Areas We Serve
Civilian
The missions of federal civilian agencies are broad, ranging from delivering benefits and assistance to citizens, to providing leadership and enforcement in their respective mission areas. Although the federal civilian portfolio is diverse, the non-defense and non-intelligence agencies that comprise the industry share many common challenges and objectives.
Program Performance
As budget pressures continue to grow, federal civilian agencies face increasing demands from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Government Accountability Office (GAO), and Congress to deliver measurable agency and program performance results. In the spirit of "doing more with less," agencies must continue to focus on enabling technology and automation to improve performance while maximizing funding. "Green initiatives" are also forcing agencies to re-examine performance in areas ranging from building construction to IT. Green solutions like server virtualization, energy tracking and monitoring, infrastructure consolidation, and alternative energy can drive cost savings and reduce energy consumption. In order to demonstrate accountability and produce tangible results, agencies must maximize the strategic use of information technology. Today's missions require modernized systems that support enterprise applications and safeguard sensitive data and critical infrastructures.
Urgent Challenges Facing Government
While the presidential administration is faced with a number of urgent challenges - from healthcare reform, a slowly recovering economy as well as ongoing natural disasters -- federal civilian agencies must prioritize spending and focus on performance to ensure that they meet the requirements, as well as execute optimally in today's geo-political climate. Human resources must also be a key focus, as the aging workforce requires renewed training initiatives to expand the workforce, and the implementation of strategic sourcing plans to link staffing levels to changes in mission.
Continuity of Operations
In today's unpredictable environment, natural and man-made hazards such as natural disasters, pandemics, socio-political instability, and threats to homeland security call for Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) that responds to operational disruptions. Emergency preparedness and recovery planning efforts must be implemented to mitigate operational vulnerabilities and risks. To ensure rapid response to emergencies, it is essential that agencies develop proactive plans that include infrastructure protection, field response, incident monitoring, and recovery and relief efforts. By performing well-coordinated preparedness and training exercises, agencies can evaluate the reliability and performance of emergency response capabilities and ensure that they are prepared for the unexpected.
Transition in Leadership
As the country continues its transition to a new presidential administration, federal civilian agencies are feeling the effects of the change in leadership. Many political leaders face a significant "relearning curve" after being out of power for eight years. In addition, agencies may experience potential program delays while waiting for new agency leaders to be appointed and confirmed. Campaign promises pledging government program reviews for waste and redundancy will trickle down to the agency level, calling for improvement and elimination efforts. Agencies must prioritize spending and focus on performance to ensure that they meet the requirements of the new leadership. Human resources must also be a key focus, as the aging workforce requires renewed training initiatives to expand the workforce, and the implementation of strategic sourcing plans to link staffing levels to changes in mission.
The Open and Transparent Citizen-Focused Government
Supporting missions that range from improving working conditions to pioneering space exploration, the federal civilian community must always remember who its customers are: the American citizens. Because the work of federal civilian agencies directly affects the American public, their actions are subject to public scrutiny and oversight. In addition, with the Obama Administration's Open Government Directive, executive departments and agencies are required to take specific actions to implement the principles of transparency, participation, and collaboration. Now more than ever, this citizen-focused government will demand increased transparency into government operations. Agencies must institute citizen satisfaction monitoring and measurement to ensure quality control. Risk and delivery assessments, milestone reviews, and financial and rating metrics provide formative feedback and insight into the benefits being derived by citizens.
Explore our capabilities
