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Cost Estimating NewsBrief: September 13, 2024
Army Contracting Command driving move to agile software
(Federal News Network) The fourth initiative of the Army’s recent software modernization memo is to adopt a sustainment model that is focused on continuous improvement and development. To achieve that goal, the Army is creating a cadre of contracting experts to lead this culture change. Jamie MacGillis, an advisor for the Digital Capabilities Contracting Center of Excellence (DC3oE) at the Army Contracting Command’s Aberdeen Proving Ground, said the Army initially is sending reinforcements to several program executive offices… Read More
Personnel Aspects of AI Order Are on Track, Says GAO
(FEDweek) Federal agencies are on schedule for carrying out the personnel-related aspects of a key executive order on artificial intelligence, which leaves the government “better positioned to increase its AI workforce, effectively coordinate AI activities across agencies, and implement consistent and timely AI-related policies,” GAO has said. The GAO said that of some 100 directives in a sweeping 2023 order designed to create a central framework for developing and using AI, some 13 involved federal personnel considerations, including to build up the workforce in related occupations. Read More
Pentagon’s first cyber policy chief targets better metrics for cybersecurity progress
(Federal News Network) Michael Sulmeyer, the first-ever assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy, plans to spend the “weeks and months ahead” focusing on developing better ways to measure cybersecurity progress across the Defense Department. Sulmeyer, who’s been in this role for four weeks, said while the number of cyber operations conducted by the Defense Department provides some insight into DoD’s cybersecurity progress, the department, along with the rest of the federal government and private sector, needs to focus on return on investment to measure cybersecurity success. Read More
Continued success at NASA in jeopardy due to budget strains, aging infrastructure, and short-term focus
(Space Daily) NASA’s contributions to technological innovation and its ability to inspire future STEM leaders are at risk due to critical issues related to infrastructure, budgetary mismatches, and a focus on short-term goals, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Commissioned by Congress as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the report highlights concerns that NASA may struggle to meet long-term national goals without addressing these challenges. Read More
Contractors handicap the possibility of a government shutdown
(Federal News Network) They don’t want it, but contractors are preparing for a possible lapse in appropriations at the end of the month: a government shutdown, that is. Even if they agree on numbers, members of Congress don’t agree on the policy riders each party wants on a spending bill. So what to do, to help your company through it? For more information, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin checked in with federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen. Read More
NASA to Develop Lunar Time Standard for Exploration Initiatives
(NASA Explore) NASA will coordinate with U.S. government stakeholders, partners, and international standards organizations to establish a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) following a policy directive from the White House in April. The agency’s Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) program is leading efforts on creating a coordinated time, which will enable a future lunar ecosystem that could be scalable to other locations in our solar system. The lunar time will be determined by a weighted average of atomic clocks at the Moon, similar to how scientists calculate Earth’s globally recognized Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Read More
AI distinguishes dark matter signals from cosmic noise
(Space Daily) Dark matter, an unseen force believed to hold the universe together, constitutes approximately 85% of all matter and 27% of the universe’s content. Although its gravitational effects on galaxies and cosmic structures are well-documented, the true nature of dark matter remains elusive. A dominant theory posits that dark matter could be made up of particles that interact only through gravity. However, some scientists believe these particles may occasionally interact with each other in what is known as self-interaction. Detecting such interactions would offer crucial clues about dark matter’s properties. Read More
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