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.

Kevin Desouza — Associate Dean for Research, College of Public Programs, Arizona State University

Agencies across government are findings solutions to problems through Challenge.gov. Citizens are offering solutions, and in some cases they’re getting prizes.

Kevin Desouza, the associate dean for research at the College of Public Programs at Arizona State University, has been studying the merits of Challenge.gov and has authored a report through the IBM Center for the Business of Government.

Agencies gravitate to low-cost contests as Challenge.gov celebrates its first birthday (related story)

Katherine Hammack — Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and the Environment

The sun will soon power a third of the Army’s primary distribution center for the western region. The Tooele Army Depot is using solar power collected by more than 400 dishes spread over 15 acres outside of Salt Lake City, Utah — part of a $9.6 million solar-power renewable energy project.

Katherine Hammack, the assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, who participated in the solar project’s groundbreaking, said the project aligns with the Defense Department’s goal to deploy three gigawatts of renewable energy on military installations by 2025.

Stan Soloway — President and CEO, Professional Services Council

Civilian agencies may lose almost $40 billion dollars in top-line funding if sequestration goes into effect on Jan. 2nd. That figure comes from an estimate by the Professional Services Council.

Stan Soloway, the president and CEO of the PSC, discusses how the group developed its estimate as well as what immediate effects agency would feel if the budget cuts go into effect.

Julie Weeks — American Express OPEN Research Adviser

Leaders in the government procurement business work differently than other companies that do business with the government.

Julie Weeks, a research adviser for American Express OPEN, has been looking at the differences between procurement leaders and followers. A recent American Express OPEN report found some key differences between small business contractors and procurement leaders. Weeks discusses how those two types of businesses stack up to each other in terms of staff, finances and strategy.

More of American Express OPEN’s government contracting resources

Bill Welch — Partner, McMahon, Welch and Learned

A contract to produce smart ID cards for the Justice Department has just been vetoed for the second time. The Government Accountability Office has once again ruled the department failed to properly weigh both proposals and now is locked in another legal battle.

To help us sort out the details is Bill Welch, a partner at the law firm of McMahon, Welch and Learned, helps sort out the details.

GAO overrules Justice on ID smart card contract, again (related link)

Herb Lin — Chief Scientist at the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board

Marine Lt. Gen. Richard Mills is officially taking responsibility for using cyber weapons against enemy forces in Afghanistan.

Even though past cyber attacks against Afghanistan and Iran were suspected to have been directed from the Pentagon it’s unusual for a senior official to take public responsibility.

Herbert Lin, a chief scientist at the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board for the National Research Council of the National Academies, discusses whether that announcement signals greater acknowledgement of responsibility for cyber attacks by the U.S.

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

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