Govini

For more than a year, the Defense Department has been operating under a new doctrine. Namely, that the U.S. is back in the game of great powers competition.

Congress is watching while contractors are wary. So just how big is other transaction authority in the Defense Department?

Govini’s CEO says countries, like China, are spending big on the race for artificial intelligence to improve their forward mission.

Analysis by Govini showed growing need for outside help with cyber defense, resilience anfd security at federal and civilian agencies.

The rates of growth around federal cybersecurity remains uncertain. Now the data analysis firm Govini has put some numbers around it.

It’s the most expensive military program ever – and the most durable. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has survived administration after administration. But because of uncertainty over how many the military will buy each year, it’s hard to predict the total cost. For analysis, Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Chris Taylor, the CEO of the market research firm Govini.

It may look complicated to outsiders, but federal spending patterns aren’t that much different from other industries. Who are the big customers, what are they buying and who are they buying it from? Analyst Matt Hummer joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to highlight the latest version of Govini’s comprehensive federal market scorecard.

The Homeland Security Department spent 40 percent of its budget on personnel costs in fiscal 2016. That share may continue to rise, as the department attempts to hire 10,000 new immigration officers and 5,000 border patrol agents to meet the Trump administration’s priorities. But DHS leaders say data analytics, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things will need to play a bigger role.

If money is the oxygen of federal programs, then the incoming Trump administration will have to unblock some of the tubing. Data analysis by Govini shows hundreds of billions of dollars in expiring contracts. But billions more are already obligated. Matt Hummer, Govini’s director of analytics, tells Federal Drive with Tom Temin the question of what the new administration can accomplish might depend of how much funding it can get reprogrammed.

A couple of closely contested congressional races are taking place in districts rich in federal contracts, such as Virginia’s 10th and its $14 billions in federal bacon. Matt Hummer, Govini’s director of analytics, joins Federal Drive with Tom Temin to offer insight.