COMMENTARY:
The Department of Defense Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace has attracted its share of attention and criticism since it was released last month. Keep reading →
commentary
When it comes to making decisions in the federal government, who is in charge does matter, but good coordinating mechanisms matter more. The ability to make high quality business decisions is within reach, but making them part of our organizational fabric is easier said than done.
A “high quality decision” in this context is a somewhat complex concept that deserves a few words.
High quality decisions maximize resources and minimize fail. They produce the biggest bang for the buck, mitigate “tail” or after-the-fact costs, and put “rounds on target” meaning they satisfy the organizational requirement for a given period of time (vs. a perceived requirement or collateral requirements).
High quality decisions endure over time and reach distributed audiences in tact. They are clear, capable of being executed, and understood by all stakeholders involved.
It also bears mentioning that making no decision at all can cost as much as making a poor decision. I have seen cases where not making a decision can cost as much as $1 million per day. A high quality decision, therefore, is also timely.
The Department of Defense (DoD), like other federal departments, is struggling with some important problems. Pressure to manage resources more effectively is mounting, bureaucracy is slow, and business systems (like financial management and material management systems) are not working together as well as we would like them to. Interoperability, clean audit, financial visibility and common supplier engagement on a Department level are a few problems that remain elusive. Transformation of the DoD remains a top priority of the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
These problems are not new. The DoD has been wrestling with them for more than two decades. In my 20 years working with the government, a long line of leaders have stepped into the batter’s box and taken their best swings. Each time a new leader steps up to the plate, hopes run high for about two years. Again and again, the “new” leader’s ideas don’t seem to work as planned and energy fizzles. Status quo washes away most of the progress made by individuals like ocean waves wash away sand castles.
When one leader can’t seem to make things work, we usually let them run their course and install a new one. Occasionally, we get rid of them early. In either case, spirits soar once again. It is clear to everyone that the “new-new” leader is a good person and has some good things going for them. We continue to hope that each new leadership selection is the one that will take us across the goal line to real and lasting transformation.
“Give me a lever and a place to stand and I will move the world.” – Archimedes Keep reading →
Mobile computing technologies represent a true paradigm shift for organizations, providing an unprecedented level of autonomy and productivity for users by eliminating geographical barriers.
The traditional model of centralized applications and data are rapidly fading away as users continue to exploit the value of on-demand information regardless of geographic boundaries. From the user’s perspective, mobile technology is fantastic. Keep reading →
No matter what savings result from the current deficit reduction negotiations, there’s little hope for long-term, structural savings if we continue to run the government using 20th-century management. That’s why the final package should also include a management package building on similar innovations that both the GOP and White House recently proposed that would radically alter the way government agencies report on their own operations and process reports from corporations.
The benefits could include billions of dollars in operating savings, improved operating efficiency and delivery of services, transparency that would earn public trust, and substantial savings for businesses. Keep reading →
President Obama recently issued a Presidential Executive Order to all federal agencies to streamline processes and improve customer satisfaction with plans due to the Office of Management and Budget by this October.
How exactly do we improve customer satisfaction in government agencies? Great service in government is harder to provide and sustain than it is in private industry. Keep reading →
Pentagon Issues Buying Rules For Zombie Apocalypse (Hint: Parody)
By AOL StaffEveryone knows the global zombie apocalypse is coming soon. I’m here to tell you the military acquisition community needs to take it as seriously as the CDC does. If we’re going to survive the Day / Night / Return / Dawn / Shaun of the Living / Evil / Walking Dead, we’re gonna need some rules. For the convenience of my fellow military technologists, I respectfully offer the following:
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This story comes courtesy of our colleagues at Breaking Defense.
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Rule 1: Small Business
More than 1.05 million people are employed in the US aerospace and defense industry. These individuals are often found in big companies and are regularly described as having “big brains.” This concentration of larger than average cranial volume makes these companies prime zombie targets. The most reliable projections indicate complete zombification of all major defense contractors within 28 hours of the initial outbreak. Keep reading →