The 2026 Playbook: Capacity, Experience & Data That Drives Decisions

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 with less” mindset, and how focusing on the individual — reducing friction, providing better tools, and creating room for talent to flourish — can unlock performance gains agencies have long struggled to reach. She also highlights the value of time in the saddle, describing how seasoned professionals provide critical guardrails while fresh perspectives help reimagine outdated processes.

You’ll learn why understanding your agency’s data — not just the systems that hold it — is becoming the defining factor in whether analytics and AI can actually deliver meaningful insights. She also outlines how nonexistent or misunderstood data can derail mission outcomes, and why success often comes when teams finally feel confident they’ve identified the right data sources to solve the problem at hand.

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