Presented by Maximus
In this episode of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, Soraya Correa, President and CEO of National Industries for the Blind and former Chief Procurement Officer at the Department of Homeland Security, joins to share her insight on how agencies and contractors can recover from a government shutdown. Drawing from her experience leading DHS through the 2013 shutdown, Soraya offers a practical, human-centered perspective on what it takes to rebuild operations, relationships, and morale once the government reopens.
Soraya begins by emphasizing that shutdowns impact both sides of the federal workforce—government employees and industry partners. “There was an impact to the workforce out there, the vendor community, as well as in the government,” she says. Many federal workers live paycheck to paycheck, and missing even one pay period can drive some to leave government altogether. Contractors, especially small businesses, face similar struggles as they try to keep staff on payroll without incoming revenue. When shutdowns drag on, companies lose talent, projects stall, and the ripple effects can last for months.
Once the government reopens, agencies face a daunting task: restarting operations that have been paused or disrupted. Soraya explains that one of the first challenges is rebuilding the workforce. Managers must reorient their teams, reestablish priorities, and restore morale after weeks of uncertainty. “Morale is already going to be shot,” she says. “You’ve got to bring your team together and rebuild that energy.” Leaders must clearly communicate what work takes priority, what can wait, and what resources are available. Patience and empathy, she adds, are essential qualities for managers navigating the reopening phase.
From the acquisition side, Soraya stresses the importance of reconnecting quickly with vendors. Agencies must lift stop-work orders, notify contractors, and collaborate on restart plans. Vendors need time to rehire, retrain, and re-clear employees, all of which delay project momentum. “You’ve got to notify your vendors so they can come back and give you their proposal for any delays they encounter,” she explains. Open, timely communication helps contractors plan effectively, control costs, and return to work efficiently.
She also highlights the importance of prioritization—not everything can start at once. Agencies must determine which contracts are most critical to mission success and allocate limited resources accordingly. This requires collaboration among financial, legal, and IT leaders to ensure decisions comply with funding and procurement laws. “You’re not going to have funds flowing on day one,”
she reminds. “You have to think about what needs to be funded first.”
Beyond the logistics, Soraya places strong emphasis on communication and leadership. She advises federal leaders to stay closely connected to their employees, even when they don’t have all the answers. “Talk to your people, talk to your people, talk to your people,” she says. Keeping staff informed—about what’s happening, what’s not, and what’s uncertain—helps reduce confusion and rebuild trust after a period of instability. She encourages transparency and consistency: if leaders don’t know something, they should say so and commit to finding out.
As operations normalize, Soraya advocates for conducting lessons-learned reviews while experiences are fresh. During the 2013 shutdown, she and her team documented what worked, what didn’t, and what they would do differently next time. “It’s extremely important to take a little bit of time to do lessons learned,” she says. This process not only improves future shutdown preparedness but also provides a healthy outlet for teams to debrief and relieve stress.
Reflecting on decades of federal experience, Soraya notes that shutdowns have become almost routine in modern government. “Since 1996, we’ve had three major shutdowns and several smaller ones,” she says. While she believes shutdowns should always be avoided, she also recognizes the need for institutional learning—making each one a little smoother and less disruptive than the last.
Soraya closes with a hopeful message about resilience and collaboration. Despite the pain and disruption caused by shutdowns, she believes they also reveal the dedication and adaptability of the federal workforce and its industry partners. With strong communication, clear priorities, and lessons learned, agencies can not only recover but emerge stronger and more connected than before.