A New Era of Efficiency | Transforming With AI | Phase 3 of Department of Homeland Security's PIL

August 18, 2024

Presented by IBM 

A New Era of Efficiency and Innovation for Financial Management at the IRS

Teresa Hunter, Chief Financial Officer at the IRS, outlines a transformative vision for the agency’s financial management, driven by the substantial funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. This initiative aims to modernize IRS infrastructure, improve employee experience and enhance the agency's role as a strategic advisor. The modernization efforts focus on updating outdated processes with new technologies such as robotic process automation and artificial intelligence. Hunter emphasizes the importance of using technology strategically to streamline operations rather than automating for its own sake. The goal is to make IRS operations more agile and efficient, reducing staff burden while improving service delivery. The strategic advisor role involves providing senior leadership with real-time, actionable financial data through advanced tools like dashboards. Additionally, enhancing employee experience is critical, with efforts directed at improving skills, providing necessary tools and creating an environment where employees feel empowered and heard.

Key Takeaways:

1.  The IRS is overhauling its financial management systems using modern technologies and streamlined processes to enhance efficiency and responsiveness.
2. The CFO's office is positioning itself as a key strategic advisor by providing timely, insightful data that supports better decision-making across the agency.
3. There is a strong emphasis on improving employee experience through skill development, advanced tools, and a culture that values and acts on employee feedback.
   
   

Transforming Federal Agencies with AI: Opportunities and Strategies

Paul Dommel, Partner, Federal Tax and Finance Consulting at IBM discusses the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) across federal agencies. AI is being leveraged in three primary areas: enhancing citizen interactions, optimizing mission-driven processes and improving back-office functions. Dommel highlights successful use cases, such as using AI and automation to drastically reduce the time for processing documents at the Department of Veterans Affairs from 30 days to 30 minutes. This shift not only accelerates service delivery but also repositions staff to more strategic roles. He emphasizes that AI should not replace human jobs but rather augment them, allowing employees to focus on higher-value tasks. Dommel also advises agencies to align AI implementations with their mission objectives, performance challenges and cost-reduction goals to ensure that AI investments are impactful and effective.

Key Takeaways:

1. AI is being utilized to enhance citizen services, streamline mission processes, and improve back-office functions, leading to significant efficiency gains.
2.  The Department of Veterans Affairs' use of AI to expedite document processing demonstrates AI’s potential to transform government operations and staff roles.
3.  Agencies should align AI strategies with their core mission and performance challenges, focusing on improving service delivery and reducing operational costs.
   
   

Phase 3 of Department of Homeland Security's Procurement Innovation Lab

Scott Simpson, Digital Transformation Lead at the Department of Homeland Security, outlines the Phase 3 initiative within the Procurement Innovation Lab (PIL). This phase shifts the emphasis from individual procurements to transforming the broader procurement culture within DHS. The goal is to move from a risk-averse mindset to one that embraces risk management through continuous, on-the-job training and cultural change. Simpson describes how the PIL is working to build confidence among procurement professionals by providing actionable feedback and fostering a culture of learning and innovation. Regular feedback sessions and a focus on relationships with vendors are key components of this cultural shift. The lab aims to ensure that procurement practices evolve to better meet the needs of both the agency and its external partners.

Key Takeaways:

1. Phase Three of the PIL focuses on changing the procurement culture from risk avoidance to proactive risk management.
2. Providing detailed feedback and fostering a positive environment boosts confidence among procurement teams and encourages innovative practices.
3. The PIL emphasizes continuous learning and relationship-building with vendors to enhance procurement processes and performance over time.