Chandler Morse

Overwhelmed by lengthy ATO timelines and mountains of paperwork? Ask Sage, Inc. is here to help! Join the conversation on July 16th to hear about their revolutionary ATO In a Box solution, powered by Generative AI: https://lnkd.in/eCxw9zB8

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Talking about how to leverage LinkedIn is one of my favorite things to do. I'd welcome talking to anyone in GovCon about how to leverage LinkedIn more fully for your company.

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Be sure to join me on November 22nd to hear about potential shifts in AI policy with the upcoming changes to the U.S. administration in 2025. I will be discussing how Government organizations can align their technology strategy with evolving policy goals and learn how to effectively prepare their agencies for changes in AI oversight, security, and consumer protection. Equip yourself with the knowledge to lead your organization confidently through these transitions Join Gartner's complimentary webinar on 11/22 to understand how these changes might impact your tech strategy in sectors like government, healthcare, and financial services. Don't miss out: https://gtnr.it/4hMiWyo Gartner for IT | #GartnerIT #AI #Governance #Policy

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Read #BoozAllen Civil Sector President Rich Crowe's perspective on how federal agencies can fully leverage their #data to advance mission outcomes. https://lnkd.in/ejdpcDbG

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RGi President Brian Loggins spoke with the WashingtonExec. this week about how we provide an #ImmediateImpact for our government clients, and stand out among other GovCons. “What makes us different is the quality of our work, the quality of our people. I know a lot of companies can say that, but the difference with us is we’re very deliberate and focused on hiring the best, most innovative-type people, and then only going after the really innovative, complex kinds of work." Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gUBWHsAE #GEOINT #NationalSecurity

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🌟 A Veteran's Perspective: How Data-Driven Support Transforms My VA Experience 🌟 As a proud veteran and beneficiary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services, I am continually inspired by the transformative power of data-driven support in enhancing my total business experiences within the VA ecosystem. 🇺🇸💼 The personalized care and seamless journey I have experienced at the VA are a direct result of their strategic use of data analytics. From streamlined healthcare access to tailored educational benefits and career guidance, every interaction is optimized to meet my unique needs as a veteran. 📊💡 Through data-driven insights, the VA ensures that my benefits are processed efficiently, my appointments are scheduled promptly, and my overall well-being is prioritized. The commitment to leveraging data to improve services has not only made my experience as a veteran more convenient but also more meaningful and impactful. 🌟🤝 I am grateful for the VA's dedication to empowering veterans like myself through data-driven support. By continuously refining their services based on data analysis, the VA exemplifies a commitment to excellence and a deep respect for those who have served our country. 🙌🎖️ #VeteranVoices #DataTransforms #CustomerExperience #VAExcellence

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Take a look as The Pulse takes a dive into the spending patterns at the Air Force. Watch as we share insights and data on contracts, spending priorities and how the money flows through the Air Force. https://bit.ly/4cdbrxn

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Kamala is brat -- but we don't know yet if she'll be president in 2025. Now is a good time to prepare your organization for the new presidential administration, whichever one it is! This takes time and planning. We rounded up a checklist of ways you can prepare, from thinking through audiences and key risks to honing your messaging. Follow Cascade Advisory so you can stay up to date on our latest!

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Embracing uncertainty as a catalyst for growth. Change is never easy, but it’s inevitable—and it often holds the keys to our greatest opportunities. Across the federal government, we find ourselves at the cusp of a new chapter. While transitions may bring questions and challenges, they also open doors for innovation, fresh perspectives, and breaking down barriers that once seemed insurmountable. In times like these, it’s vital to approach uncertainty with a mindset of growth. Change challenges us to rethink old frameworks, adapt to new realities, and forge stronger connections across teams and organizations. Whether you're in the public or private sector, this is a moment to lean into the possibilities. Let’s ask ourselves: What new paths can we pave? What untapped ideas can we bring forward? And how can we collaborate to build something even better for the future? Transitions may test us, but they also give us the chance to lead with courage, curiosity, and a commitment to progress. What opportunities do you see on the horizon during this season of change?

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VA published Circular 24-26-16, Implementation Date for VA’s Home Retention Waterfall. Per VA: "The purpose of this Circular is to provide clarification on the dates of implementation for the recently released guidance in VA Servicer Handbook, M26-4, Chapter 5 and Appendix F. (Rescind Oct. 1, 2024)."

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Want to learn how to apply practical, governed decisions with #AI? Join SAIC company’s Chief Data Officer, Justin Magruder, on July 17 from 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. ET during the #CDOIQ2024 Symposium to dig how to accelerate decision making while staying government compliant.

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A new monster report from the Government Accountability Office, Congress’s in-house think-tank, shows that “Open Topic” awards in the $4 billion Small Business Innovation Research program draw a larger number of technology companies to apply for funding, promoting competition and increase innovation. Open Topics enable businesses “to define problems and pitch innovative solutions... rather than soliciting only solutions to predefined problems,” GAO wrote. But, as technology companies have been complaining for years, GAO found that many of the “Open Topic” SBIR solicitations are actually just conventional topics in disguise, “narrowly defining needs and suggesting potential solutions.” GAO’s report says the Defense Department should clarify for its components what open topics actually are and how they differ from conventional topics, ensuring the awarding agencies “consistently release open topics that are more broadly defined than their conventional topics.” “We found that DOD may define some open topics too narrowly and miss opportunities to collect innovative proposals,” GAO wrote. The $4 billion SBIR program, run by the Small Business Administration and participating government agencies including DoD, HHS and DHS, acts in essence as a seed fund for technologies with the highest potential impact in the commercial and defense markets. Open Topics invite bidders to describe problems they have discovered and solutions they have developed, and augment and often surpass in impact the priorities the DoD advances on its own. Conventional topics, meanwhile, typically focus on well-understood problems in existing systems and can suggest a preferred technical approach targeted toward a favored potential bidder. That format gives preference to incumbents and SBIR mills, which are operations that treat SBIR funding as a perennial source of revenue, against commercial innovators. To quote Warren Katz, chairman of The Alliance for Commercial Technology in Government: “Open topics enable new ideas the DoD did not think of to be evaluated against things they thought they needed. Almost half of SBIR funding is now awarded via open topics, proving that the innovation ecosystem is coming up with surprise ideas DoD evaluated as superior to their own preconceived notions.” The Alliance represents startups in the commercial tech sector and advocates for policies that expand the government’s base of technology vendors, improve our government services, strengthen our national security. If you want to know more, contact me, Warren or Eric Blatt, the group’s executive director.

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Many professional lives have more than one chapter. My second career as a public affairs expert, fortified by a first in journalism, began with a leap to Washington DC. I landed as the press secretary for the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee under Chairman Joe Biden. A seasoned public servant, he was admired for many reasons; the most surprising to this former Beltway outsider was how he embodied the principle that partisan politics stops at the water’s edge. A previous SFRC chair, Michigan Republican Arthur Vandenberg, coined that maxim and modeled it by working with President Harry Truman, a Democrat, on some of the biggest issues of their day, including support for NATO and the Marshall Plan. No stranger to domestic partisan issues and no shrinking violet on the campaign trail, Chairman Biden was committed to inter-party collaboration in international affairs – on the dais with the gavel, in the anteroom twisting arms to seek legislative consensus, and as a member of the loyal opposition during the George W. Bush presidency.    This lesson in steady professionalism during trying times, including 9/11 and its aftermath, served me well later as senior staff with the House Foreign Affairs Committee, at the State Department, and in subsequent roles. A year into my career’s third act – consulting on communications, government relations and public affairs – I often see how crucial that bipartisan bedrock can be. The notion that foreign policy should be immune to politics may now seem naive. Partisan divisions infiltrate every aspect of our lives, from the media we follow to the products we purchase to where we choose to live. Our political affiliations even shape our perceptions of fundamental facts. But if you speak with some of my clients at Citrus Strategies or Perceptual Advisors LLC, you’ll detect a common thread: Amid all the noise, politics matters far less than making your authentic voice heard with conviction and clarity. From the non-profit association supporting national security to the human rights advocacy group to the global company facing gale-force political and business headwinds during a U.S. election year, these clients would agree that embracing their principles and making their case forthrightly, free of partisan bias, is the best path to making an impact. President Biden will keynote the Democratic National Convention tonight. It’s a political event, yes, so he’ll make some pointed observations that will irk the opposition. But listen too for that approach so familiar to those who’ve had the honor to get to know him: He truly wants to bring together as many Americans as possible for the greater good, especially when it comes to our leadership role in this often-chaotic world. Joe Biden took a chance and moved this recovering journalist from an observer’s front-row seat to a master class in how big things get done behind the scenes. I’ll always be grateful for that. https://lnkd.in/em2r5heS

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Here’s a truth made certain, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs cannot manage their finances! Every year, #CLA does their audit, and every year the same issues turn up. Front the report we find, #AGAIN, the following: “CLA provided an unmodified opinion and noted material weaknesses and significant deficiencies in internal control and instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations.” When will the leadership be fired for failure to do their jobs and new leadership hired to fix the #VA? https://lnkd.in/eG4A5KMe

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The U.S. Small Business Administration's proposed rule change regarding size requirements for multiple award contracts highlights a critical tension in federal procurement: how do we encourage small business growth while maintaining set-aside program integrity? Companies qualifying as small at proposal submission can continue performing on multiple award contracts even after outgrowing size standards. The SBA's proposed change would end this practice, potentially disrupting government operations and industry planning. While program integrity concerns are valid, this solution may create more problems than it solves. The federal government, particularly the United States Department of Defense, faces a shrinking industrial base. The government needs more companies in federal procurement, not fewer. Small businesses often require access to capital and operational expertise to scale effectively. When they succeed and grow—whether through organic means or strategic partnerships—we should celebrate this as a win for the industrial base, not penalize it. What seems to be missing are some possible solutions that could better serve all stakeholders: ✅ Implement a graduated system with a "mid-tier" category, providing a smoother transition path from small to large business status. ✅ Align procurement policies with economic goals by maintaining reasonable certainty about contract rights and post-growth events. ✅ Probably most important is establishing a regular, structured dialogue between government and industry when developing policies to ensure practical implementation. Focus on performance-based criteria alongside size requirements. If a growing small business delivers value, disrupting that relationship serves no one's interests. The government's goal should be fostering a robust, diverse industrial base where small businesses can confidently invest in growth. As we await the final rule, stakeholders must remain engaged in this discussion. The solutions exist - we just need the wisdom and flexibility to implement them. #GovCon #SmallBusiness #FederalContracting #Procurement #DefenseIndustry #GovPolicy #BusinessGrowth #SBAPolicy #AcquisitionReform Professional Services Council Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs Zachary Prince

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