Fed Gov Today

OPM is moving to consolidate the federal government’s many disconnected HR IT systems into a single, mandatory shared service, and former Chief Human Capital Officers Ron Sanders and Tracy DiMartini explain why the effort has failed for decades—and what could make it work now. They point to politics, agency “we’re different” resistance, and weak requirements as the usual dealbreakers, but note this attempt has a better shot if OPM ...

On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, former Under Secretary of Defense Bill Greenwalt dissects the Pentagon’s latest acquisition reform push. He explains how Secretary Hegseth’s bold vision for faster, more agile procurement fixed timelines, rapid prototyping, flexible funding, and broader use of OTAs was watered down in the final memo by risk-averse bureaucracy. 

Greenwalt warns that without empowered program manager...

In his first long-form interview as CNO, Adm. Daryl Caudle says Navy success hinges less on a headline ship count and more on readiness, capability, and sustainability. He prioritizes protecting sea lanes, integrating with allies, and the right mix of crewed and unmanned systems. “Sailors First” means ending afloat living, improving quality-of-life basics, and strengthening maintenance and the industrial base.

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Former DHS and IRS CIO Richard Spires joins Francis Rose to break down what “build back” really means for agencies after months of disruption. He praises efforts to cut bureaucracy, reduce stovepipes, and modernize acquisition, pointing to OPM’s ambitious push to consolidate 119 HR systems into one as the kind of big swing government needs.

But he argues the biggest problem isn’t tech—it’s people. Spires says workforce treatment has...

On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, retired DISA Director Lt. Gen. Robert “Bob” Skinner breaks down who will truly win the AI race—and why the edge belongs to organizations that deeply understand both operations and emerging technology. Skinner explains how DISA’s upcoming 2025 Forecast to Industry equips companies to anticipate challenges, align with agency strategy, and deliver innovative, cost-effective solutions...

As agencies look ahead to 2026, the federal technology landscape is entering a period of realignment — and this time, the shift centers on people, experience, and data. In this episode, Former NASA CIO, Renee Wynn breaks down what leaders should expect as teams return to full operations post-shutdown and begin planning for long-term mission delivery.

She explains why organizational capacity building must replace the old “do more wit...

The latest edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose breaks down the major shifts expected in the nation’s forthcoming cyber strategy. Former Pentagon CISO and SixGen CEO Jack Wilmer joins the show to explain why the new approach will take a more offensive posture and why raising the cost of cyberattacks for nation-state adversaries may be key to deterrence. Wilmer discusses how agencies like U.S. Cyber Command and the FBI fit int...

On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, Jim Kaplan, Director of External Affairs at the Thrift Savings Plan, joins the show to break down what’s happening inside TSP accounts since the shutdown. Loan activity spiked during October as federal workers sought financial “padding,” and now many borrowers want to repay quickly. Jim explains how TSP loans work, how repayment schedules are automatically re-amortized, and why th...

Former Federal CISO Brig. Gen. Greg Touhill (USAF, Ret.) delivers timely, practical cyber insight that goes far beyond the IT shop. As the federal government emerges from the longest shutdown in history, agencies are preparing to restart contracting and reconstitute full-speed operations—but the path back to normalcy is far from simple. 

Touhill explains that cyber and IT teams will immediately activate disaster recovery frameworks,...

After the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, the federal acquisition landscape is shifting — and this time, the change may be permanent. Former Assistant Secretary of Defense David Berteau joins the show to unpack what government contractors can expect when agencies reopen and how they can turn disruption into opportunity.

Berteau, now an independent consultant, explains why contractors shouldn’t expect business as usual w...

On this episode of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, retired Major General Arnold Punaro joins Francis to unpack what could be the most sweeping overhaul of the defense acquisition system in decades. Following Secretary Pete Hegseth’s newly announced Acquisition Transformation Strategy, Punaro argues that achieving real results will require nothing short of retraining the entire acquisition workforce—military and civilian alike. He ...

On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, former Department of Labor CIO Gundeep Ahluwalia, now Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at NuAxis Innovations, shares how the recent government shutdown—while disruptive—could actually serve as a rare opportunity for transformation. As agencies prepare to restart contracting and program delivery, Ahluwalia urges federal leaders to pause, take stock, and ask a c...

Former DoD official Jerry McGinn, now Director of the Center for the Industrial Base at CSIS, joins Francis to unpack how the Department of Defense can better “separate the wheat from the chaff” in its innovation efforts. McGinn explains why authorities like the Defense Production Act (DPA) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program are vital to maintaining a competitive industrial base — and what challenges lie ahead af...

Agencies have been in a holding pattern, waiting to roll out long-delayed initiatives and catch up on weeks of missed work. Former GSA Administrator Emily Murphy, now CEO of Government Procurement Strategies, joins Francis to unpack what happens when the lights come back on in government offices—and what leaders must do to re-engage a workforce stretched to the limit.

Murphy shares firsthand lessons from the 2019 shutdown, highlight...

Richard Breakiron, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Commvault, joins the show to reveal how AI can move cyber defense from reactive to proactive—and why the smartest agencies are integrating security into every step of modernization rather than bolting it on at the end. You'll learn how Fortune 100 companies are adopting the FedRAMP High framework voluntarily, recognizing that robust, architectural-level security isn’t jus...

The Department of Defense faces a new cloud challenge that could reshape how the federal government buys technology. Former Pentagon Deputy CIO Rob Carey joins Francis to unpack why the traditional contracting process is slowing innovation — and why the government can’t afford to spend “years and years and years” buying future-looking tech through outdated procurement models.

Carey dives into the Pentagon’s five-phase cybersecurity ...