The GovNavigators Show

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam are joined by Andrea Sampanis, Director of the Grants Quality Service Management Office (Grants QSMO) at HHS, and Stacie Massey, Deputy Director for Grants and Financial Reporting at the Office of Budget and Management for the state of Ohio. Andrea takes us on a deep dive into the new SIN launch for grants management services, walking us through what the new Special Item Number (SIN 518210GM) means for federal agencies and how cooperative purchasing opens it up to state, local, and tribal governments as well. Stacie brings the recipient side of the equation, sharing what it's actually like to manage $11 billion in grants across a patchwork of systems and agencies, and why this SIN changes the game. They also dig into the shift from compliance-heavy grants management to outcomes-focused oversight, the proposed Uniform Grants Regulation and what it means for the field, and why data standards are the foundation everything else is built on.

Show Notes:
Federal News Network: Grants QSMO Shifting Approach to Meeting Market Demands
OMB: Proposed Uniform Grants Regulation (UGR) — Comments Due July 13, 2026
OPM: Policy Career (formerly Schedule F)
Policy/Career Executive Order: Implementing Schedule Policy/Career in the Excepted Service
AI Executive Order: Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security
What's on the GovNavigator's Radar?
June 10–11th: Government Service Delivery 2026 Conference
June 11th: GovExec 35th Annual Government Procurement Conference
July 21–23rd: AGA Professional Development Training (PDT)

This week on The GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam welcome back Charles Cooper, Managing Director at Brumidi Group and GovNavigators' resident oracle of all things Capitol Hill. With six months until the midterms and a staggering legislative to-do list full of reconciliation, the farm bill, the surface transportation bill, 12 appropriations bills, the NDAA, FISA, and more, Charles breaks down why Congress is already fracturing along election-year fault lines. He explains why the White House and rank-and-file members are increasingly operating on different frequencies, makes his signature bold prediction on a government shutdown, and offers a candid look at what savvy clients are doing right now to position themselves for the lame duck and beyond. He also weighs in on the bipartisan fraud prevention push out of House Oversight and whether momentum can survive the politics. As always, the oracle has spoken.
Show Notes:
House Oversight Committee: Markup Sweeping Legislation to Stop Fraud in Federal Programs
OPM: Draft Rule Eliminating Time-in-Grade Requirement
OMB: Cybersecurity Incident Logging Update
NDAA: House Armed Services Committee Markup
What's on the GovNavigator's Radar?
June 3rd: 
House Oversight Committee Hearing on Medicaid Fraud 
June 5th:
 Data Foundation 2026 Data Summit 
June 10-11th:
Government Service Delivery 2026 Conference 
June 11th:
GovExec 35th Annual Government Procurement Conference 
June 16th:
VeeamOn Tour DC 2026

In this Memorial Day pop-up episode of the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam break down a week of Washington false starts and delayed announcements, namely the Senate’s stalled reconciliation push and the White House pulling the plug on a major AI EO signing at the last minute. They also spotlight a new HHS fraud oversight initiative aimed at tightening grant accountability using AI-powered audit review. Plus, a reminder of the real meaning behind Memorial Day as the hosts honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

This week on The GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam are joined by Robbie Holmes, founder and CEO of Holmes Consulting Group and member of the GovNavigators Network, for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation on technology, government modernization, and what it really takes to build systems that serve people. Robbie traces a remarkable career arc, from the New York City welfare system and Sony Music to Zagat Survey, Google, USDS, and local government, and draws from each stop to make the case for pragmatic, constituent-centered technology. He reflects on his evolution from AI skeptic to cautious optimist, explains why so many well-intentioned government systems have created more friction than they've solved, and makes a compelling argument for why identity infrastructure and unified case management should be the government's next big bets. 
Show Notes:
CMS: Nationwide Moratorium on Hospice and Home Health Agency Enrollment
GAO: 2026 Annual Report on Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication
House Oversight Committee: Markup on Legislation to Stop Fraud in Federal Programs
Federal News Network: House Committee Advances 9 Anti-Fraud Bills
NPR: Senate Votes to Kickstart Reconciliation to Fund ICE and CBP
Events on the GovNavigators' Radar:
May 20th: GovCIO Federal IT Efficiency Summit at Carahsoft 
May 21st: PSC FedHealth Conference

This week on the GovNavigators Show, Adam and Robert sit down with Daniel Gaush, Acting Director of the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services Service Center at the U.S. Department of State, for a fascinating look at one of the federal government’s largest and least understood shared services operations.
Daniel explains how the ICASS system coordinates administrative support for more than 300 federal entities across embassies and consulates worldwide, everything from HR and motor pools to security, facilities, and logistics. He shares stories from a 24-year career spanning Morocco, China, Afghanistan, and Washington, including negotiating trade agreements, touring a Chinese nuclear reactor, and managing support operations in wartime environments.
The conversation explores the promise and pain points of shared services: balancing costs, managing interagency consensus, handling global crises, and adapting to major structural changes, such as the integration of USAID functions into the State Department. Daniel also reflects on the unique culture of the Foreign Service and offers advice for the next generation of Americans considering international public service careers.
Show Notes:
Final Report from The President’s Council to Assess the Federal
Emergency Management Agency
What's on the GovNavigators' Radar?
May 13: House Oversight & Government Reform Committee Hearing: DoW Financial Management: Examining Progress and New Audit Approaches 
May 14: House Oversight & Government Reform Hearing: Reducing America’s National Debt: Rooting Out Federal Waste, Fraud, and Overregulation 
May 14-15: ACT-IAC’s Emerging Technology & Innovation Summit