Archana Bae, MBA

Congratulations to the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy team led by Ambassador Nathaniel Fick, Liesyl Franz, and especially Adam Segal for today's publication of the inaugural United States International Cyberspace & Digital Policy Strategy. I truly appreciate the opportunity to collaborate and inform on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's international cyber, digital, trusted telecommunication, and emerging technology priorities and the call out for enhanced collaboration with the private sector. Four Action Areas Outline in the Strategy include: (1) Promote, Build, and Maintain an Open, Inclusive, Secure, and Resilient Digital Ecosystem (2) Align Rights-Respecting Approaches to Digital and Data Governance with International Partners (3) Advance Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace and Counter Threats to Cyberspace and Critical Infrastructure by Building Coalitions and Engaging Partners (4) Strengthen and Build International Partner Digital Policy and Cyber Capacity https://lnkd.in/eCivPSpm

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Improving FOIA should have been at the center of a 5th #OpenGov U.S. national action plan in 2022, but this White House chose to prioritize equity plans & commitments over restoring transparency & accountability in accord with the mandates of Congress & the petitions of civil society advocates. https://lnkd.in/eXC3PP76 The ongoing lack of oversight of FOIA in Congress is paired with an appalling lack of oversight of open government and US participation in the Open Government Partnership: https://lnkd.in/gz3CEuvy

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#OMB has officially announced the updates to the 2 CFR 200 Uniform Guidance. Regardless of your job in the grants field - pre-award, post-award, procurement, consultant - it is important to know and understand these changes to grant compliance. Seek out good sources and webinars to find out all the details. National Grants Management Association is a great resource for grant information and has a 3 hour webinar scheduled in June. Learn the updates. Stay compliant. Be a happy grant nerd. 😁 #grantmanagement #grants #grantupdates #uniformguidance

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Delighted that Congressmen Mfume and Sessions are coming together in a bipartisan fashion to dig into the true causes of fraud in government programs. This is not a republican or democratic issue. It’s about safeguarding the integrity of taxpayer dollars. 🎯 “Witness testimonies at prior hearings made clear that continuing to do the same things to address improper payments is not fully addressing a long-term problem.” It’s been over twenty years of asking agencies to report on improper payments and almost a decade of asking them to implement fraud risk management activities and woefully little progress has resulted. It’s time to do things differently. Here’s hoping GAO comes up with some innovative thinking to help address the causes. We at the Program Integrity Alliance believe proactive data-informed action is needed, with investment in the tools agencies must use to move the needle. #fraudrisk #bipartisanship #dataanalytics

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5/23/24 National Security News and Commentary https://conta.cc/3WSVmrH 1. Ukraine, U.S. Say Russia Is Deploying Banned Toxic Gas in Battle 2. Inside the White House, a Debate Over Letting Ukraine Shoot U.S. Weapons Into Russia 3. With Ukraine losing ground, allies debate how to squeeze cash for Kyiv out of frozen Russian assets 4. Wary of China, American military plans return to Peleliu in Western Pacific 5. This summer’s RIMPAC exercise in Hawaii drawing 30 nations and 40 ships 6. More military veterans and active duty service members are dying by suicide than in battle – understanding why can help with prevention 7. Navy looks to Army for more data analytics capability 8. DOD: Russia’s use of Starlink will be a ‘continuous problem’ in Ukraine 9. Army brass opposes drone branch 10. Airmen, guardians could skip shaving under congressional plan 11. Poland spends $1 billion on US-made surveillance aerostats 12. First aid from US pier in Gaza has reached starving Palestinians, the UN says 13. How Soda, Chocolate and Chewing Gum Are Funding War in Sudan 14. China 'PUNISHES' Taiwan: Huge military drills are launched around the island three days after the island's new president - detested by Beijing - took charge 15. Army unveils colorful new patch for soldiers assigned to US Forces Japan 16. A Nuclear Iran Has Never Felt More Possible 17. A Taliban revenge killing prompts questions, removal of an acclaimed documentary 18. Asia starting to feel like 1997-98 all over again - Asia Times 19. Philippines picked as regional HQ for US civil nuclear work group 20. The U.S. Military Needs a Better China 'Messaging' Strategy 21. Iran’s Nuclear Threshold Challenge 22. The Failure of Israel’s “Strategy” in Gaza Continues 23. Coast Artillery Reimagined: The Mid-Range Capability’s First Deployment to the Indo-Pacific 24. Can America’s Special Relationship With Israel Survive? 25. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 22, 2024 26. Israel–Hamas War (Iran) Update, May 22, 2024

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Friends - Here's the first of the three posts on the bipartisan U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission top recommendations (apologies for multiple posts). Here's the TL;DR version: It's time the U.S. Government sprints to an AGI capability. It's a strategic imperative. 🌐 AGI: A Strategic Imperative 🌐 Whether it arrives tomorrow or years from now, AGI is coming. Its definition is contested, but it broadly refers to AI systems that match or exceed human capabilities across all cognitive domains. AGI would surpass the sharpest human minds at every task—from writing novels and proving theorems to strategic planning and scientific discovery. The country that first develops AGI capabilities will almost certainly secure strategic autonomy, gaining a competitive edge in research, innovation, and economic growth, while reshaping the global balance of power. AGI could analyze vast data sets and provide insights critical to national security and defense. That’s why the Commission's number one recommendation is a large-scale, moonshot Manhattan Project-like sprint to achieve AGI. Here's the bipartisan recommendation: 1️⃣. Congress establish and fund a Manhattan Project-like program dedicated to racing to and acquiring an Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) capability. AGI is generally defined as systems that are as good as or better than human capabilities across all cognitive domains and would usurp the sharpest human minds at every task. Among the specific actions the Commission recommends for Congress: ➡ Provide broad multiyear contracting authority to the executive branch and associated funding for leading artificial intelligence, cloud, and data center companies and others to advance the stated policy at a pace and scale consistent with the goal of U.S. AGI leadership; and ➡ Direct the U.S. secretary of defense to provide a Defense Priorities and Allocations System “DX Rating” to items in the artificial intelligence ecosystem to ensure this project receives national priority. #USPolicy #ArtificialIntelligence #AGI #Biotechnology #TechPolicy Thank you again to all of my commissioner and staff colleagues for all of their collegiality and hard work, including Robin Cleveland, PhD, LPC, Reva Price, Aaron Friedberg, Kim Glas, Carte Goodwin, Jacob Helberg, Leland Miller, Randy Schriver, Cliff Sims, Jonathan N. Stivers, Michael Wessel, Mike Castellano, Jameson Cunningham, and many others. Here's the link for folks that want to check out the FULL report: https://lnkd.in/erqNVxxF Here's where to find the Executive Summary: https://lnkd.in/eWwCCd5A Here's where to find the Recommendations: https://lnkd.in/epykgGSC

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A new proposed DFARS rule was published on 5/30/2024 under DFARS Case 2024-D006, Procurement Technical Assistance Program This proposed rule would: ▶️ Implement section 853 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 (Pub. L. 118-31; 10 U.S.C. 4951). to amend the definitions of nonprofit organization and business entities at 10 U.S.C. 4951 for the Procurement Technical Assistance Program. ▶️ Modify DFARS clause 252.205-7000, Provision of Information to Cooperative Agreement Holders, to amend the definition of cooperative agreement holder by removing “private” from “a private, nonprofit organization” and adding a reference to 10 U.S.C. 4951 to update the definition of business entities. The is clause will continue to not apply to acquisitions at or below the SAT. But, the clause will continue to apply to acquisitions of commercial products (excluding COTS items) and to acquisitions of commercial services. Comments are due 07/29/2024. Permalink: https://lnkd.in/gmmbDkJH

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An update on what’s going on with methamphetamine & opium drugs industries in Afghanistan by David Mansfield and Alcis Geo is here: https://lnkd.in/ey2ZtwdY. With the ephedra harvesting season now complete and opium poppy planting in full swing, it is a good time to assess the impact of the Taliban drug ban on both of these industries, the implications for the rural economy & the political stability of Afghanistan. There are currently some fascinating dynamics at play and much to monitor as we go forward into 2025 and see to what degree the Taliban's ban on narcotics continues to hold or fractures.

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SBA Mentor Protégé Approval Update: September 2024 This report provides an in-depth look into the latest additions and trends within the SBA Mentor-Protégé Program. The U.S. Small Business Administration (#SBA) continues to shape the small business landscape significantly. Every month, they release an updated Active Mentor-Protégé Program Agreement List, a vital tool for market research that aids contracting officials in making strategic contract awards. 🔍We broke down this list, and provide the following insights: - Deep dive into the 45 New Protégés Approved in September. - NAICS Assessment. - Certification Breakdown. - Trends from 2018 to Present. 👀 Check out the report here: - Health: https://lnkd.in/g-ye4kXi - Fedciv: https://lnkd.in/gwpWe6EJ - Defense: https://lnkd.in/gYxuVU-Y 🔗 Access the Full SBA #MentorProtégé List here: https://lnkd.in/gAxzHXW3 (Last Updated October 8, 2024). 🎯 Why This Matters: Understanding the dynamics of the SBA Mentor-Protégé Program is crucial for anyone involved in government contracting. This report will help you identify potential partners, grasp market trends, and maintain a competitive edge. 👉 Don’t miss out on these insights! Stay informed, stay competitive with G2Xchange. #Govcon #SB #govcom

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A new report about civilian oversight of law enforcement paints a picture of opposing political forces driving both focused attention on oversight work and simultaneous efforts in selected states to pull it back, report Barrett and Greene Inc. in a new Management Update. The report, commissioned by the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE), is rich with new data about the prevalence of civilian oversight charters and ordinances in the two hundred largest US cities by population. NACOLE gets extra bonus points for putting this report together because, as Cameron McEllhiney, NACOLE’s executive director explained, “civilian oversight has been implemented in a very decentralized manner and we’ve had a hard time collecting standardized information.” According to the report, “from the perspective of oversight practitioners, the level of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and oversight agencies varies widely, ranging from strong collaboration to almost complete obstruction." For more details, and highlights from the report, click here: https://lnkd.in/gFuygtPS University of Colorado Denver Lonnie Schaible Richard Schott Cameron McEllhiney International Association of Chiefs of Police American Society for Public Administration National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) American Society for Public Administration

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I look forward to contributing to this important discussion on secure software development in U.S. government agencies. My co-presenters, Bruce Warren and Jay Ryan, will share deep insights from their extensive practical experience, responding to findings from recent research Golfdale Consulting completed for Security Compass. ⬇️ Details and registration below. #Cybersecurity #SecureDevelopment #ATO

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If you are a small business owner who is interested in working with the United States Department of Defense, then I recommend reading "Guide to Marketing to DoD," which was produced by the Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs.

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Unlocking Opportunities: How GAO Audits Can Guide Small Businesses Toward Success in FY 2025 Recent GAO audits, like the one shared by Brian Chidester🙏🏾 on agency compliance, offer critical insights for small businesses seeking to implement the “G-I” “SAM model”. Even if your target agency wasn’t directly mentioned, these audits highlight opportunities where your business can make an impact. Note: Additionally, federal agencies are generally expected to follow best practices and lessons learned from GAO audits to improve their operations and prevent future problems. Here’s how you can use GAO audits to sharpen your FY 2025 business development strategy: 🔹 Study Findings: Review the most recent GAO audit to identify common gaps or challenges that agencies need to address. These findings highlight areas where your business can provide valuable solutions. 🔹 Target Unresolved Problems: Even if an agency wasn’t cited in the audit, many agencies share similar issues. By proactively addressing those common problems, you can position your business as a key partner. 🔹 Leverage the “G-I” “SAM Model:” S - Solve a Problem: Identify and resolve specific issues an agency is facing based on GAO findings. A - Address an Issue: Tackle ongoing or emerging challenges that could hinder an agency's objectives. M - Meet a Need: Fulfill essential requirements that are necessary for the agency’s success. 🔹 Engage in Thought Leadership: Write articles or speak at industry events to share how your business can help agencies address the findings from GAO audits, positioning yourself as a strategic advisor. 🔹 Prepare for FY 2025: Use insights from GAO audits to shape your FY 2025 strategy, targeting agencies with known compliance challenges. Develop tailored, solution-oriented approaches that align with the “G-I” “SAM model”. ✅ Implement this strategy to ensure your business becomes the trusted solution partner of federal agencies that NEED to succeed in FY 2025! 🔍🔎 Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the investigative arm of Congress. It conducts audits, evaluations, and investigations of federal programs and agencies to ensure accountability, transparency, and efficiency in government spending and operations. The GAO provides reports and recommendations to Congress, helping lawmakers make informed decisions about policy, budget allocations, and regulatory changes, while ensuring agencies address any shortcomings or compliance issues identified in these audits. For more insights, check out the latest GAO reports here: [GAO.gov](https://www.gao.gov).

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Unmanned_News_pdf – Alex J. Pollock – R Street Institute Alan Greenspan's speech on December 5, 1996, at the American Enterprise Institute, is famous for introducing the term "irrational exuberance". He used this phrase to question whether the stock market was overvalued and if such exuberance could lead to economic instability. This speech is often cited as a precursor to the dot-com bubble that followed in the late 1990s  #HistoricalEconomics #IrrationalExuberance #BitCoin #CentralBanking #FederalReserve #FederalGovernment #NewYork #StockExchange #FinanceTradeAffairs #Unmanned_News

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How do policy failures lead to technology failures? In Episode 4 of the Policy Chats series Technolgy vs. Government I talk with former CPUC Commissioner Catherine Sandoval and technology policy expert Patrick E. Lanthier. We look at how a failure to keep policy current with technology and a lack of a regional and jurisdictional technology policy approach lead to a catastrophic result. UCR School of Public Policy Emerald Publishing University of California, Riverside #GovTech #TechnologyVsGovernment #UCRPolicyChats

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