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DISA’s Global Video Services Enhances Collaboration Throughout DoD
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DISA’s Global Video Services Enhances Collaboration Throughout DoD


DISA’s Global Video Services Enhances Collaboration Throughout DoD

The Defense Information Systems Agency is offering global video services to address the U.S. military’s teleconferencing needs. DISA said Friday that its GVS technology allows users to communicate via video within both secret and non-secure internet protocol router networks. GVS is designed to accommodate a maximum of 1,000 desktop users simultaneously, and allow for connection and interoperability with conference rooms and legacy teleconferencing tools. Users may control GVS’ video teleconferencing connections via endpoints.

“We’re constantly looking for ways to enhance communication and collaboration with our mission partners,” said Jessica Martin, GVS program manager at DISA.

The agency is also offering GVS to mission partners who may request for the service via the Defense Information System Network Customer Contact Center.

DoD Granted Access to OPM’s Enterprise USALearning Platform
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DoD Granted Access to OPM’s Enterprise USALearning Platform


DoD Granted Access to OPM's Enterprise USALearning Platform

The Office of Personnel Management signed an agreement with the Department of Defense enabling DoD personnel to access OPM’s cloud-based USALearning education platform, OPM said Friday.

The move comes as part of the DoD Reform Management Group’s initiative to use the USALearning ecosystem to streamline acquisition and technical support for the department’s training and education programs. The RMG agreed to utilize USALearning resources to maintain the Pentagon’s enterprise Common Learning Record Repository as well as its Common Course Catalog and web portal last year.

“We are creating a streamlined system to reskill DoD personnel with more speed, efficiency, and respect to the taxpayer dollar,” said Margaret Weichert, OPM’s acting director.

Previously, OMB designated USALearning as a best-in-class shared service center.

FAA to Reorganize Commercial Space Transportation Office
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FAA to Reorganize Commercial Space Transportation Office

FAA to Reorganize Commercial Space Transportation Office

The Federal Aviation Administration will reorganize its office that manages commercial space transportation to increase efficiency and address the growing number of license applications from industry, SpaceNews reported Friday.Â

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said the FAA will provide the Office of Commercial Space Transportation a new structure as the agency streamlines the process for obtaining commercial launch and reentry licenses. AST is expected to receive more applications as the FAA wants to give companies more flexibility to  meet safety requirements and to use a single license to cover launches of one vehicle from multiple sites.

“As we work to restructure our organization, we’ll look to become more efficient in our processes,” said Kelvin Coleman, deputy associate administrator for commercial space transportation at FAA. “We will want to make sure that our organization is aligned appropriately to implement the new rule that we are currently working on.”

Wayne Monteith, associate administrator for commercial space transportation at FAA, will lead AST’s reorganization.Â

 

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Defense Innovation Board Report Looks at DoD’s Software Procurement Process
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Defense Innovation Board Report Looks at DoD’s Software Procurement Process


Defense Innovation Board Report Looks at DoD’s Software Procurement Process

The Defense Innovation Board issued a report assessing the Pentagon’s software acquisition practices, the Department of Defense website reported Friday.

The report focuses on three basic themes. The first suggests that cycle time and speed are the most essential metrics in software management. The second highlights the need to attract, retain and promote digital talent since “software is made by people and for people.” The third team emphasizes the difference between software and hardware. The board also suggests four main lines of effort in the report and one of those is the need for DoD and Congress to refactor regulations, statutes and processes related to software.

Ellen Lord, defense undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment and a 2019 Wash100 winner, said during a news conference Friday that DoD is starting to recognize the difference between software acquisition and hardware procurement. Lord noted that she sought permission through the fiscal 2020 budget request to conduct pilot programs to cover major defense weapons systems and provide DoD the flexibility to shift funds in order to accelerate software development, acquisition and deployment.

DOE Introduces $79M Bioenergy R&D Funding Opportunity
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DOE Introduces $79M Bioenergy R&D Funding Opportunity


DOE Introduces $79M Bioenergy R&D Funding Opportunity

The Department of Energy plans to award $79 million in grants to support research and development efforts for bioenergy sources. DOE said Friday that the department aims to use the funding opportunity to provide consumers low-cost and efficient domestic energy options including bioproducts and biofuels. Some of the topics under the funding program include the optimization of biomass-derived jet fuel mixtures, rapid bioprocessing and the reduction of water and energy emissions. 

“At DOE, we are focused on expanding America’s energy supply, growing the economy, and enhancing energy security, which will all be furthered by the significant advancements made in bioenergy technologies,” said Mark Menezes, undersecretary at DOE.

The opportunity also supports the White House’s Water Security Grand Challenge, a program intended to address worldwide needs for secure and safe water.

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USSOCOM to Seek Industry Input for ‘Hyper-Enabled Operator’ Concept
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USSOCOM to Seek Industry Input for ‘Hyper-Enabled Operator’ Concept

USSOCOM to Seek Industry Input for ‘Hyper-Enabled Operator’ Concept

The U.S. Special Operations Command plans to hold a “disrupter event” at the 2019 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference on May 20 to 23 in Florida to discuss potential approaches to support its “hyper-enabled operator” efforts with industry, National Defense Magazine reported Friday.Â

Jim Smith, acquisition executive at USSOCOM, said the command wants to explore the areas of data, presentation and computation to build technologies and enables the warfighter as well as logisticians, medics and psychological ops personnel to receive and analyze information real-time in the field. The command plans to “hyper-enable” troops with human-machine teaming, social network mapping, biometric tools, tactical communications and navigation, edge computing and analytics and stand-off identification and characterization, among other technologies.

Col. Alex MacCalman, director of SOCOM’s hyper-enabled operator joint acquisition task force, said artificial intelligence may also play a significant role in the program. In November, SOCOM tested 41 technologies from 39 companies for the program. The command plans to use other transaction authority agreements to create partnerships with industry to develop the hyper-enabled operator concept.Â

 

Sens. Lankford, Hassan Introduce Government Customer Service Assessment Bill
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Sens. Lankford, Hassan Introduce Government Customer Service Assessment Bill


Sens. Lankford, Hassan Introduce Government Customer Service Assessment Bill
Sens. James Lankford

Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., introduced a bill intending to better examine and deliver the way federal agencies provide customer service to U.S. citizens. The Federal Agency Customer Experience act would task agencies to conduct surveys and gather input on overall satisfaction, accomplishment of goals, customer treatment and timeliness regarding government customer service, Lankford’s office said Wednesday.

The Office of Management and Budget and General Services Administration will develop questions for the surveys.

“Customer service should not be reserved for the private sector; the federal government should pay attention to its customers: American taxpayers,” said Lankford who chairs the Senate’s Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management.

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Secret Service Lead Randolph Alles Joins DHS as Head of Management
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Secret Service Lead Randolph Alles Joins DHS as Head of Management


Secret Service Lead Randolph Alles Joins DHS as Head of Management
Randolph Alles

Randolph Alles, former director of the U.S. Secret Service, has been appointed acting deputy under secretary for management at the Department of Homeland Security, replacing former Deputy Under Secretary Chip Fulghum.

He will oversee management programs, including financial, human capital, information technology, procurement, security and asset management, Kevin McAleenan, acting homeland security secretary and 2019 Wash100 Award winner, said in a statement posted Friday. Alles left his role with the Secret Service last week after two years.

“I thank Mr. Alles for his willingness to serve, and I look forward to continuing to work together in pursuit of our shared mission,” McAleenan said.

Alles served in the Marine Corps for 35 years and was the chief operating officer for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. James Murray will take office as the new director of the Secret Service in May.

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Melanie Pustay: DOJ Accelerating FOIA Request Processing Through AI
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Melanie Pustay: DOJ Accelerating FOIA Request Processing Through AI


Melanie Pustay: DOJ Accelerating FOIA Request Processing Through AI

Melanie Pustay, director of the Department of Justice’s office of information policy, said she believes artificial intelligence can help DOJ accelerate the processing of Freedom of Information Act requests, Federal News Network reported Friday.

“I really think the future of FOIA is taking it to the next level and using artificial intelligence, and using software that can do things like group records together, either by concept or relationship, those kinds of software,” she said on the network’s Agency in Focus – Justice Department.

Pustay said OIP is starting to experiment with AI and other tools to assess their capabilities in sorting files and speeding up evaluation of documents.

“It’s hard to think that we’ll ever get to a point where a machine, the software could literally process the document for release,” she said. “But if they can go part of the way there that will certainly make the process of the human review so much faster.”

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Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic, Presents Mark Testoni, President and Chief Executive of SAP NS2, His Fourth Wash100 Award
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Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic, Presents Mark Testoni, President and Chief Executive of SAP NS2, His Fourth Wash100 Award


Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic, Presents Mark Testoni, President and Chief Executive of SAP NS2, His Fourth Wash100 Award

Jim Garrettson, founder and CEO of Executive Mosaic, presented Mark Testoni, president and chief executive of SAP National Security Services, with his fourth Wash100 Award on Thursday.

Executive Mosaic recognizes Testoni for his role in forming a partnership with Amazon Web Services and his efforts to revolutionize the cloud and data industries. We are ecstatic to present the most coveted award in government contracting to Mark Testoni.

Testoni joined SAP Public Services as president in January 2009 and held the role until March 2011 when he was appointed to his current role. As CEO, he is responsible for product support, consulting, sales, management and go-to-market strategy for the company’s secure and sensitive U.S. government markets, customers and partners.

Previously, Testoni served as vice president of defense operations for Oracle between 1997 and 2006. He served as the deputy director of departmental accounts for the U.S. Air Force between 1977 and 1997 where he specialized in financial management, information technology and logistics.

Testoni is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, a member of the board of directors of Integra Realty Resources and an editorial advisor to ExecSense, a service of the Financial Times. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tampa and earned an MBA from Southern Illinois University.

About the Wash100

The Wash100 award, now in its sixth year, recognizes the most influential executives in the GovCon industry as selected by the Executive Mosaic team in tandem with online nominations from the GovCon community. Representing the best of the private and public sector, the winners demonstrate superior leadership, innovation, reliability, achievement and vision.

Visit the Wash100 site to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2019 Wash100 Award. On the site, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2019.

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