There has been a dramatic shift in the way we work. For the past three years, employees have gone above and beyond to get the job done. However, just getting the job done is no longer enough. Now, we need to innovate and try new things. Join us at the GovLoop offices on Wednesday Dec. 13 at 4:30–6:30 p.m. ET to hear from government experts about how to truly innovate in the current world of work.

From where you work has become a political hot potato. But the politicians aren’t the ones who are returning to the office and transitioning to more in-person work, you are. And we know that it hasn’t been an easy transition for some of you. A recent Federal Times survey found that half of federal employees have applied for a new job since 2021 when agencies were first formally told to initiate return-to-office plans in the wake of...

Cybersecurity usually is at a disadvantage against bad actors. It must focus, first and foremost, on defense – protecting assets and information – while hostile interests keep finding new ways to launch their attacks, such as the rise of ransomware. Of Gartner's top seven trends in cybersecurity for 2022, a majority of them are about risks and playing defense. To strengthen defenses, the infrastructure law signed by President Biden...

The worst of the pandemic may be past, but after two years of employees having to work remotely, many state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies find their workers want to continue working from home. Given that agencies were able to seamlessly transition to digital delivery of services, hybrid work continues to play a role in the government workforce. But many state and local agencies are strapped for funding and need to find ways to lower...

The use of operational technology (OT) is spreading rapidly across government agencies at all levels as they use sensors and remotely-controlled devices for many different applications. But agencies working in such blended IT/OT environments are now facing increased risk of cyber attacks targeting the OT side of the equation, and most of the sectors classified as critical infrastructure make extensive use of OT. The Department of Defense in 20...

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in November 2021, will unleash a flood of funding for a vast array of construction projects, including electric grid and energy improvements, roads and bridges, public transit, and water systems to name just a few. It is worth celebrating that so much will be repaired, replaced, or new-built. It also highlights a new opportunity to bring digitization to the construction industry, brin...

The pandemic of the last two years has changed the federal workplace. As employees begin a cautious return to their offices, the federal government’ Safer Federal Workforce Task Force is exploring how to balance reopening with the employees’ desire to keep some of the flexibility they discovered while working remotely. Key priorities such as hoteling, workplace/building services, visitor management, and the potential for understand...

Digital workers amplify human potential, and digital and human workers working in collaboration amplify your organization’s potential. While there is some discomfort with digital workers, digital workers are improving human worker’s wellbeing by taking over tasks allowing for re-skilling employees. A recent study indicates that work-life balance is a key driver for SOC analyst burnout. Implementing digital workers may help alleviat...

International travel with government funded equipment (GFE) mobile devices is expected to pick up in early 2022 as we recover from COVID-19 and travel restrictions open up. As domestic and international travel picks up, GFE mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and tablets) will facilitate government employee work productivity during foreign travel, including remote connections to office enterprise networks and databases. However, their portabilit...

Program management is one of the most demanding jobs in the Federal government – coordinating multiple projects across a program, all while keeping a sharp eye on overall cost, schedule and performance. A change in one project ripples across the entire program. The pandemic has further complicated this already difficult set of responsibilities, by forcing team members to work remotely and straining communications with industry partners f...