Do you know the five challenges unique to transforming the way governments do business?
Are there any challenges facing the federal government and the contractors that support it? said Horace Blackman of CGI Federal. But when it comes to technology adoption and business transformation, there’s no place more exciting, he added quickly.
“More innovation is being driven here due to the need to support mission-critical areas of government compared to our commercial sector counterparts.
Are there any challenges facing the federal government and the contractors that support it? said Horace Blackman of CGI Federal. But when it comes to technology adoption and business transformation, there’s no place more exciting, he added quickly.
Blackman, senior vice president of defense, intelligence and space at CGI Federal, said:American Association of Military Accountants defense business A podcast on the Federal News Network.
He said he didn’t deny the threats that were on the horizon, saying they were unique and different within government and “could have a big impact on how we operate.”
during his conversation ASMC Podcast host and CEO Rich Brady described these challenges, but also offered practical tips for becoming a contractor drawn from his own experience in both government and the private sector. bottom. CGI FederationFor nearly 50 years, we have helped government agencies evolve through the adoption of technology.
Five Critical Federal Challenges
While much has changed in the government landscape over the decades, Blackman says one thing has remained true in recent years. The federal government is transforming business processes and leveraging technology to increase its effectiveness and efficiency. We see that continuing to be their key mission going forward. It never slows down in any shape or form. “
But what are the challenges facing both governments and their contractors? detailed.
- Fiscal budget cycle and ongoing resolutions: He said annual budgeting, which encompasses all three branches of government, makes it difficult to secure sufficient funding for the program each year.
Additionally, “there are situations where the government may not have an active budget,” he said. “We are entering a continuous solution cycle that brings some challenges and some of our spending is being cut. We have to adapt.”
It’s not ideal, Blackman said, but governments and their contractors will have to adapt to it to some extent.
- Debt ceiling: The possibility of the US defaulting on its debts could pose an extreme problem.
“It has the potential to shut down government agencies, which could result in a stoppage of operations, which could affect some time and materials, as well as cost reimbursable contracts, so we cannot It can have a big impact on how you do it.
CGI Federal and other contractors have found ways to manage CR, which has become an almost regular part of the budget process, but the implications of a potential debt ceiling crisis are less well known. How could it affect contracts? How could it stall or slow government services?
“We’re looking at it like everyone else,” Blackman said. You can do.”
- Scale and scope: The government has no commercial competitors for the size of its operations and the constant demands of its needs, he said.
“The federal government is literally orders of magnitude bigger,” Blackman said. “Given the movement of goods and personnel, Amazon’s warehouses may seem smaller than some warehouses you see within the military in terms of prepositioning and deployment.”
He gave the example of providing breakfast to 5,000 sailors on a Navy aircraft carrier. “That aircraft carrier consumes 15,000 eggs a day. And it has to move a lot of eggs in less than 15 minutes.” It’s a logistical challenge that doesn’t even need to be addressed, and it’s just an egg.”
- Environment complexity: Government is not just offices. There are people on battlefields, remote weather stations, medical facilities, disasters and crime scenes. Such complexities may not need to be dealt with by commercial entities, he said.
“Scale, complexity, mission focus — we’re working on a mission that doesn’t fail.”
- Cybersecurity threats: In addition to financial and scale challenges, there will always be a need to defeat cyber threats, Blackman said.
Agencies and their contractors are under constant attack, he said. “The tolerance and expectation from the public that governments maintain their information and maintain the security of those assets is paramount.”
How to meet the challenges of working in federal IT
Despite the unique environment, Blackman said he loves his job. For him, it’s about his mission, which he came to fully understand while working in technology at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He said he sparked a passion for leveraging technology to help agencies transform the way they do business.
And he fully believes that the government as a whole is moving much faster than the general public assumes, and certainly faster than the private sector as a whole.
“Governments have been early movers in big, big-scale efforts. Consider cloud implementations much faster than the private sector,” Blackman said. The private sector has very fast-moving pockets, he said. “But in principle they are not standardized. Not everyone moves the same. Different companies move at different speeds.”
Blackman offered three tips for companies looking to work in federal markets and grow as government contractors.
First, he advised, take risks. “Don’t be reckless, take a risk. Try something that might not sound so exciting.
Second, be a lifelong learner. “Focus on how much you can learn and where you can develop critical skills that will help you evolve, not just in terms of today’s technology,” he said.
Finally, he said, look for someone who is dedicated to your mission. “You can teach anyone any technology, you can teach them how to play any role, but you can’t teach them to have a commitment and a mission.”
To hear the full discussion with CGI Federal Senior Vice President Horace Blackman and American Society of Military Comptrollers CEO Rich Brady, click the play button on the podcast below.
discover more defense business podcast here.
Summarize this content to 100 words
Are there any challenges facing the federal government and the contractors that support it? said Horace Blackman of CGI Federal. But when it comes to technology adoption and business transformation, there’s no place more exciting, he added quickly. “More innovation is being driven here due to the need to support mission-critical areas of government compared to our commercial sector counterparts.read more
Are there any challenges facing the federal government and the contractors that support it? said Horace Blackman of CGI Federal. But when it comes to technology adoption and business transformation, there’s no place more exciting, he added quickly.
Blackman, senior vice president of defense, intelligence and space at CGI Federal, said:American Association of Military Accountants defense business A podcast on the Federal News Network.
He said he didn’t deny the threats that were on the horizon, saying they were unique and different within government and “could have a big impact on how we operate.”
during his conversation ASMC Podcast host and CEO Rich Brady described these challenges, but also offered practical tips for becoming a contractor drawn from his own experience in both government and the private sector. bottom. CGI FederationFor nearly 50 years, we have helped government agencies evolve through the adoption of technology.
Five Critical Federal Challenges
While much has changed in the government landscape over the decades, Blackman says one thing has remained true in recent years. The federal government is transforming business processes and leveraging technology to increase its effectiveness and efficiency. We see that continuing to be their key mission going forward. It never slows down in any shape or form. ”
But what are the challenges facing both governments and their contractors? detailed.
Fiscal budget cycle and ongoing resolutions: He said annual budgeting, which encompasses all three branches of government, makes it difficult to secure sufficient funding for the program each year.
Additionally, “there are situations where the government may not have an active budget,” he said. “We are entering a continuous solution cycle that brings some challenges and some of our spending is being cut. We have to adapt.”
It’s not ideal, Blackman said, but governments and their contractors will have to adapt to it to some extent.
Debt ceiling: The possibility of the US defaulting on its debts could pose an extreme problem.
“It has the potential to shut down government agencies, which could result in a stoppage of operations, which could affect some time and materials, as well as cost reimbursable contracts, so we cannot It can have a big impact on how you do it.
CGI Federal and other contractors have found ways to manage CR, which has become an almost regular part of the budget process, but the implications of a potential debt ceiling crisis are less well known. How could it affect contracts? How could it stall or slow government services?
“We’re looking at it like everyone else,” Blackman said. You can do.”
Scale and scope: The government has no commercial competitors for the size of its operations and the constant demands of its needs, he said.
“The federal government is literally orders of magnitude bigger,” Blackman said. “Given the movement of goods and personnel, Amazon’s warehouses may seem smaller than some warehouses you see within the military in terms of prepositioning and deployment.”
He gave the example of providing breakfast to 5,000 sailors on a Navy aircraft carrier. “That aircraft carrier consumes 15,000 eggs a day. And it has to move a lot of eggs in less than 15 minutes.” It’s a logistical challenge that doesn’t even need to be addressed, and it’s just an egg.”
Environment complexity: Government is not just offices. There are people on battlefields, remote weather stations, medical facilities, disasters and crime scenes. Such complexities may not need to be dealt with by commercial entities, he said.
“Scale, complexity, mission focus — we’re working on a mission that doesn’t fail.”
Cybersecurity threats: In addition to financial and scale challenges, there will always be a need to defeat cyber threats, Blackman said.
Agencies and their contractors are under constant attack, he said. “The tolerance and expectation from the public that governments maintain their information and maintain the security of those assets is paramount.”
How to meet the challenges of working in federal IT
Despite the unique environment, Blackman said he loves his job. For him, it’s about his mission, which he came to fully understand while working in technology at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He said he sparked a passion for leveraging technology to help agencies transform the way they do business.
And he fully believes that the government as a whole is moving much faster than the general public assumes, and certainly faster than the private sector as a whole.
“Governments have been early movers in big, big-scale efforts. Consider cloud implementations much faster than the private sector,” Blackman said. The private sector has very fast-moving pockets, he said. “But in principle they are not standardized. Not everyone moves the same. Different companies move at different speeds.”
Blackman offered three tips for companies looking to work in federal markets and grow as government contractors.
First, he advised, take risks. “Don’t be reckless, take a risk. Try something that might not sound so exciting.
Second, be a lifelong learner. “Focus on how much you can learn and where you can develop critical skills that will help you evolve, not just in terms of today’s technology,” he said.
Finally, he said, look for someone who is dedicated to your mission. “You can teach anyone any technology, you can teach them how to play any role, but you can’t teach them to have a commitment and a mission.”
To hear the full discussion with CGI Federal Senior Vice President Horace Blackman and American Society of Military Comptrollers CEO Rich Brady, click the play button on the podcast below.
discover more defense business podcast here.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/the-business-of-defense/2023/05/do-you-know-the-5-challenges-unique-to-transforming-how-the-government-does-business/ Do you know the five challenges unique to transforming the way governments do business?
