Mission users. More and more, we hear that the mission users are not getting what they need when new technology is designed and implemented. The Federal Government needs new approaches to create cross-enterprise, people-centric solutions.
During administration changes, agencies face the challenge of onboarding new personnel while maintaining core functions to serve the mission. Fortunately, transition cycles are usually predictable, and preparation can begin well in advance. By adopting past best practices and the latest innovative thinking, Government agencies can become more operationally resilient in the face of both scheduled transitions and unexpected leadership changes.
In June 2015, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that hackers compromised millions of Americans personally identifiable information in one of the most severe data breaches in recent history. The successful intrusion into OPM servers, perpetrated by the Chinese, highlighted major issues in the Government’s information technology (IT) infrastructure, including continued use of legacy systems and lack of oversight of private contractors. As a result, the Government convened an interagency panel to perform a 90-day review of OPM’s background investigation infrastructure.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), floods are the most common and costly natural disaster in the nation. Floods are a year-round disaster and affect every state and territory in the United States.
Human trafficking is often difficult to identify due to the skilled practices of human traffickers and the challenge of defining a victim.Victims are often hidden, threatened with abuse, torture, and death. As a result, victims are unlikely to run away or speak for fear of reprisal from their captors. In this modern system of slavery, victims do not have a voice, so citizens and trained professionals must know what to do when encountering a potential victim.
“It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money, that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.” – John Ruskin, 1819-1900
Hiring talent is one of the most crucial components to any organization’s success – in the Government or in consulting companies that support the Government. Often, the hiring process can be arduous and time consuming. However, new hires are critical to mission success, as they shape the culture, practices, ideas, and, ultimately, the future of the organization.
The recent terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, CA and Paris, France have enhanced the focus of immigration policy in the U.S. At the same time, the presidential election has put immigration front and center for the American people to consider as they plan to cast their votes in November 2016.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for providing a common baseline of cybersecurity across the civilian Government. It assists agencies with managing their cyber risk.
The General Services Administration (GSA) awarded Arc Aspicio a five-year option extension on the Information Technology (IT) Schedule 70 Government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC). IT Schedule 70 is the largest, most widely used indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracting vehicle in the Federal government.
Helios selected Arc Aspicio as one of the 2016 Apollo Awards finalists in four categories. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Helios Apollo Awards recognizes organizations in Greater Washington for outstanding talent development.
Every month, a new cyber attack makes headlines, startles consumers, and spurs calls for action and new legislation to mitigate emerging cyber threats. By almost any statistic you choose, the risk to Government agencies, corporations, and consumers is escalating. In 2013, MacAfee catalogued more than 100,000 new pieces of malware a day. The Washington Post reported the likely annual cost of cybercrime to the world economy at $445 billion dollars in 2013, and the number of detected cyber attacks in 2014 increased a staggering 48% over the previous year.
The risk associated with legacy information technology (IT) systems not meeting the Federal Government’s evolving needs is substantial and unacceptable. The costs are also significant with 78% of the $80 billion spent annually on Federal IT going toward maintaining existing systems, crowding out funding for modernization.
