Rewriting the Rules of War: Inside the Pentagon’s Bold Plan to Fix Defense Acquisition—For Real This Time
On this episode of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, retired Major General Arnold Punaro joins Francis to unpack what could be the most sweeping overhaul of the defense acquisition system in decades. Following Secretary Pete Hegseth’s newly announced Acquisition Transformation Strategy, Punaro argues that achieving real results will require nothing short of retraining the entire acquisition workforce—military and civilian alike. He breaks down how the Department of Defense, Congress, and industry—the three sides of the “iron triangle”—are finally aligning to reform a system that has resisted change for years.You’ll learn why Punaro is more optimistic than ever, emphasizing leadership from all three fronts: the Pentagon’s push for speed and risk-taking, industry’s willingness to innovate, and Congress’s readiness to support multi-year funding and streamlined contracting. But he’s also candid about the challenges ahead—from taming a massive bureaucracy to overcoming a risk-averse culture that punishes innovation.In a moving close, Punaro reflects on the meaning of Veterans Day and honors the heroism of Corporal Roy Hammonds, who gave his life saving Punaro’s during the Vietnam War.Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com
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Stop Doing What Doesn’t Work: How the Shutdown Could Spark a Federal Transformation Revolution
On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, former Department of Labor CIO Gundeep Ahluwalia, now Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at NuAxis Innovations, shares how the recent government shutdown—while disruptive—could actually serve as a rare opportunity for transformation. As agencies prepare to restart contracting and program delivery, Ahluwalia urges federal leaders to pause, take stock, and ask a critical question: Are your project outputs truly driving the outcomes you want?Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com
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Rebooting Government: AI, Acquisition, and the Post-Shutdown Revolution
The Fed Gov Today TV Show airs on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. E.T. on ABC 7. You can also watch on Demand on Youtube. Listen to Fed Gov Today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anytime at FedGovToday.com.
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Can the Pentagon Fix Its Innovation Overload? Inside the Effort to Turn Big Ideas Into Real Results
Former DoD official Jerry McGinn, now Director of the Center for the Industrial Base at CSIS, joins Francis to unpack how the Department of Defense can better “separate the wheat from the chaff” in its innovation efforts. McGinn explains why authorities like the Defense Production Act (DPA) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program are vital to maintaining a competitive industrial base — and what challenges lie ahead after both programs expired at the end of FY2025.McGinn discusses the delicate balance between encouraging experimentation and demanding accountability — highlighting that true innovation requires tolerance for failure. He explores why DoD still struggles to transition successful prototypes into production and how better data could help measure what’s working, without stifling creativity.Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com
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When the Government Reopens: The Burnout, Backlogs, and Big Moves Ahead
Agencies have been in a holding pattern, waiting to roll out long-delayed initiatives and catch up on weeks of missed work. Former GSA Administrator Emily Murphy, now CEO of Government Procurement Strategies, joins Francis to unpack what happens when the lights come back on in government offices—and what leaders must do to re-engage a workforce stretched to the limit.Murphy shares firsthand lessons from the 2019 shutdown, highlighting how essential workers faced burnout, unpaid labor, and emotional fatigue, while furloughed employees struggled with financial strain and uncertainty. She discusses the critical importance of management acknowledgment, empathy, and clear communication during the post-shutdown recovery.Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com
Veteran host Francis Rose gives Federal government decision-makers news and information about management, workforce, IT, and acquisition, to help those leaders do their jobs better.
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