Jennifer R. McKinney

Read Guidehouse Defense and Security's new article, Managing Change Fatigue in the Federal Workforce, outlining our team's recommendations for agencies looking to produce better outcomes in the face of complex workforce challenges: https://lnkd.in/ep3bnyPS.

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Here’s a quick resume for anyone who doesn't know me well: 🔹 11 years US Army, 4 combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan 🔹 Harvard Business School 🔹 Founded ID.me, one the handful of unicorns in the identity space - many of you will know it as the digital ID platform for the IRS 🔹 Private Sector Leader for President Obama’s National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) having led 3 distinct pilot programs 🔹 3 years leading Consumer identity at Capital One 🔹 3 years at IDEMIA (who produce 80% of Drivers licenses in the US) leading the transition from physical to mobile drivers licenses 🔹 President of the Board for the Kantara Initiative, the leading global standards organization for improving trustworthy use of identity and personal data through innovation, standardization and good practice. 🔹 Now Head of Socure’s public sector business (round two building a unicorn identity firm) My interest in identity goes back to the time when I got out of the military and saw challenges with businesses that were being defrauded by people pretending to be those served (which was coined “Stolen Valor” during the time). I learned that twice the number of veterans were reporting identity theft compared to the average American population. I got into this space by trying to solve that problem, then realized it was a problem that impacted everyone who was trying to prove who they were online. The rest is history. I’ve now worked on public sector focused identity solutions for the last 15 years including 45 of the 50 states, every major federal civilian agency, and the DOD. Excited to share more about my journey and educate more people about what GOOD looks like in the world of identity, because we are working at the cutting edge.

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Read Guidehouse Defense and Security's new article, Managing Change Fatigue in the Federal Workforce, outlining our team's recommendations for agencies looking to produce better outcomes in the face of complex workforce challenges: https://lnkd.in/eZ5rEVxh.

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In a concerning development, China has replaced its People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) with the Information Support Force (ISF), highlighting the growing importance of information warfare. This shift comes at a time when the U.S. is downsizing its information warfare capabilities. In a 2022 War on the Rocks article, the author points out that China's "intelligentized warfare" concept aims to use AI to manipulate the will of policymakers, military leaders, and citizens. Again, this comes at a time when the U.S. de-emphasizes information power in resourcing and prioritization. This is a critical wake-up call for the U.S. to prioritize information warfare investment. #China #InformationWarfare #NationalSecurity #greatpowercompetition #geopoliticalrisk #CCP #PLA #strategiccompetition #AI Jake Auchincloss Seth Moulton Michael Waltz Mike Studeman https://lnkd.in/giUgsYfM

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Sam.gov roundup #6. Solicitations from the past week that caught my eye. See profile posts for past roundups. See the comments section for hyperlinks. 1) GENERATIVE AI ACQUISITION PLANNING AND DECISION CAPABILITY: DAU RFI seeking generative AI/ML tech that can enhance complex acquisition planning and decision-making for acquisition professionals. PDF in hyperlinked attachments tab worth reading in full! 2) THUNDERSTORM 24-3: ROBOTIC PARTNERS & HUMAN-MACHINE INTERFACES: The Innovation & Modernization Office under OSD R&E manages the Thunderstorm events. Thunderstorm 24-3 is focused on Army’s Human-Machine Integrated Formations initiative. Event slated for SEP 2024, near College Station TX. Responses due 22 MAY. 3) MEDICAL EVACUATION DURING SUSTAINED ACCELERATION (MEDUSA): DoD actively exploring reusable spacecraft for rapid point-to-point global transport. This DHA RFI aims to understand the impacts of sustained acceleration on critical care equipment and pathology. 4) XM30 DIGITAL VALIDATION:  Army RFI for how VR/digital augmentation can help modernize the technical manual validation process. IMO, any useful capabilities uncovered through this RFI would benefit a wide range of programs, not just the XM30. Responses due 18 JUN. 5) CREATING DIGITAL ADVANTAGE: NSW RFI seeking innovative ideas on how to provide necessary support, expertise, and experience to effectively document requirements, develop, field, train, and sustain NSW digital and human capabilities, individually and holistically at command echelon levels II, III, and IV in support of the Commander’s priorities. 6) TERMINATOR: Or, “targeting effects requires mission integration using novel applications against targets for optimized results”. This is an AFRL contract award to Lockheed Martin. Not much background, but intriguing name. 7) DATA-CENTRIC COMMAND AND CONTROL (C2): Army Science Board RFI seeking best practices/lessons learned for data-centric decision-making capabilities. RFI seeks input from traditional defense primes and “non-traditional” commercial-based firms. For the latter, outreach should go beyond sam.gov and better articulate what’s in it for the company. 8) NANO-BIO MANUFACTURING CONSORTIUM: AFRL RFI for interested parties able to manage a collaborative, pre-competitive consortium to advance human performance monitoring and augmentation and digital medicine. 9) AI TALENT 2.0 ON RAMP: CDAO-managed BOA for USG-wide AI Talent services. This is a decentralized vehicle that is established for decentralized ordering. 10) AT&L SOURCE SELECTION SUPPORT: The contractor shall provide SOCOM with comprehensive acquisition and contracting support services. Anticipated Award Date = 7 JUN / Contract Amount = $10M. 11) MULTI-DRUG AUTOINJECTOR TECHNOLOGY: JPMCBRN Medical Industry Day (Virtual / 26 JUN). Trying to reduce logistical burden and improve nerve agent countermeasures by consolidating several current therapies into a single platform.

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Government Contracting #govcon seems to be a labyrinth 😕to many outsiders and newer folks coming into the space. I once created an Access database🧮 at a previous employer many years ago to highlight the importance of good data management and common unique identifiers... As the company tended to have some byzantine processes and nomenclature that I was trying to flesh out and focus 🔍on measuring the things that matter. So I've seen quite a bit of diverse contracts from over $100M 💰annual jobs to ones under $100K. I believe the process is essentially the same to ensure a smooth transition from pre-award to 🥇post-award. It starts with being able to accurately code 🔣your contract into your system of record. Do your #proposal 📚and #pricing 💵documents match the contract award 📝documents? Check that before you 🖋sign! Had an experience recently where there was some ambiguity 😵with a contract modification document in what it was doing as it relates to the changes we proposed. Some contracts get complex when you get to a dozen mods or so with many CLINs, SLINs, and 🗜ARCNs... IYKYK We both had differing interpretations🗣 as we worked through the document. There was a 💪🏼challenge with all the moving parts and new CLINs added and old ones removed and it turns out that we both had the same initial confusion that it wasn't done correctly... However, when we dug ⛏deeper into the changes in Section B (contract values) and Section G (funding values) we determined that this customer was doing It's important to have a uniform 🥋methodology on how you read and review your contract documents before you sign it and book the funding and contract values in your accounting system. Set your books up right the first time, or you'll pay💸 for it over-and-over again each month. And get the right people 🤼 and departments involved! Make it a great week 👊🏼

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With all due respect to Senator Wicker, I disagree. The United States has the world's most dominant military, a fact underscored by our technological advancements, operational capabilities, and strategic global presence. While calls for increased defense spending are well-intentioned, they often overlook the unparalleled strength we already possess. Our recent experiences have shown that perceived near-peer adversaries like Russia are far less formidable than once thought, as evidenced by their faltering invasion of Ukraine. China and Russia, despite their military posturing, are significantly consumed with domestic issues that undermine their capabilities. China grapples with economic instability and social unrest, while Russia faces economic sanctions and internal dissent. Both nations are acutely aware of the U.S.'s superior military power and are more focused on addressing their internal catastrophes than posing a credible threat to American dominance. Strategic, targeted investments will continue to ensure our security without resorting to fear-driven spending increases. https://lnkd.in/eY5qk2fT

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There are 4 decisions that the DOD makes for you while you are on Active Duty: Tricare, Dental & Vision, Survivor Benefits, and SGLI. As you retire, you have to make your own decisions about whether to keep these programs or find alternatives. And some of these decisions can't be made until AFTER you have officially retired. #militaryretirement #militarybenefits #veteransbenefits

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A strategy gives any organization a true north towards the future. It keeps the organization focused on an objective vs chasing the proverbial “shinning object.” Any organization without a forward thinking function, or strategy is bound to become irrelevant and eventually disappear. Careful with those who “advise” against the case for a strategy because they might be more willling to preserve the “status quo” instead of what is best for the mission.

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How to find out your federal contracting competitor’s pricing (in 5 steps)… Step 1: Search company name on GSA elibrary https://lnkd.in/eEZzPJSt Step 2: Scroll & Select the company’s MAS contract Step 3: Click “GSA advantage” icon in the View Catalog column Step 4: Here you should be on GSA Advantage and looking at the competitor’s page, click “View contractor information“ Step 5: Click “View Contractor Catalog” to see their pricing catalog. Select command+F on your keyboard and search for the role you are looking to price for (eg. Junior systems engineer, senior data analyst) Boom...there you have it, 5 steps to find competitor pricing for services contracts. Note: it is good practice to discount the price in the catalog by 3%-5% as most contractors will offer a price to the government slightly lower than the one listed. If you’ve also done this before, I’m curious to know how much you typically discount a company’s labor rates by. Let me know in the comments. #governmentcontracting #pricing #competitoranalysis

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Attending the monthly Information Systems Security Association - Hampton Roads Chapter meeting, Tonight, the Speaker Evan L. talked about his experience when his Facebook account got hacked and how he gained access back. In this cautionary tale, the Speaker emphasized the importance of vigilant account management and the need to stay informed about security practices. I won't go into all the details, but here is a quick summary. The User received an email that his Facebook password had been changed. After completing an account recovery, he could log in and change his password, believing that it was a simple and done deal. However, this began a month-long journey to regain his account. The following were all based on his personal experience and data gathered from the logs he downloaded from Facebook. A couple of days earlier, the Hacker had already accessed his account and had been gathering information, such as his birthday, phone number, and other Personal Information. The Hacker gained access through an old email account to which the User had not paid attention. Additionally, The Hacker created and linked a Meta account to the User's account. Meta is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and it has a feature that allows users to log in to Facebook from within Meta. The Hacker understood the processes and knew what he was doing. The User kept going back and forth with the Hacker to gain his account. There was a point where the UserUser was so frustrated, helpless, and lost his patience that he tried to delete his Facebook account permanently, but it didn't matter since the account was attached to Meta. The Hacker was always able to gain access. Additionally, the User didn't have the password to Meta to remove it. The User eventually regained access by creating his meta and linking his Facebook account. The User wanted to state that a couple of lessons were learned.  -Facebook or Instagram should attach them to Meta -Review all your email accounts and change the password. -Don't use simple passwords -Use Multi-factor authentication(MFA) Here are some additional readings.  https://www.cisa.gov/MFA - MFA https://lnkd.in/e5NMUXNz - Meta account https://lnkd.in/eQKJVMj6 - Facebook Password https://lnkd.in/eTPBSwsg - Facebook MFA This was another great presenter that ISSA-HR was able to host. I can't wait till the next meeting. If you're in the Hampton Road Area, stop by the next meeting in July. https://issa-hr.org/about/

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JUST SAY NO | It's that time of year again when edits, inputs, and drafting of National Defense Authorization Act language flood in, driving an array of whiplash visions and strategies—so-called strategic visions—and other big-picture Department of Defense policy stuff. Some of it is warranted and useful—a lot of it isn't. Today, let's focus on the latter, especially the renewed frenzy around AI, spurred mostly by various forms of generative AI. P.S. Congratulations on being half a decade late to the party of the technologically astute and proactive. Here’s the truth: I am more impressed by the strategic discipline and courage it takes to justify why someone DID NOT write [insert your policy, oversight, and/or guidance here] than by someone proudly presenting a "Look at my 42-page document," fully aware (or blissfully out-of-touch) that the intended audience stopped at page two—if they were aware it even existed. It's in this spirit that I want to convey a message to become more disciplined and stop talking for the sake of talking. To resist the human bias for action and instead start thinking like strategists and communicators for tomorrow. When it comes to AI, the narrative should not necessarily be that it will upend all we do—yes, it will present unique dilemmas—but rather in how our existing American warfighting constructs, frameworks, norms, theories, and laws already address the concerns presented by the application of AI. That's the practiced, informed, and insightful leadership contribution required to allow innovation and learning to flourish. Why? Because I still challenge people to present a realistic application of any AI-driven technology on the foreseeable horizon (none of that AGI magic) that our existing frameworks cannot handle and that would not lead to a foundationally thoughtful decision or action. I worry (often) that we are inadvertently restricting our own future maneuver space. More importantly, we are limiting the maneuver space of future generations. We must avoid handing them the same lackadaisical and risk-blind circus that led to many of today's fundamental problems. In short, remind ourselves that there’s another side to the conversation. Make it an equal priority and duty to protect decision-space for tomorrow’s leaders, because we may come to regret much of today's policy paperwork drill opining that fails the generation of tomorrow. #technology #artificialintelligence #innovation #future

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Homeland Security warns of threats to election posed by AI - "This is not a problem for the future. This is a problem of today," said John Cohen, the former intelligence chief at the Department of Homeland Security, and now an ABC News contributor. "Foreign and domestic threat actors have fully embraced the internet, and they are increasingly using advanced computing capabilities like artificial intelligence to conduct their illegal operations." - Already, those attempting to target elections have done so "by conducting cyber-enabled hack-and-leak campaigns, voice spoofing, online disinformation campaigns, and threatening or plotting attacks against symbols of the US elections," the bulletin said. - And now, the analysis warns, the innovative abilities of generative AI can be used against future elections.Those tools can be exploited "to confuse or overwhelm voters and election staff to disrupt their duties" by creating or sharing "altered" or deepfaked pictures, videos or audio clips "regarding the details of Election Day, such as claiming that a polling station is closed or that polling times have changed, or to generate or promote other tailored false information online." - "Innovations in AI have enabled foreign influence actors to produce seemingly authentic and tailored messaging more efficiently, at greater scale," Haines added. "Even as the threat landscape is becoming increasingly complicated, it is my view that the U.S. government has never been better prepared to address the challenge," in part thanks to lessons learned from the 2016 presidential election. - "One of the most important things we need to be doing now is educating and preparing the public. Because they will be the people who are being targeted with this content -- the public is the intended target -- and the objective is to influence how people behave," Cohen said. - "State and local officials need to have a plan, so that when this content is detected, they can use trusted sources of communication to counteract and correct inaccurate information. Once that content hits, it's going to spread across the online media ecosystem rapidly, and has to be counteracted immediately," Cohen added. "Law enforcement and our security community have been slow to adapt to this rapidly evolving threat environment. We're still using the strategies of yesterday to deal with a threat of today. In a way, it's bringing a knife to a gunfight." - https://lnkd.in/evdQQucn

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📣 Calling all businesses looking to expand their government contracting opportunities! 🏢💼 Have you heard about the GSA Schedule program? 🤔 It's a fantastic opportunity to get your products or services on the radar of federal government agencies. 🇺🇸✨ But how do you get on the GSA Schedule? 🤷‍♀️ Don't worry, we've got you covered with a step-by-step guide: 1️⃣ Research and Determine Eligibility: Find out if your company is eligible and which GSA Schedule category fits your offerings. 2️⃣ Register in SAM: Get your company registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database. 🖥️ 3️⃣ Develop a Competitive Pricing Strategy: Analyze the market and create a pricing strategy that stands out while remaining fair and reasonable. 4️⃣ Prepare Documentation: Gather all the necessary documents like financial statements, performance records, catalogs, and pricing info. 📋 5️⃣ Submit the Application: Complete and submit your application through the GSA's eOffer/eMod system. 📤 6️⃣ Review and Negotiation: Your application will undergo a thorough review, and negotiations may begin if you meet the requirements. 💼💵 7️⃣ Award and Contract Execution: If approved, you'll receive an award letter outlining the terms and conditions. Review it carefully! 📝 8️⃣ Compliance and Reporting: Once you have a GSA Schedule contract, stay compliant with reporting sales and pricing. Stay informed about program updates! Remember, each GSA Schedule category may have its own nuances, so research and guidance are key. 📚💡 Consult a GSA consultant or expert for a smooth process. Ready to take your business to new heights and tap into the federal market? 🚀 Start your journey to the GSA Schedule today! 💼✨ #GSA #GovernmentContracting #BusinessOpportunities #FederalMarket #GrowYourBusiness

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Thanks to Adam and Alex for having me on the NIDS View Podcast this week to discuss a pertinent question: "What happens with Russia after the war in Ukraine ends?" 🎙️ As is the case many times, there's not a simple answer, as it involves many players outside the United States. Creating a solution requires considering many different perspectives, rather than total absolution. In short, there needs to be a "complex package," that's simple but sophisticated enough not simply to be blunt "punishment." Still, there's a lot of uncertainty. Take a listen to hear not only more of my thoughts but also insight from Alex on China's role in this dynamic. #NIDS #Ukraine #ThinkDeterrence

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🔥🔥🔥 Whoa. I watched this The Wall Street Journal #CEOCouncil interview between Dan Michaels and NATO Military Chief, Rob Bauer, Admiral RNLN. Fascinating!!! Thanks for putting these online, Joel Lange, Msc. My takeaways: 1️⃣ Most CEOs don't have a specific 'War plan' for their company 2️⃣ War is not just between countries, it affects companies with geographic footprints in those regions more than ever. 3️⃣ War is still "blood and mud" more than we think. The war in Ukraine is less Cyber, Air, Navy etc. than most other wars NATO is involved in. 4️⃣ Investing in Manufacturing for "#Defence" and/ or "War" is not unethical --- interesting POV! 5️⃣ Conscription (or voluntary participation) i.e. being 'called up' is essential to countries involved in war. Sadly, people 'run out' as well as bullets, tanks and missiles - so countries do need a plan, even if it is an unpopular policy. Especially interesting ref. Rishi Sunak's latest policies in the UK. 6️⃣ We are currently looking at the war in Europe between Russia 🇷🇺 and Ukraine 🇺🇦, but Admiral Bauer suggested that within 5 years we could be looking at a significant conflict with China 🇨🇳. 🔗 Link: ---------------------- https://lnkd.in/ehiYvZY4

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Did you see the article from Patrick Tucker, "Navy slow to adop modern ship-designing tools, GAO finds" The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recently released a report highlighting the U.S. Navy's lagging shipbuilding efforts due to its slow adoption of digital design tools. These tools, such as 3D modeling and digital twinning, have revolutionized the process of building commercial ships and military aircraft, enabling faster design, prototyping, and experimentation. The report, titled "Navy Shipbuilding: Increased Use of Leading Design Practices Could Improve Timeliness of Deliveries," emphasizes the importance of embracing these digital tools. With the United States heavily reliant on new ships to deter potential conflicts in the Pacific, where China's naval presence is rapidly growing, timely shipbuilding is crucial. The report cites instances where commercial shipbuilders and maintainers have successfully implemented digital twinning, augmented reality, and high-fidelity 3D design rendering. However, the Navy's slow provision of vendor-furnished information (VFI) data, necessary for feeding digital models, and the use of outdated 2D design information for legacy ship classes pose significant challenges. The shipbuilders express a need for the Navy to explicitly demand the use of new digital tools in design and to provide a stronger business case for investing in their acquisition and implementation. The GAO report offers seven recommendations to the Navy and lawmakers, including requirements validation, to address these issues. The Navy has concurred with the recommendations, recognizing the importance of embracing digital design tools to enhance shipbuilding efficiency and maintain a competitive edge in the evolving naval landscape. #AI #Quantum #Cybersecurity #Leadership #Industry40 #DigitalTwin #MBSE #IOT https://lnkd.in/gcXmNvmH

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Stepping into the future with #DISANext - a comprehensive 5-year blueprint from the Defense Information Systems Agency. Spearheading industry change through its 4 fundamentals: Secure Capabilities, Strategic C3, Modernization, and Data. Hear from the visionary himself, Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner about the strategic imperatives of this plan: https://bit.ly/3WcCrb2. Paving the way for advanced #Cybersecurity and #strategy!

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