GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
278 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 14 ratingsThe GovCIO Media & Research podcast network comprises GovCast, CyberCast and HealthCast featuring conversations with key leaders on timely issues impacting the federal IT landscape. Topics include cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, IT modernization, data analytics, workforce development and more. New episodes release each Tuesday.
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Episodes
Flywheel Fridays - What You Missed Around Fed IT this Summer
September 02, 2022 20:37 - 14 minutes - 20.8 MBA lot happened in federal IT over summer 2022. Join senior researcher Kate Macri and staff writer/ researcher Sarah Sybert for a recap of some of the top headlines you may have missed on vacation, including updates on the PACT Act, green IT acquisition, JADC2, federal leadership changes and more.
Season 5 Episode 11 - Enhancing Customer Experience for Federal Student Aid
August 25, 2022 13:28 - 23 minutes - 32.5 MBFrom streamlining digital services to incorporating plain language, the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) Office has been working to modernize processes and improve user experience for the 10 million students it serves every year. Margaret Glick, FSA CIO, dives into how her office is working with schools to enhance the aid process and strengthen cybersecurity practices. To sign up and receive FSA’s new cybersecurity newsletter, listeners can email [email protected]...
Flywheel Fridays - A Brief Dive on DevSecOps
August 19, 2022 19:34 - 17 minutes - 24.2 MBLeaders from across government are turning to strong DevSecOps strategies to shake up the status quo and increase the speed of software development. Our Digital Services: Disruptive DevSecOps virtual event brought together many of these innovators to talk agile methodology, infrastructure support and security, and more. Staff writers Sarah Sybert and Nikki Henderson join Flywheel Fridays to break down the highlights and key takeaways from the virtual event.
Flywheel Fridays - Top Takeaways from DAV's 2022 National Convention
August 12, 2022 18:38 - 16 minutes - 23.5 MBDAV's 2022 National Convention in Orlando featured an all-star lineup of speakers from the Department of Veterans Affairs, including all three undersecretaries from the agency's benefits, memorial and health arms, as well as Secretary Denis McDonough. The event also happened just days before President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act into law. Senior Researcher Melissa Harris and Staff Writer Sarah Sybert discuss the top takeaways from the convention and report how these leaders will prepare fo...
Season 5 Episode 10 - Inside VA's Innovative Workforce, IT Modernization Strategies
August 09, 2022 17:20 - 27 minutes - 37.7 MBPresident Biden's recent executive order on diversity, equity, inclusion and access calls on federal agencies "to cultivate a workforce that draws from the full diversity of the nation." Department of Veterans Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Dewaine Beard, as VA's No. 2 tech chief, discusses how his agency is implementing new workforce initiatives to drive a diverse, innovative culture. He also unpacks VA OIT's tech modernization and "vision-first" priorities ahead.
Flywheel Fridays: Data and Security Strategies for Modernization
August 05, 2022 18:57 - 11 minutes - 12.9 MBFederal IT modernization is a continuous process, and agencies are focusing on the different avenues and strategies they need to pursue to seek improved IT capabilities. Senior Researchers Kate Macri and Melissa Harris break down the top takeaways of the July 28 Blueprints of Tomorrow event featuring civilian and defense federal agencies and their work around data management, foundational tactics, workforce development and more.
Season 5 Episode 9 - Census Bureau's Data Modernization Path to 2030
August 01, 2022 21:31 - 26 minutes - 36.3 MBThe Census Bureau ramped up capabilities to enable the first digital decennial census in 2020. In the midst of that, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the bureau to a telework environment. Now Census Bureau Deputy CIO Gregg Bailey highlights the data science modernization underway in analyzing 2020 data and gearing up for the next census to prepare the bureau for its important role it plays in federal funds allocation and economic projections.
Flywheel Fridays - Women Tech Leaders Inspire Women to Serve
July 15, 2022 20:24 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MBGovCIO Media & Research's second annual Women Tech Leaders event came back in-person this year. During the event, speakers explored the strides women are making in cybersecurity, data, customer experience, workforce issues and more. Senior researchers Kate Macri and Melissa Harris discuss highlights from the event and key takeaways.
Season 5 Episode 8 - SOCOM's IT Priorities for Mobile, On-Demand Network Access
July 06, 2022 16:16 - 18 minutes - 25.5 MBWith the 2022 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in the books, Special Operations Command CIO Peter Tragakis discusses his tech priorities. This includes a look at how the command is moving to a hybrid-cloud environment securely and balancing legacy IT with new technologies amid a highly disparate and mobile ecosystem.
Flywheel Fridays - Federal AI and Data Perspectives Event Recap
June 17, 2022 17:54 - 15 minutes - 21.8 MBThe AI landscape is quickly moving as a collaborative effort across government. Staff Writer Katherine MacPhail joins Senior Researcher Kate Macri to unpack top takeaways from the AI Gov: Data virtual event. Topics include how to make AI research and infrastructure equitable and accessible while balancing privacy rights and civil liberties, as well as testing strategies for ensuring AI model accuracy and effectiveness. Featured perspectives include leadership from the White House, National S...
Season 5 Episode 7 - USAID First Digital Development Chief Talks Tech Strategy
June 07, 2022 16:14 - 29 minutes - 41.4 MBFrom hardware access to public health networks and responsible AI principles, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is working to shape effective programming that empowers its partners and breaks down digital divides. With over 25 years of international development experience primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, Chief Digital Development Officer Christopher Burns spearheaded the agency's first-ever digital strategy in 2020. Burns discusses USAID’s two mutually reinforcing objecti...
Flywheel Fridays - Breaking down ARPA-H and Defense CDAO
June 03, 2022 18:01 - 13 minutes - 19.2 MBOn the heels of SOFIC, our researchers brief us on some major developments in the federal IT space. Most notably, there is the formation of the Biden-backed ARPA-H at NIH to improve government's ability to speed biomedical and health research, and also the rollout of the Defense Department's new Chief Digital and AI Office. Senior Researcher Melissa Harris and Staff Writer Nikki Henderson break down what these updates mean.
Live From SOFIC: How USSOCOM S&T Aligns With Mission Needs
May 19, 2022 20:32USSOCOM S&T Director Lisa Sanders discusses her funding and program priorities and why she thinks she has one of the top five jobs in the entire Defense Department.
Live From SOFIC: How USSOCOM S&T Aligns With Mission Needs
May 19, 2022 20:32USSOCOM S&T Director Lisa Sanders discusses her funding and program priorities and why she thinks she has one of the top five jobs in the entire Defense Department.
Live From SOFIC: USSOCOM's TAK Product Center Could Be the Next DOD Software Factory
May 19, 2022 20:06 - 22 minutes - 31.2 MBDirector Ryan McLean discusses his modernization strategy for the Tactical Assault Kit, a map-based software application connecting USSOCOM, other U.S. military services and allied partners. TAK is critical for effective, efficient communication in warfighting scenarios. McLean's plan could launch the product center to software factory status under the Defense Department's new software modernization strategy.
Season 5 Episode 6 - How State is Evolving IT to Support International Affairs
May 03, 2022 18:54 - 33 minutes - 46.5 MBThe State Department is at the forefront of many international affairs, supporting American interests and values abroad. Behind the scenes, however, is a team that provides the IT infrastructure, cybersecurity and solutions that support those diplomatic activities. We talk with State CIO Keith Jones to dive deeper into what those IT activities and modernization priorities are, as well as how State is looking to meet its IT goals through bold contracting opportunities.
Flywheel Fridays - Breaking Down IT Priorities in FY 2023
April 15, 2022 19:34 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MBWith the fiscal year 2022 budget finalized last month, why not look ahead? Our senior researchers break down key components of the Biden administration's proposed FY 2023 budget, including increases in spending for DOD, VA, IRS, DOJ and more. We'll talk cybersecurity, customer experience and infrastructure.
Season 5 Episode 5 - The Case for Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science in Government
April 12, 2022 15:31 - 43 minutes - 60.4 MBFederal agencies typically pursue contracts and engagement with industry vendors to produce solutions for different mission areas, but what if the barrier to entry to helping agencies overcome challenges was lowered? Today, we dive into the General Services Administration Technology Transformation Service's Challenge.gov and CitizenScience.gov initiatives to learn how the platforms are allowing agencies to engage with the public at large to present their problem areas and receive crowdsource...
Season 5 Episode 4 - The Making of a Digital-First Social Security Administration
March 30, 2022 17:59 - 24 minutes - 34.2 MBSocial Security Administration maintains and administers the benefits and records of tens of millions of Americans nationwide for retirement payments, as well as benefits for disability and survivors. With the growing eligibility pool over the next decade, IT modernization is imperative. Agency veteran Sean Brune discusses the agency's immense changes he's seen over his career and how he sees emerging technologies and directives impacting what’s to come around digital services.
Flywheel Fridays - Health IT Takeaways from HIMSS 2022
March 25, 2022 20:12 - 25 minutes - 34.4 MBThe 2022 HIMSS Conference in Orlando offered many exciting insights into the future of health IT. Senior Researcher Melissa Harris and Staff Writer Sarah Sybert were on the ground and now provide their top five takeaways from the conference. Topics include change management, APIs, interoperability, synthetic data, and expanded telehealth to combat future health crises.
Live from HIMSS - Former VA CIO Jim Gfrerer Reflects on Public Service, Essential Partnerships for Driving Innovation
March 16, 2022 20:28 - 16 minutes - 23.8 MBLive from HIMSS, Former Department of Veterans Affairs CIO James Gfrerer discusses the importance of bridging business perspectives with tech-minded federal leadership. He reflects on his time in the role, some surprises he uncovered along the way and the importance of partnerships in technology modernization.
Live from HIMSS - New VA Standards Are Helping Developers Create Personalized Care Tools
March 15, 2022 15:12 - 19 minutes - 26.8 MBMeasuring how new technologies are succeeding in health care require a more purposeful approach. Ryan Vega, chief officer of the Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning at Veterans Health Administration, discusses a new framework that is helping health-focused developers create personalized tools incorporating more automation and streamlined workflows.
Live from HIMSS - AI Sprints are Helping VA Create Health Care Tools
March 15, 2022 14:55 - 17 minutes - 24.5 MBOne of the most promising capabilities set to impact health care is the application of artificial intelligence in all areas of the health care ecosystem. Lead coordinator of the Department of Veterans Affairs AI Tech Sprints, Rafael Fricks, joins us from HIMSS to talk how his tech sprints are improving data collection and predictive heath care for vets.
Flywheel Fridays - Fed IT Academy Awards
March 11, 2022 20:58 - 14 minutes - 20.4 MBOur senior researchers are on the virtual red carpet for the first annual Flycademy Awards! Celebrate the year in federal IT with categories like Zero Trust Advocate of the Year, the FITARA Award, Cloud Thought Leader of the Year, and more.
Season 5 Episode 3 - Leading Through Change in New VA EHR Organization
March 10, 2022 14:25 - 22 minutes - 31.4 MBIt’s an exciting time for electronic health records, especially for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Its notable EHR program went through a reorganization over the past year. Joining us from the new EHR Modernization Integration Office is Acting Deputy CIO Laura Prietula who will be instrumental in communicating with on-site staff about the system. But before this role, she’s had a longstanding career at VA. She briefs us about the organization's new priorities and how she is approaching ...
Flywheel Fridays - Inside IRS' 2022 Tax Season
February 25, 2022 20:30 - 14 minutes - 19.4 MBIt's tax season, and senior researchers Melissa Harris and Kate Macri are here to guide you through the latest developments at the IRS. Topics include IRS Free File, cybersecure procurement, and our favorite winter Olympic sports.
Introducing Flywheel Fridays
February 14, 2022 18:58 - 36 seconds - 830 KBWelcome to Flywheel Fridays, the latest podcast from GovCIO Media & Research. Join our senior researchers every other Friday on our GovCast feed to keep up with the latest in federal IT. We’ll be covering news, events, articles, and everything in between. Keep the conversation turning with Flywheel Fridays!
Flywheel Friday – AI Gov: Future Workforce Event Recap
February 11, 2022 20:53 - 13 minutes - 18.1 MBIn this inaugural episode of Flywheel Friday, senior researchers Kate Macri and Melissa Harris react to GovCIO Media & Research's AI Gov: Future Workforce event. Topics include telework and recruiting, misconceptions around automation and AI, and the true meaning of DevSecOps. Featured perspectives include Veterans Affairs’ Todd Simpson and Gil Alterovitz, CISA’s Martin Stanley, Defense Digital Service’s Scarlet Swerdlow and Red Hat.
Season 5 Episode 2 - EPA CIO's Six 'Wildly Important' Goals Driving Tech Strategy
February 02, 2022 20:07 - 22 minutes - 30.7 MBWhen Air Force veteran Vaughn Noga started as CIO at the Environmental Protection Agency in 2018, he set out six "wildly important" goals. From building a cybersecurity-aware culture to going paperless, Noga breaks down each of those and explains how they are now more important than ever for EPA's environmental protection mission.
Season 5 Episode 1 - How the Army’s Digital Transformation Strategy Will Democratize Data
January 26, 2022 16:39 - 32 minutes - 44.8 MBArmy CIO Raj Iyer discusses his goals for 2022 IT transformation and why he believes data will be a critical asset to multi-domain operations. Iyer's plan is to democratize data for the next generation of soldiers. Part of that effort includes integrating artificial intelligence and associated talent, a challenge facing the Defense Department overall.
Season 4 Episode 25 - IRS CIO Reflects on Tech Evolution, Modernization Journey
November 18, 2021 18:34 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MBWith a massive IT transformation effort, the longest tax filing season in history and a series of pandemic relief payments, IRS CIO Nancy Sieger talks how the current tech climate is leading to the agency bringing improvements to the taxpayer experience. Sieger's role at the agency has evolved immensely, but she has an intricate understanding of the customer service experience roadmap that the agency's tech push is aiming to navigate. Nancy discusses how she came into the role, how she’s see...
Season 4 Episode 24 - Inside GSA's Tech Crowdsourcing Shop for Federal Employees
November 13, 2021 00:34 - 19 minutes - 27.4 MBFederal employees have until Nov. 16 to apply for funding on new tech ideas as part of a new investment round with GSA's 10x. Administrator Robin Carnahan has had a prominent career in public service, one that has honed in on modernized technology and digital services to improve how government delivers. Early in her legal career, Carnahan worked to automate manual processes and overhaul citizen-facing services online. The former secretary of state of Missouri and GSA alumna discusses equitab...
Season 4 Episode 23 - VA Deputy Secretary Remy Reflects on Mission, Tech Goals
November 10, 2021 20:39 - 20 minutes - 29.2 MBThe Department of Veterans Affairs' Deputy Secretary Donald Remy discusses his path in the military and to the agency, one he cherishes because of the role it has had in his own family. With the agency's key role in serving veterans after service through benefits and support, Remy updates GovCast on the achievements VA has made in electronic health records, vaccinations, pandemic support, overall tech modernization, claims processing and more.
Season 4 Episode 22 - FCC CIO Departs, Reflects on Public Service Career
October 22, 2021 18:09 - 19 minutes - 22.3 MBFederal Communications Commission CIO Francisco Salguero reflects on his time in office as he departs for industry. Many of the initiatives he oversaw during his career included cloud migration, data center consolidation and even telehealth, as FCC had a hand in standing up telehealth grants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Salguero discusses the impact of technology on various regulatory and modernization programs for things like improving broadband access to underserved communities and improv...
Season 4 Episode 21 - The IRS Plan to Modernize Online Experiences
October 14, 2021 17:11 - 27 minutes - 31.4 MBThe IRS is amid a huge technological modernization push, and leading its Office of Online Services is Executive Director Karen Howard. She brings a customer-centric approach to her leadership of various initiatives that are impacting the overall taxpayer experience. This includes the business transformation around technologies like digital chat, easy access to data and, of course, security of that data.
Season 4 Episode 20 - IRS Digitalization Office From Startup to Sustainment
October 05, 2021 16:08 - 29 minutes - 34.1 MBThe IRS is undergoing large tech transformation efforts, and one office key to that is the now year-old Enterprise Digitalization and Case Management Office co-directed by Justin Abold-LaBreche. He shares his journey to the agency from the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. military, and why he made these career pivots to technology. He also discusses efforts the office is tackling to improve the overall taxpayer experience with case management, automation tools in scanning files, ...
Season 4 Episode 19 - 5 Tech Trends Shaping the Future of Federal IT
September 08, 2021 16:00 - 23 minutes - 27.2 MBWith the onset of the pandemic came the urgent need to modernize government toward an increasingly digital future and build off past tech initiatives around cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital services. Accenture Federal Service's Kyle Michl and Chris Copeland discuss the key areas to enable this vision using concepts like digital twins, virtual environments and data management. This episode is sponsored by Accenture Federal Services.
Season 4 Episode 18 - GAO AI Framework Sets Auditing Guidelines
August 11, 2021 20:10 - 25 minutes - 29.7 MBThe Government Accountability Office's first chief data scientist stepped into the role with a mindset of helping agencies tackle their biggest challenges with technology. Taka Ariga discusses the recent AI Accountability Framework and how it can enable agencies to make their artificial intelligence efforts standardized and ready for the next audit.
Season 4 Episode 17 - Procuring the Future of IT at IRS
June 23, 2021 17:17 - 17 minutes - 20.9 MBChief Procurement Officer Shanna Webbers is taking IRS’ “One Team, One IRS” motto to heart — leading a team of contracting professionals to introduce innovative solutions like robotic process automation and AI to streamline workflows. Webbers discusses the importance not just modern tools, but also an inspired workforce has in bringing the agency to the next generation of tech.
Season 4 Episode 16 - Tech's Role in Promoting Fair, Competitive Trade
June 17, 2021 20:41 - 33 minutes - 38.9 MBInternational Trade Administration CIO Rona Bunn discusses standing up a new customer portal, virtual services and other support tools for businesses conducting international trade and exports. Bunn sees the power of technology and a modern workforce for ensuring the U.S. maintains fair trade through research and compliance of international law.
Season 4 Episode 15 - How Modernized Tech Led to Faster Veteran Benefits Delivery
June 02, 2021 15:32 - 20 minutes - 24.3 MBDespite the disruptions of the pandemic, processing claims and delivering benefits to veterans increased over the past year. Acting Under Secretary Thomas Murphy discusses the progress still ahead, including improvements to the GI Bill, digitization, automation technologies and more. Thanks to a career in the private sector, Murphy sees the importance of delivering services faster and sees great potential technology has in making that happen.
Season 4 Episode 14 - The Digital Era for VA's National Cemeteries
May 27, 2021 17:13 - 17 minutes - 20.6 MBThe National Cemetery Administration has been undergoing large modernization and expansion over the years. Largely influential to that has been current Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Ron Walters. He discusses two key programs ahead of this Memorial Day allowing the public to learn about a veteran's life and leave tributes whether in person at cemeteries or digitally via the Veterans Legacy Memorial. Walters discusses the impact of technology on memorialization programs like thes...
Season 4 Episode 13 - USCIS Data Chief's Plans for Scaling Tech
May 11, 2021 15:41 - 19 minutes - 27 MBU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' mission touches many facets of our lives. As Chief Data Officer Beth Puchek puts it, USCIS really is a data agency. With a background in mechanical and architectural engineering, Puchek discusses her fundamental approach to the agency's data strategy and how she is working to grow the concept of citizen development to make data more accessible, interoperable across other Department of Homeland Security agencies, and innovative to keep up with techno...
Season 4 Episode 12 - How CMS is Making Security Easier for All
May 04, 2021 18:47 - 23 minutes - 32.5 MBComing from an established career in the private cybersecurity sector across various startups, Rob Wood felt a calling to public service last year when he joined the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid as CISO. He is working to make security more accessible for all end users, who include more than just the security professional — lawyers and clinicians, too. One way CMS is doing this is by testing the "Batcave" to take a more unified approach to software development and cybersecurity.
Season 4 Episode 11 - GSA Tech Lead Advocates Open Data, Equity
April 15, 2021 20:48 - 22 minutes - 31.6 MBDigital services veteran Dave Zvenyach, new Director of GSA's Technology Transformation Services — also a lawyer by trade — wants to make digital modernization easier for government. That means modern acquisition and evangelizing great tech practices. Zvenyach discusses the legal history that led to his public service, and how coding and lawyers coming together can bring meaningful change in IT.
Season 4 Episode 10 - Infrastructure Strategies Supporting VA's Digital Modernization
April 12, 2021 19:55 - 27 minutes - 38.9 MBThe Department of Veterans Affairs has been undergoing an agency-wide modernization journey, with IT and data being supporting stars. Among the leaders behind these initiatives is Infrastructure Operations Executive Director Reginald Cummings, a veteran himself who came to the agency from the private sector. Cummings has a personal mission to drive change at VA, and he takes lessons learned in DevOps and innovative technology solutions to ensure veterans ultimately have timely and efficient ...
Season 4 Episode 9: Behind the New IRS Office Boosting the Digital Taxpayer Experience
April 06, 2021 16:07 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MBThe new Enterprise Digitalization and Case Management Office at the Internal Revenue Service, once just a procurement pilot, is incorporating innovative acquisition methods for technology and embracing customer experience principles to ramp up IT modernization efforts and reduce administrative burdens. Senior Advisor Mitch Winans, who helped stand up this office, discusses the progress made over the past nine months plus the partnership opportunities on the horizon.
Season 4 Episode 8 - FDA's Tech Transformation Hinges on Data
March 30, 2021 21:48 - 25 minutes - 35.1 MBThe Food and Drug Administration has played a large role in the COVID-19 response and is also amid widespread digital transformation. Chief Technology Officer Vid Desai joined the agency two years ago and brings private-sector experience from the health technology industry. Desai observes the similarities of FDA’s tech focus with those in his private industry experiences, discusses how he's driving change from a business perspective to meet the mission, and shares examples of how innovation ...
Season 4 Episode 7 - Human-Centered Design Drives Veteran Experience Strategies
March 19, 2021 19:31 - 28 minutes - 39.1 MBAn attorney by trade who saw opportunity to improve the lives of veterans nationwide, Veterans Experience Office's Barbara Morton applies human touches to all aspects of a veteran's journey with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Morton discusses the digital technologies and user-centered research her office applies toward the development and measurement of tools that support benefits, health care and internal processes at the agency.
Season 4 Episode 6 - Bridging the Gap Between Federal Contracting and HBCUs
February 17, 2021 22:01 - 32 minutes - 44.9 MBIn celebration of Black History Month, our HBCU Spotlight Miniseries aims to profile the impacts that historically Black colleges and universities have on health IT and the opportunities to bring that innovation to the federal government. John Rosenthall and Jen Johnson from the Tougaloo College Research and Development Foundation discuss the ways they are helping these institutions with the resources they need to bring technology innovation to the public sector.