Fed Gov Today

Latest Episodes:

From Empty Desks to Smart Defense: Shrinking the Federal Footprint & Securing Cyberspace Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

Today, Francis sits down with Dan Mathews to explore a foundational question: How can the federal government effectively reduce its real estate footprint?

Mathews shares firsthand insights from his tenure at PBS, detailing how federal agencies are rethinking their physical presence to align with hybrid work trends and long-term cost savings. Listen and learn how interagency coordination, budgeting constraints, and political realities have shaped the pace of change.

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The Essays That Could Change Federal Hiring Forever Jun 03, 2025

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Former OPM Associate Director, Ron Sanders, joins Francis to unpack a bold new hiring memo from the Office of Personnel Management and the Domestic Policy Council that could transform how agencies bring in new talent. You will learn about the unprecedented introduction of four mandatory essay questions for federal job applicants—a move aimed at curbing mass, low-effort applications and filtering for genuine interest and capability. Sanders explains what’s working, what’s worrisome, and what’s still undecided—including the risks of not collecting workforce diversity stats and the possible fallout from removing long-standing recruitment initiatives.

Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com.

Outcomes Over Outputs: How AI, Accountability & $100B Could Transform Government Jun 01, 2025

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The Fed Gov Today TV Show airs on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. E.T. on ABC 7. You can also watch on Demand on Youtube. Listen to Fed Gov Today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anytime at FedGovToday.com.

A Seismic Change to Federal Buying with FAR Overhaul May 29, 2025

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Learn how the most significant overhaul of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in four decades could reshape the way the federal government buys goods and services.

Julie Dunne, former Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at GSA and now Principal at Monument Advocacy, joins Francis to explain the key changes already in motion and what’s still to come. She details how the revisions aim to streamline acquisition, cut outdated rules, and emphasize the importance of time and commercial practices in government buying. Julie also explains the potential impact of new “sunset clauses” for non-statutory FAR provisions, which could help reduce regulatory clutter and improve efficiency over time.

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Fix It or Trust It: Tim Soltis on Restructuring Government for Real Efficiency May 27, 2025

Show notes

Today, we explore a pivotal moment for agency leaders as budget season intensifies on Capitol Hill. With funding and restructuring requests on the table, Francis speaks with Tim Soltis, former Deputy Controller at the Office of Management and Budget, about what it takes to turn policy ideas into operational success. Soltis brings insights from his recent article, where he proposes a bold restructuring concept: lean, centralized leadership teams running core mission operations in key agencies like the Department of Defense, DHS, and the VA, to test whether a streamlined model can deliver better efficiency and accountability.

You can find a link to Tim’s article on today’s show page at fedgovtoday.com.

Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com.

The Pentagon’s Software Awakening: Trust, Tech & the Warfighter’s Edge May 22, 2025

Show notes

In today’s conversation you’ll hear why software is now just as critical as hardware in modern military operations—and what the Department of Defense is doing to keep pace with this shift. Former Deputy Navy CIO Commander, Julie Vida, joins Francis to explain how evolving battlefield realities, from GPS denial to cyber threats, are driving a transformation in how the Pentagon develops, acquires, and deploys software.

You’ll learn how the Defense Department’s current focus on agile development, cloud readiness, and cultural change is shaping the future of warfighting technology. Julie shares why software must be designed for denied environments from the start—and why technologists must rethink their assumptions about where and how their tools will be used.

From her time as a Navy helicopter pilot, Julie illustrates the critical need for trust in software—not just from the engineers who build it, but from the warfighters who rely on it. You’ll hear why collaboration between government and industry is essential to ensuring that software solutions are reliable, secure, and mission-ready.

Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com.

AI, Ethics & Energy: What 10,000 Voices Say About the Future of Federal Tech May 20, 2025

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Today, we dive deep into the future of artificial intelligence in government, guided by a remarkable dataset: over 10,000 responses to the Trump administration’s request for information on a new federal AI action plan. Former Department of Commerce CIO and now president of Cambio Digital Transformations, Simone Szykman, joins the show to discuss the five key themes he and his AI assistant—ChatGPT—extracted from the public’s feedback.

Simone reflects on the challenges and implications of each theme, drawing from his experience as a federal CIO and thought leader. He outlines how energy-intensive AI infrastructure is raising both technical and environmental concerns, and why early policy guardrails are essential to avoid unintended consequences. He discusses the evolving definition of “responsible” and “inclusive” AI and how philosophical and political leanings may shape regulatory approaches.

You can explore Simone’s full analysis on today’s show page at FedGovToday.com. Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com.

From Bureaucracy to Breakthroughs: TMF’s Big Bet on High-Velocity Government IT May 19, 2025

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Zero Trust, One Mission: DoD’s Cyber Revolution Unleashed May 15, 2025

Show notes

Will Schmitt, Chief of the Technical Portfolio Management Division, joins the show from TechNet Cyber in Baltimore. He reveals how DoD is categorizing Zero Trust approaches into three key courses of action (COAs): legacy uplift strategies, commercial service providers (like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Oracle), and standalone government-operated environments such as Dell-hosted clouds. Schmitt explains how each solution undergoes rigorous functional assessments—including 91 targeted activities and real-time Purple Team exercises that simulate real-world attacks.

The episode highlights how DoD is moving away from vendor-specific tools toward an outcome-focused model with a shared language across agencies. Schmitt details how this collaborative evaluation process enhances agility, shortens assessment timelines, and makes systems more resilient against threats. He also shares how lessons learned from earlier implementations, like the Flank Speed program, are shaping current and future assessments.

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From Legacy to Lethal: DISA’s Mission to Turn Tech Debt into Warfighting Power May 14, 2025

Show notes

Colonel Jeffrey Strauss of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) joins the program to discuss one of the Department of Defense’s most urgent challenges: technical debt. Colonel Strauss explains how divesting from legacy technology—sometimes as granular as removing individual network cards—frees up capacity and resources that can be reinvested in modern solutions. He likens the effort to personal debt management: eliminating outdated systems piece by piece to enable a stronger, more agile future.

Francis and Colonel Strauss explore how DISA measures progress in this effort, emphasizing operational readiness, risk reduction, and the agency’s ability to meet evolving cyber threats. Strauss challenges vendors to think beyond flashy, short-term wins and instead align with the long-term strategy of building sustainable, backward-compatible technologies that match DISA’s pace and purpose. As he puts it, the payoff isn't just speed—it's capacity: the ability to go fast and do more, all while maintaining mission-critical readiness.

Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com.