Tag Archives: Government

Evolving Acquisition

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For years, government has worked to streamline acquisition so needed technologies get in the hands of agencies more quickly. With the new administration's focus on efficiency and improved use of emerging technology, these ongoing efforts to evolve government acquisition will likely move into high gear.

Legislation Driving Change

2024 saw a number of bi-partisan legislative proposals aimed at streamlining acquisition and spending. The Federal Improvement in Technology (FIT) Procurement Act was introduced in March 2024 to eliminate restrictive requirements and expand procurement options that let agencies move quickly to buy and utilize technology. A key focus of the legislation is enabling agencies to make advance payments for cloud computing, data center solutions, and other technology acquired on a subscription or tenancy basis. A pay-in-advance model is standard for these technologies, but not something that government procurement rules are set up to easily allow. Continue reading →

Focus on Citizen Experience Results in Improved Customer Satisfaction

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The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Federal Government Study 2024 found that consumers' satisfaction with government services is at a seven-year high. In fact, the government experienced its largest gain in citizen satisfaction over a four-year period--a net 9.9 percent--since the ACSI began conducting these studies.

This rise in satisfaction is a result of a long-term, cross-administration focus on improving customer service to citizens. The bipartisan 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act was passed during the first Trump administration and enforced during the Biden administration. This law required agencies to modernize websites, digitize services and forms, accelerate the use of e-signatures, and adopt shared standards and services. Both administrations made customer experience core goals of their respective President's Management Agenda. The Biden administration issued a customer experience executive order that provided additional guidance and mandates for improving the quality of services the federal government delivers. Continue reading →

The State of Cybersecurity in the States

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State and local agencies are some of the most attractive and vulnerable targets for cyber criminals. In 2023, malware attacks increased by 148%, and ransomware incidents increased by 51%. These agencies are targeted because they hold valuable personal data on citizens and control critical services--yet their security efforts have historically been underfunded and under-resourced. However, the tide may be changing.

A report on the ransomware experiences of state and local government in 2024 showed a dramatic decrease in the number of those organizations that were impacted this year. The report found ransomware attacks impacting 34% of state and local governments, marking a sharp decrease from the 69% affected in 2023. Let's take a look at some of the trends and activities that are fueling the improvement in state and local cybersecurity. Continue reading →

Zero Trust Passes Key Milestone

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In January 2022, the Zero Trust Federal Strategy set a deadline of September 30, 2024, for agencies to adopt some level of zero trust architecture. Based on early indications, agencies have largely met zero-trust goals. The Federal CIO reported in early September that the 24 CFO Act agencies were all over 90% of the way to meeting the zero-trust goals. Beyond that group, the federal government as a whole was at 87% goal completion.

What's Changed?

The shift to zero trust is a response to the way government and citizens are using technology. With the increased use of cloud-based solutions, the traditional "castle and moat" security that protected on-premise infrastructure no longer supports the way applications are being deployed. Zero Trust focuses on continually verifying that users have permission to access the data and systems they are using. Gaining access requires coordination among a number of technologies that all work with a common set of user identification and access policies. Continue reading →

Meet the Chief AI Officer

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The executive order (EO) on artificial intelligence, issued in October of 2023, calls on agencies to designate a chief artificial intelligence officer (CAIO) responsible for coordinating AI use, promoting AI innovation, and handling AI-related risk management within their agency. Efforts are underway to codify this mandate, with bills introduced in the House and Senate that would turn the EO recommendation into law.

In the year since the mandate and in advance of legislated requirements, agencies have worked to not only fill but define this new CAIO role. In some instances, CAIO duties have been added to the job description for an existing executive--typically the chief data officer or chief technology officer--but in others, a stand-alone position has been created to meet the agency's AI needs. Continue reading →