In Depth interviews – June 25

On the In Depth show blog, you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

This is the In Depth show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

Today’s guests:

Bob TobiasDirector of Key Executive Leadership programs at American University

Courtesy: American University

Bob Tobias, the director of Key Executive Leadership programs at American University, joins Francis for a full hour-long conversation about the “myth of big government.”

How does the rhetoric of an outsized federal government stand up when comparing the number of federal employees measured against the size of the U.S. population, the civilian workforce and the amount of federal spending.

Also on the table, is a discussion about how pay compares between between the federal and private sectors.


John ChristianChair of Information Strategies Department and Professor of Systems Management, National Defense University iCollege

Technology is constantly changing the daily operations of agencies and increasing the number of ways information can be taken without consent. But a bigger problem may be the knowledge gap that can exist within the agency itself. Senior Leadership may not be as up to date as it could be when it comes to creating strategies for a cyber warrior workforce.

The Information Resources Management College, part of the National Defense University, is working to bridge that gap. Doctor John Christian, chaif of the Information Strategies Department at the iCollege, talks about the variability of technology and cyber war. He also addresses how training can stay up-to-date on the latest threats.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily Cybersecurity Update. For more cybersecurity news, click here.


Winslow WheelerDirector of the Straus Military Reform Project, Center for Defense Information

Six months from now, unless Congress passes an alternative, sequestration will be put into effect. Most contractors and federal employees are worried about the resulting damages.

But could the mandatory cuts, triggered by Congress in the first place, actually be a good thing in the long run? Winslow Wheeler, Director of the Straus Military Reform Project of the Center for Defense Information which is part of the Project on Government Oversight, believes it could. He offers his analysis of the issue.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily DoD Report brought to you by United Health Military and Veterans Services. For more defense news, click here.


Tim DiNapoli Acting Director for Acquisitions and Sourcing Management Issues, Government Accountability Office

The Pentagon has indicated it needs to build its acquisition workforce. The The Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund (DAWDF) provides more funding for recruiting, training and retaining DoD acquisition staff. However, DoD has typically carried over large balances from year to year, causing some lawmakers to question how much DoD was actually using the program.

GAO’s Tim DiNapoli discusses recommendations the agency made for the program in its recent report.


Also on the show:

Congresswoman calls for further inquiry into Air Force sex scandal

GSA, DISA face protests of billion dollar awards

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