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NATO to Create Review Board for Responsible AI, Data Projects
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NATO to Create Review Board for Responsible AI, Data Projects

NATO defense ministers have agreed to stand up a review board to oversee the responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence and data projects across the intergovernmental alliance.

The AI and data review board will be primarily tasked with developing a certification standard that outlines quality controls, risk mitigation processes and other procedures to ensure that new AI and data efforts comply with NATO’s Principles of Responsible Use, the organization said Thursday.

The board will also serve as a platform for NATO innovators to exchange best practices for implementing AI in various areas such as cyber defense, imagery analysis and climate change.

In addition to the establishment of the board, NATO has approved its first vision to accelerate digital transformation efforts to enable multi-domain operations, interoperability for multidomain operations, improved situational awareness and data-driven decision making by 2030.

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NIST Seeks Industry Input on CHIPS Incentives, Semiconductor Institute Development
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NIST Seeks Industry Input on CHIPS Incentives, Semiconductor Institute Development

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking public feedback on two programs that aim to incentivize local semiconductor manufacturers and create new regional institutes to boost the semiconductor research and development in the U.S.

NIST said Thursday the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act authorized the implementation of the CHIPS Incentives program and the potential development of up to three new Manufacturing USA institutes focused on semiconductor manufacturing.

For the CHIPS Incentives initiative, NIST solicits public input on how to develop the structure of grants, loans and loan guarantees; design taxpayer protections to ensure appropriate use of CHIPS funds; and identify the most effective types of investments to promote inclusive economic growth.

The agency also wants industry to comment on the potential research focus areas, structure and governance and co-investment strategies of the new semiconductor institutes.

The requests for information on the CHIPS Incentives and Manufacturing USA programs are posted on the Federal Register and responses are due Nov. 14 and 28 respectively.

“It is critically important to our prosperity and national security that we reestablish our leadership role in semiconductor manufacturing,” said Laurie Locascio, undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology and director of NIST.

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Federal IT Leader Chezian Sivagnanam Joins FDIC as Chief Architect
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Federal IT Leader Chezian Sivagnanam Joins FDIC as Chief Architect

Chezian Sivagnanam, a former National Science Foundation executive with more than 20 years of digital transformation experience, has been appointed to serve as chief architect at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

In a LinkedIn post, Sivagnanam shared that he joined the agency after serving as chief enterprise architect at NSF where he advised the chief information officer on the planning and coordination of information technology strategy, vision, management and governance.

Prior to joining the government sector, Sivagnanam spent more than a decade in the private industry, holding various roles at companies including BearingPoint, Blue Canopy, Compuware and Deloitte.

The new FDIC official holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the College of Engineering at Anna University.

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Sikorsky-Built Jolly Green II Rescue Helicopter Passes Initial Operational Capability
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Sikorsky-Built Jolly Green II Rescue Helicopter Passes Initial Operational Capability

Sikorsky’s HH-60W Jolly Green II Combat Rescue Helicopter has achieved initial operational capability status under the U.S. Air Force.

Air Combat Commander Gen. Mark Kelly issued the IOC declaration, signaling the aircraft’s readiness for 30-day deployment to independent locations around the world, the branch said Wednesday.

Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky’s parent company, said that the HH-60W was designed to replace the HH60-G Pavehawk fleet used in critical combat and rescue operations. Jolly Green II features enhanced range and survivability that allows for safer transport in adverse weather and hostile environments.

The next-generation helicopter is also equipped with new air refueling and avionics systems, as well as digital design techniques that enable faster communication and data transmission, and compatibility with other platforms.

USAF has so far awarded four production lot contracts to Sikorsky. The manufacturer has delivered 24 units of the aircraft, with at least 10 more under way through a new contract to be awarded in 2023.

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Deloitte-NASCIO Study Shows Wider Presence of State Info Security Chiefs; Meredith Ward Quoted
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Deloitte-NASCIO Study Shows Wider Presence of State Info Security Chiefs; Meredith Ward Quoted

State chief information security officers are being given more authority to implement cybersecurity initiatives as government agencies transition to digital and virtual operations and services, according to a joint study by professional services firm Deloitte and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.

Data from the study, released Tuesday, show that all 50 states have appointed a CISO, and more legislators are including the role in laws and appropriations.

Positions such as chief risk officers, chief privacy officers and identity program directors are also being created to help shoulder the responsibilities of CISOs.

However, 60 percent of responding information security leaders said there are staff competency issues that need to be addressed.

On a more positive note, the respondents reported that government branches are increasingly adopting robotic process automation, artificial intelligence and cloud computing to modernize customer service.

“State CISOs played critical roles helping the country successfully navigate the twists and turns of the pandemic, and this year’s survey identifies the steps needed to grow this increasingly public role and meet the current and future challenges faced by state agencies,” said Meredith Ward, NASCIO director of policy and research, and a co-author of the study.

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Upcoming EHR Deployments Pushed Back to June 2023 to Make Way for VA’s Assess and Address Plan
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Upcoming EHR Deployments Pushed Back to June 2023 to Make Way for VA’s Assess and Address Plan

The Department of Veterans Affairs has further delayed from January to June 2023 the upcoming deployments of the Oracle Cerner electronic health record system to review and address technical and system performance issues facing VA health care personnel and veterans.

Some of the additional concerns identified are problems with patient scheduling, medication management and referrals and latency and slowness, VA said Thursday.

“We are delaying all future deployments of the new EHR while we fully assess performance and address every concern. Veterans and clinicians deserve a seamless, modernized health record system, and we will not rest until they get it,” said Donald Remy, deputy secretary of VA.

VA said it will continue to work with Oracle Cerner to address issues with the EHR system before resuming deployments at other medical centers, including those that may have implications for patient safety.

As it implements the “assess and address plan,” the department will continue to monitor the five VA facilities where the new EHR system has already been fielded to ensure that the platform is running smoothly in support of veterans.

In 2018, Cerner, which is now part of Oracle following its acquisition in June, received a potential $10 billion contract to help VA replace its Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture with a modernized EHR system that integrates with that of the Department of Defense.

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Army Unveils Plan to Transform Into Data-Centric Organization; CIO Raj Iyer Quoted
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Army Unveils Plan to Transform Into Data-Centric Organization; CIO Raj Iyer Quoted

The U.S. Army has released a plan that presents its approach to improving data management as part of efforts to become a data-centric organization.

The Army Data Plan focuses on the warfighting mission area and reflects a three-year initiative that also seeks to improve data analytics and data governance, the service said Thursday.

“Data and how you integrate that at all echelons for really fast, agile decision making is what can truly give the Army the competitive advantage it needs in the future of warfare,” said Raj Iyer, the Army’s chief information officer and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner.

The Army Data Plan lists the seven data principles: visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trusted, interoperable and secure.

The 17-page document also outlines a set of 11 strategic objectives in support of the Army of 2030. These include operationalized data-driven decisions that support multidomain operations at echolon, decreased time to deploy software and decision analytics to outpace any adversary and resilient, protected data to sustain operations in contested environments.

The consolidated plan details the near-term activities for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 and offers information on the service’s eight strategic efforts, including data management and engineering, unified network, scalable data-driven decision support and cloud at echelon.

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Sen. Rob Portman: Senate’s FY23 Defense Authorization Bill Includes AI, Cybersecurity Provisions
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Sen. Rob Portman: Senate’s FY23 Defense Authorization Bill Includes AI, Cybersecurity Provisions

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, announced that the upper chamber’s version of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act includes 13 of his key priorities.

One of those priorities is the creation of a pilot program at the Department of Defense to form artificial intelligence data libraries to support the development of intelligence software and related technologies and ensure that companies have access to accurate data necessary to meet DOD requirements, the Senate panel said Wednesday.

Portman also introduced measures that would propose technical improvements to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s authorizing statute and facilitate sharing of cybersecurity and counterintelligence data between the executive branch and Congress.

The defense authorization bill includes a provision that would ensure that products funded by the Department of Homeland Security’s science and technology directorate are produced in the U.S.

“At a time when our country faces significant security threats from around the world, these provisions will help to ensure our local, state, and federal government has every resource needed to detect and deter risks, whether they be from cyberattacks, terrorism and violent extremism, or weapons of mass destruction,” Portman said.

“In addition, the legislation included will ensure that government products funded by American taxpayers are made in the United States, ensuring good-paying jobs for American citizens,” he added.

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SAIC CEO Nazzic Keene Discusses Growth Strategy for Secure Cloud, Systems Integration in Video Interview With Executive Mosaic
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SAIC CEO Nazzic Keene Discusses Growth Strategy for Secure Cloud, Systems Integration in Video Interview With Executive Mosaic

During the latest video interview from Executive Mosaic, SAIC CEO Nazzic Keene, a five-time Wash100 Award winner, shared her invaluable insights on the latest market trends in the defense sector and regarding the most significant emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to help the company’s customers address their greater needs and challenges.

Click here to watch the full video interview with SAIC’s Nazzic Keene, and be sure to subscribe to Executive Mosaic’s YouTube channel so you never miss an interview!

For instance, Nazzic Keene provided an in-depth look with Executive Mosaic’s Summer Myatt into other opportunities that SAIC is pursuing to expand the company’s portfolio in new markets, including secure cloud, enterprise IT as well as systems integration and delivery as the three critical areas of growth.

“We are proud of the fact that SAIC is delivering secure cloud solutions today for systems integration. We integrate the best in class engineering tools to accelerate and enhance the delivery of ion critical systems like GPS, Navy torpedoes and counter UAS solutions that will save time and resources in development,” Keene explained.

In addition, the five-time Wash100 Award recipient discussed the release of SAIC’s Corporate Responsibility Report as well as the influence the company’s culture has on attracting and retaining the top talent in our sector amidst recent recruitment challenges and the impact brought about by the recent hybrid workforce changes.

Click here to watch the full video interview with SAIC’s Nazzic Keene, and be sure to subscribe to Executive Mosaic’s YouTube channel so you never miss an interview!

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GMU GovCon Center Receives Study to Apply Game Theory to DoD Intellectual Property Transactions; GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn Quoted
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GMU GovCon Center Receives Study to Apply Game Theory to DoD Intellectual Property Transactions; GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn Quoted

The George Mason University Center for Government Contracting announced on Friday that the facility has been awarded a study to focus on the application of game theory to Department of Defense (DoD) intellectual property (IP) negotiations from the Intellectual Property Cadre within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. 

“This is an exciting award and we are thrilled to be working with GWU to support DoD in this important effort,” said GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn, the center’s Executive Director and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner. 

In collaboration with George Washington University (GWU), GMU’s Center for Government Contracting has received the study from the Acquisition Innovation Research Center (AIRC), a University Affiliated Research Center managed by the Stevens Institute of Technology,

The work through the study will showcase how George Mason University and fellow academic institutions can assist DoD and other federal agencies in their critical missions through top-tier independent research and analysis. 

Recently, GMU’s Center for Government Contracting also endorsed the consortia model for the U.S. Department of Defense acquisition strategy in regards to lowering the barrier of entry for nontraditional defense contracting organizations.

The report indicated that the consortia model might be able to boost the speed of acquisitions and thus allow the DoD acquisition workforce to attend to other tasks. The report enumerated the benefits of the consortia model as setting in place a pre-established network of supplier options with various specialties as well as aiding inexperienced government program offices.

About GMU’s School of Business 

Dedicated to excellence in research and teaching, the School of Business at George Mason University anticipates the rapid transformation of business and acts accordingly. Faculty academic expertise combined with real-world experience provides a bridge between theory and practice, implemented through both innovative academic programs and strategic partnerships.

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