Dive Brief:
- Federal CIO Tony Scott said he thinks expert government tech groups like the Office of Management and Budget's new Digital Service team and others will endure the coming presidential election and its transition, FCW reports.
- Scott said such groups are making federal agencies work better in an increasingly technical world, and that is a critical endeavor today.
- Federal tech groups like the USDS and the General Services Administration's 18F development shop also work on massive, government-scale projects that also appeal to critical tech talent, said Scott.
Dive Insight:
Scott said the new federal tech groups will "outlast [the Obama administration]" because of increasing pressure for the government to address big picture issues such as cybersecurity and digital economy issues.
Thomas Kalil, deputy director for Policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, agreed, saying that getting top technical talent to improve the federal government's ability to serve and ultimately save it money "isn't a partisan issue."
Both Scott and Kalil said getting the skills and expertise those groups provide are “needed to change the mindset of federal agencies as digital disruption hits virtually every corner of government.”
"There is great enthusiasm in the tech community for the programs," Scott said. "There are some who have gone back to Silicon Valley and realized what they're doing isn't as interesting as what they did in Washington, and they want to come back."
Scott said he wants to see things like agile practices and innovative absorbed into federal culture.
