Here’s a synopsis of our conversation.

For over twenty years, The Business of Government Hour has brought you leading government executives who are changing the way government does business. Each week, our guests join us for an informative, insightful, and in-depth conversation about the agencies they lead and the missions they pursue.  It is from this rich library that we have culled together their insights on leadership and what it means to be a public servant leader.

Strategic foresight is “a planning tool to develop the critical thinking, planning, and management competencies for considering the impact of long-term uncertainties on near-term decision making.” [World Futures Rev. 2018; 25: 1–25]. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sees strategic foresight as a method for systematically considering a longer time horizon and broader scope of issues than other forms of planning.

Michael J. Keegan

In a piece for The Business of Government magazine, “Power, Security, and Leadership”, I wrote: “Leaders are responsible for envisioning, shaping, and safeguarding the future, creating clarity amidst uncertainty. This is no small feat and it is made increasingly difficult in the 21st century where rapid, unforeseen change seems to be the only constant.”

For more than a century, the U.S. Army Reserve has delivered decisive capabilities to the battlefield, fulfilling its integral role as a force-provider, with approximately 200,000 soldiers spread across twenty time zones. Its role is more critical than ever in an age characterized by the persistent presence of asymmetric threats, as well as emerging, dynamic, and highly contentious challenges.

Michael J. Keegan

Federal cloud demand shifts to apps. The remote work challenges under the COVID-19 pandemic mean that once "nice-to-have" technologies are now mission critical, leaders said.

Michael J. Keegan

Cyber and IT challenges remain as Census resumes operations. The IT systems needed to carry out the 2020 census still face numerous testing challenges and unaddressed critical cybersecurity risks, according to a new audit from the Government Accountability Office.