Tag Archives: Collibra

Advancing the Art of Data Analytics

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Within days of the transition of the presidential administration, the new administration emphasized the centrality of data in addressing both the COVID-19 pandemic and racial inequity. Before that, laws and initiatives such as the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014, and Federal Data Strategy pushed agencies to build their capacity for data-driven operations. This overall goal has led many agencies to create and appoint data-focused roles, including senior-level chief data officers (CDOs) and first-ever data analysts. They have begun advancing data strategies and investing in solutions. But through these mandates and government-wide initiatives, how can agencies bring their goals and strategies to life to address their most pressing problems? Four basic areas of data competency – governance, security, literacy and ethics – are key to becoming a data-driven agency. Additionally, to carry out a data strategy, an organization needs to ensure that its staff has all the necessary skills. In December 2020, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) emphasized the importance of making data competency part of an agency’s culture. That same month, as part of the Federal Data Strategy, GSA released the Data Ethics Framework to help encourage ethical data decision-making throughout the federal government. Download the guide to read more about how agencies at the Federal, state, and local levels are updating their data strategies with the latest technology.

 

Before You Start Data Governance…

“Once agencies have a strategic plan in place, they can begin to set the regular rhythms of using the data. The processes and procedures should be a well-documented plan that deals with day-to-day technology needs. Externally, it’s important to establish a communications plan that standardizes interactions with data users throughout the data lifecycle. Internally, it’s critical to create procedures that allow data management platform operators to manage services in a reliable fashion, whether that’s DevOps or backup and recovery. Ultimately, these processes should all indicate a measure of trustworthiness to data stakeholders. SAP NS2 can provide a data platform that agencies can rely on, in turn.”

Read more insights from SAP NS2’s Principal Business Processes Consultant, Michael Towles.

How to Develop Strategic Value From Your Database

“Even if they would like to, agencies can’t replatform every legacy application they have. That’s why a strategic way to prioritize development initiatives is to start new efforts with the best technology. Moving toward a modern infrastructure out of the gate will save time and effort in the long run, Leech said, particularly if it works the way people work today. For instance, relational databases are traditional storage tools that have been around for 40 to 45 years. People use data differently now, and tools like MongoDB’s document database solution keep that in mind. It functions as an operational layer over huge data repositories to help agencies extract the most applicable data for their mission, and securely through enterprise tooling.”

Read more insights from MongoDB’s Regional Vice President for the Public Sector, Brent Leech.

IIG GovLoop Data Analytics Blog Embedded Image 2021How Automated Analytics Can Fuel Digital Transformation

“Deriving data insights through analytics is no longer just nice to have – it is critical for the operation and improvement of government, especially in times of crisis. But there are many challenges to deriving insights, whether that’s having the data available to analyze or having the right skills to analyze the data. Automation can help. For years, agencies have strategically adopted digital technologies to transform their business processes and services. But according to a 2018 McKinsey report, only a third of initiatives have succeeded. Those who succeeded were able to flourish because they converged these three pillars for digital transformation: data democratization, process automation and people upskilling. Analytic process automation (APA) meets all three needs at once by addressing the whole analytics lifecycle through one unified platform.”

Read more insights from Alteryx’s Solution Marketing Director’s Andy MacIsaac.

 

How to Drive Mission Value with Your Data Governance

“When it comes to data governance, the best defense is not necessarily a strong offense. Data governance, the policies and processes that define how data can or should be used, ought to be focused on supporting an organization’s mission and its operational goals. Unfortunately, many government organizations take a defensive approach, focusing governance efforts on compliance. This creates rigid organizational practices that leave agencies unable to adapt to changing circumstances. The solution? Adaptive data governance. This flexible governance structure not only ensures compliance but also helps accomplish mission objectives amid change through empowering collaboration.”

Read more insights from Collibra’s Senior Vice President of Public Sector, Aileen Black.

 

How Data Analytics Complements Institutional Knowledge

“We are 90 years old, and we have been operating with a unique model since our founding. We provide library materials to Americans and individuals with disabilities. And we generally ship those materials around the country — print braille and audio cartridges via mail. Now, we’re going through an organization-wide modernization that is probably the biggest change in our operating structure since we’ve been founded. And we are shifting from a predominantly U.S. mail-based delivery mechanism to a predominantly online streaming-based mechanism. The idea with creating my position was to ensure we had the right data organization-wide to serve our patrons as best as possible, to make sure we are providing them with everything they need throughout the course of this modernization.”

Read more insights from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled’s Data and Analytics Officer, David Spett.

 

Cutting ‘Data Gems’ to Train Census Data Users

“Before, we only offered data training to the public via webinar or in person, and these had to be provided based on request. So, you had to know we existed and you had to be knowledgeable about our services. And an organization could request one of our trainings, but it was only available at that time for those guests of that organization. It simply wasn’t accessible to everyone who needed it at all times. Think of a grant writer with a deadline at midnight and they need help, say, two hours before the clock. There’s no workshop for them, no presentation. A person like that is more likely to start Googling information. So we felt there was a gap there. We needed to put content for that user, who may not even visit our website but is in need of our data and in need of our help. That’s how we came about to develop the concept of Census Academy.”

Read more insights from Census Bureau’s Co-Found of Census Academy and Supervisor of Data Dissemination and Training Branch, Alexandra Barker.

 

Download the full GovLoop Guide for more insights from these Data Analytics thought leaders and additional government interviews, historical perspectives and industry research on the future of Data Analytics.

Teaming Up on Emerging Technologies

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In recent years, agencies’ growing need for IT modernization has prompted their biggest suppliers — federal systems integrators (FSIs) — to look for innovative ways to meet that need. FSIs’ deep working knowledge of government operations gives them a distinct advantage, but to provide all the expertise an agency needs on a contract, FSIs have always partnered with subcontractors. Now they are broadening their reach by seeking out cutting-edge companies that can help them develop solutions that incorporate the latest innovations in technology and strategy. Those “greater than the sum of their parts” solutions have a profound impact on agencies’ ability to meet mission-critical demands in a wide range of areas. In a recent survey of FCW readers, only 19% said they always know about the latest technologies. Adopting those technologies requires acquisition processes that are fast and flexible. 75% of respondents said their agencies rely on FSIs for complex IT projects. Many agencies are turning to agile methodologies, either on their own or with contractors, to develop and deliver solutions incrementally rather than taking years to launch a complete system. How can FSIs continue to meet these needs by partnering with innovative tech companies and small businesses? Read the latest insights from industry thought leaders in emerging technology in Carahsoft’s Innovation in Government® report.

 

A Risk-Adaptive Approach to Data Security

“Protecting data in today’s heterogeneous, highly dynamic IT environments is one of the biggest cybersecurity challenges agencies face, especially now that data is potentially being stored and touched by many people, devices, apps, services and systems. That’s why a strong data protection strategy goes well beyond encryption to incorporate zero trust principles. Rapidly changing IT environments and continuously evolving cyber threats require proactive, high-performing cybersecurity solutions that can adapt on the fly and constantly answer questions about what’s happening to data in terms of who, when, where, what and how. It is essential to create a platform in which tools and analytics can be integrated quickly to respond to current threats. In other words, rather than hundreds of best-of-breed solutions stitched together, agencies require a comprehensive, integrated solution.”

Read more insights from Cloudera’s Senior Director of Global Alliances, Jenn Azzolina, and Raytheon Intelligence and Spaces’s CTO of Cybersecurity and Special Missions, Michael Daly.

 

Eliminating the Boundaries to Health Care

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the reality that our health care system is not a system at all but a series of disconnected providers who struggle to coordinate with one another and support patients on their health journeys. The first generation of health IT was not built around patients. A patient is a different person in every medical system he or she encounters; hence, continuity of care across providers is filled with barriers. The same challenges are pervasive in federal, state and local government health agencies. Even when data comes into a system in a timely manner, it’s often unstructured and cannot be reconciled with the existing record. That puts a heavier burden on doctors, who have to build their own mental model of what a particular patient needs.”

Read more insights from Perspecta’s Chief Medical Information Officer, Shane McNamee, M.D. and Red Hat’s Field CTO for Federal Health, Ben Cushing.

 

IIG FCW Emerging Technologies Embedded Image 2021A Framework for Achieving Data Intelligence

“Highly adaptive adversaries confront the U.S. and its allies in every domain: air, sea, space, land and cyber. The aircraft, satellites, ships and ground vehicles that military forces operate collect an abundance of information, but processing and analyzing that amount of data can be daunting, especially given the multiple levels of security in which systems must operate. The Defense Department is pursuing a new way of warfighting based on a concept called joint all-domain operations. By synchronizing major systems and crucial data, DOD provides a complete picture of the battlespace and empowers warfighters to quickly make decisions that drive action so they can disrupt and overwhelm adversaries in seconds versus minutes when seconds really matter. There’s a new asset helping DOD and its allies realize this vision of the future battlespace: data.”

Read more insights from Collibra’s Senior Vice President for Public Sector, Aileen Black, and Lockheed Martin’s Vice President, Mike Baylor.

 

Partnering to Modernize the Customer Experience

“Working together allows ServiceNow and GDIT to respond to newly emerging capabilities very quickly. Because of its deep understanding of government agencies’ business operations, culture and processes, GDIT can support ServiceNow’s ability to deliver value in new ways. In one example, GDIT saw increasing demand from government customers for solutions authorized at the FedRAMP High level and helped ServiceNow meet this capability. The company now has an offering on Microsoft’s Azure cloud that has been authorized at FedRAMP High and the Defense Department’s Impact Level 5. In another example, GDIT uses insights from initiatives for large federal agencies, such as robotic process automation (RPA) solutions, to drive investments in leading-edge capabilities that have the best chance of achieving the desired outcomes.”

Read more insights from ServiceNow’s Vice President of Solution Consulting, Anto Tossounian, and GDIT’s Vice President of Federal Civilian, Brian Fogg.

 

Constructing a Next-Generation Data Architecture

“The conversation about data should start and stop with the mission impact and how quality data can improve decision-making and customer services. Once they have a clear understanding of their internal and external data assets — what data they have and how it can be used, along with the owners and sources of that data — agencies can progress toward intuitive AI-driven data catalogs. In addition, agencies should encourage a data-savvy culture across all layers of the organization and continually improve their data so that they can take advantage of modern applications. The volumes of government data would overwhelm any on-premises system, so moving to the cloud is essential for building a modern data architecture. However, simply lifting existing datasets into the cloud doesn’t solve the problem. People will work the way their data is organized, so rather than build data silos and create siloed workforces, agencies must combine data to empower their employees.”

Read more insights from Snowflake’s Chief Federal Technologist, Nicholas Speece, and Deloitte’s Principal of Strategy and Analytics, Vishal Kapur.

 

 A Faster Route to Secure Cloud Adoption for DOD

“Three substantive challenges have made it difficult for Defense Department agencies to adopt cloud technology. First is the complex and lengthy procurement process to obtain cloud services. Second are the networking and security challenges to establish a cloud environment and connection. Third is the costly challenge of refactoring applications for a specific cloud environment. The partnership between DISA’s milCloud 2.0 contract, General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) and VMware effectively eliminates all three of these challenges. A native, on-demand milCloud 2.0 VMware environment dramatically simplifies migrations, lowers the risk of cloud adoption by eliminating the refactoring of applications and workloads, and allows users to leverage familiar VMware solutions for a consistent operating model across their enterprise.”

Read more insights from VMware’s Vice President of Federal Sales, Bill Rowan, and GDIT’s Partner Accounts Director for milCloud 2.0, Brian Whitenight.

 

Download the full Innovation in Government® report for more insights from these government emerging technology thought leaders and additional industry research from FCW.

Federal News Network Expert Edition: FedRAMP

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When the Office of Management and Budget first conceived the Federal Risk Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) back in 2010 and launched it in 2011, the concept was supposed to make it easier for agencies to move to secure cloud instances. Unfortunately for agencies and vendors alike, turning that proposal into reality has been more difficult than imagined. At the same time, the FedRAMP program management office saw and heard—sometimes quite loudly—the calls to simplify its processes without losing any security rigor. That’s why FedRAMP issued a white paper in February asking for feedback on the threat-scoring methodology with the goal of ensuring that consistency and rigor while continually reducing the burden of FedRAMP. Brian Conrad, the acting director of FedRAMP, said the latest set of initiatives strive to continually improve the government-wide program. Hear from leaders at FedRAMP, CISA, NIST, GSA, DoD and DHS on how changes such as automation and simplification are likely to impact the cloud security program in the latest Federal News Network Expert Edition report.

 

For Digital Communications, Cloud Meets Agency Needs for Security, Scalability

“Much has been made of the government’s pivot to a mostly telework environment last year, especially with regards to how to enable government employees to maintain their mission and collaborate effectively. But less attention has been paid to the equally important subject of how agencies interact with their constituents, across agencies and out to businesses and consumers. The journey to providing digital services has been happening for years, but much like telework, the COVID pandemic acted as an accelerator to these efforts. Agencies have multiple ways of communicating with their constituents, each with their own specific requirements. For example, agencies that publish information for public consumption need to be able to host this information on their websites, and it has to be available to and consumable from a myriad of devices to suit the needs of the public. Likewise for email newsletters, where people can sign up to hear the latest information an agency has to offer. But those are one way communication channels, agency to public. Communication also has to move the other way, to allow constituents to get in touch with agencies.”

Read more insights from Adobe’s Vice President and Public Sector CTO, John Landwehr.

 

How Government can Innovate at the Speed of the Private Sector

“Governments have unique security needs for a reason. No other entity has such diverse, unique missions or collects such a huge volume of data – such as scientific, medical, tax, Social Security, defense and classified intelligence. But the idea that these security needs can prevent government agencies from innovating at the speed of the private sector is a myth. Think for a moment about all of the varied ways that data collected by federal agencies can be used. Take a very simple example: GPS location data. While most people think of that data in terms of being able to use their smartphone to find the best path from point A to point B, governments may use it for a variety of missions. But Salesforce has also used that data to develop maps that allow agencies to track the locations of wildfires and the deployment of first responders, helping those agencies protect lives and prevent property damage.”

Read more insights from Salesforce’s Principal Solutions Engineer, Matt Goodrich.

 

FNN FedRAMP Expert Edition Blog Embedded ImageSocial Media is Increasingly Important to Federal Agencies. Here’s How They Can Do it Right.

“The COVID-19 pandemic forced massive changes in the way the government does business. In the beginning, all efforts were focused on enabling a primarily telework environment for federal employees, and securing that environment from outside threats. But after a year, those changes are spreading into other areas of business, forcing federal agencies to continue to adapt. Not least among those new challenges is the way agencies communicate with their constituents Many traditional brick and mortar locations are closed, shutting off that avenue for citizens to contact their government. In response, federal agencies are turning to digital communication methods to fill the gap. Websites and portals are one way citizens can find information published by agencies or access services. But the average American now spends two hours a day on social media, and federal agencies have to go where their citizens are. That means developing a strategy for communications, including new workflows and measures to ensure their security.”

Read more insights from Hootsuite’s Global Principal Solutions Consultant, Ben Cathers.

 

Agencies Need Better Data Intelligence – FedRAMP is Giving Them the Opportunity

“One of the biggest challenges agencies have to deal with when it comes to securing their data is their budget. Even if Congress were to increase funding for cybersecurity, that budget still has to be spent in the most efficient and effective way possible. That means agencies need to know their data inside and out: what it is, where it is, and what degree of security is appropriate to ensure its integrity and confidentiality. That’s important, because bad actors are targeting the data itself. They don’t care what infrastructure or platform it’s sitting on. They just want to exploit the data. That means agencies need a governance model. ‘Agencies are using many different types of technologies and varied database sources. And they’re operating very heterogeneous environments. They need technology that allows them to connect into all of those various data sources, and identify and understand what data exists in those locations,’ said Mike Lyons, chief information security officer at Collibra, a leading Data Intelligence software vendor. ‘Government agencies should be looking at cloud-based technologies for the purposes of securing their information, understanding their information, and frankly, trusting it.’”

Read more insights from Collibra’s Chief Information Security Officer, Myke Lyons.

 

Okta Can Be the Zero Trust Broker for Cloud Services

“When most people think about IT modernization, what they’re really thinking about is adopting cloud services. That’s true both for the innovation side of things and on the security side. The National Security Agency and other agencies heavily involved in cybersecurity recommend going to zero trust for modernizing identity and access management, and using cloud services to do so. That’s especially important in today’s environment, where workforces have been operating at maximum telework for almost a year. Most agencies’ network boundaries are no longer in their office buildings where they have total control, but are now in people’s homes. ‘A good friend of mine talked about this in the beginning of the lockdown. He basically said my agency went from 100 branch offices to 10,000 branch offices,’ said Sean Frazier, federal chief information security officer at Okta. ‘That’s exactly the mindset you have to take, which is now all of a sudden, I’m managing endpoints further out than I thought I was managing it. And zero trust is really the perfect security architecture for that use case.’”

Read more insights from Okta’s Federal Chief Security Officer, Sean Frazier.

 

Download the full Federal News Network Expert Edition report for more insights on the future of FedRAMP from Carahsoft’s technology partners and leaders at FEDRAMP, CISA, NIST, GSA, DoD and DHS.