New research published by the IBM Center for the Business of Government has called on the heads of federal agencies to appoint a chief data officer or establish a data management position at their respective departments.

The researcher, Jane Wiseman, a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, made the recommendation in a recently released report, noting the inability of government agencies to leverage data in decision-making due to sheer volume.

“Many government agencies are awash in data but struggle to analyze and make sense of it,” Wiseman said.

Wiseman added that Congress and the Office of Management and Budget need to provide CDOs with the requisite resources, such as funding and support staff, should the appointment of such an official become policy.

Wiseman’s proposal echoes that of House Resolution 4174, the Foundations for Evidence-based Policymaking Act of 2017, which states that “[the] head of each agency shall designate a career appointee… in the agency as the Chief Data Officer of the agency.”

The proposal also aligns with President Trump’s Management Agenda, which says that “[smarter] use of data… is needed to orient decisions and accountability around service and results.”

The Senate voted 93-7 on Tuesday to pass a negotiated package that would allocate over $850B in fiscal 2019 funds for the departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Labor and Education, Stars and Stripes reported Tuesday.

The decision came days after congressional negotiators reached a compromise on the appropriations package.

The defense spending bill in the minibus measure would appropriate more than $670B in FY 2019 funds for the procurement of 93 F-35 fighter jets; 13 new ships for the U.S. Navy; 58 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters; 18 C-130J aircraft; and upgrade work on 135 Abrams tanks.

“If enacted, this would be the first time in 10 years that the Defense Department won’t operate under a continuing resolution,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

The report said the House is set to decide on the minibus once it returns from recess next week.

The Defense Department has released a new strategy that lays out its action plans to counter cybersecurity threats posed by Russia, China and other strategic competitors.

A summary of DoD’s cyber strategy issued Tuesday states DoD’s cyber space goals such as the need to build up the joint force’s capability to carry out cyber operations that enhance the country’s military advantage; defend U.S. critical infrastructure from malicious threats; and secure the Pentagon’s information systems from cyber vulnerabilities.

The department outlined the components of its strategic approach and those include efforts to establish a more lethal force; expand partnerships and alliances; reform DoD; cultivate talent; and deter and compete in cyber space.

DoD plans to advance innovation, leverage data analytics, automation and commercial off-the-shelf platforms as well as expedite development of cyber capabilities to build up the lethality of the joint force.

The agency intends to integrate cyber awareness into its institutional culture, boost cyber accountability and expand crowdsourced threat detection as part of reform efforts.

The strategic approach also cites DoD’s plans to set up a cyber talent management initiative; establish a career pathway for software developers, hardware engineers and data analysts; and sustain a cyber workforce.

The Department of Energy will invest $120M to renew a center tasked to conduct research on advanced battery science and technology.

The department based its decision to renew the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research on an assessment of the performance of the innovation hub in its first five years of operations, the DOE said Tuesday.

Since its establishment in 2012, the JCESR introduced a new class of membranes for flow batteries, continued studies in batteries based on doubly-charged magnesium and developed computation systems that analyzed various potential electrolyte and electrode compounds for new battery designs.

Once renewed, the center will work on developing multivalent batteries with higher energy capacity compared to lithium-ion batteries, as well as creating new flow battery designs for the electric grid.

Energy undersecretary for Science Paul Dabbar said JCESR will play a role in providing the foundation for modern battery technology.

He added that innovations in battery performance will contribute to the future of transportation and the electric grid.

Soraya Correa, chief procurement officer at the Department of Homeland Security, told Federal News Radio in an interview published Tuesday how DHS’s  procurement innovation lab helps personnel and other agencies streamline the acquisition process through the boot camp.

“People walk out of the course not only understanding what our innovative techniques are, but encouraged and motivated to go out and innovative and be innovative in the constructs of the Federal Acquisition Regulations,” Correa said of PIL’s boot camp.

“What we really teach folks is to take many of the principles that are in the FAR and think a little bit outside the box.”

Some of the key takeaways from the boot camp include techniques how to carry out oral presentations, technical or product demonstrations and the downselect process, Correa noted.

She cited how PIL performs document reviews as part of efforts to streamline the department’s businesses processes.

Kirstjen Nielsen, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has confirmed the addition of eight members to the Homeland Security Advisory Council.

Nielsen said in a statement published Tuesday the new HASC members will guide the council in meeting its mission of addressing emerging threats to homeland security.

The eight new members are:\n

• Carol DiBattiste, general counsel and chief compliance, privacy and people officer at comScore
• Cathy Lanier,  former chief of police with the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department
• Chad Sweet, co-founder and CEO of the The Chertoff Group
• Frank Cilluffo, director of the McCrary Institute for Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection at Auburn University
• Jayson Ahern, principal and head of security services practice at The Chertoff Group
• Mark Dannels, sheriff of Cochise County, Ariz.
• Stewart Baker, partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson
• Wendy Smith-Reeve, deputy director of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs

\nThe HASC provides the DHS secretary with independent, informed recommendations and advice to resolve various homeland security issues.

The director of the Defense Intelligence Agency has said that China and the United States becoming enemies is “not a foregone conclusion,” even though the two countries are currently competitors, DoD News reported Tuesday.

Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley Jr. said during a recent discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., that although China has been busy building up its military capabilities, the Asian country’s long-term goal — whether it be global hegemony or simply the protection of national interests — remains unclear.

Ashley also observed that China has been upgrading its armed forces by studying the United States since Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early 1990s, and by observing U.S. military activities since the September 11 attacks.

“They’ve watched us over the course of the last couple of decades as they have grown capability… And in many ways, they’ve mirrored some of the things we’ve done,” the DIA chief said.

However, the general pointed out that military lethality is not just a function of size and equipment.

Emphasizing the importance of experience, Ashley noted that the Chinese have not engaged in warfare for nearly four decades.

The U.S. Air Force‘s Program Executive Office Battle Management has been redesignated to continue operations as PEO Digital at Hanscom Air Force Base.

The renamed and redesignated PEO will work to implement acquisition processes for Agile DevOps software across the service branch, Air Force Materiel Command said Monday.

Steven Wert, previously Hanscom’s PEO for battle management, will lead PEO Digital.

PEO Digital will build on and expand Project Kessel Run, which worked to develop technologies for streamlining Air Force combat management and tasking processes.

“We established a directorate-wide goal last summer to challenge the process and innovate, and now as PEO Digital, we have the charge to continue those efforts and help apply them throughout the Air Force,” said Wert.

The PEO will retain the battle management portfolio, and expand to design and field software products, automate cybersecurity processes, operate with cloud infrastructure and integrate testing activities.

The office’s corresponding organization will be renamed as the Digital Directorate and resume work under the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.