Federal Drive

Federal Drive interviews – June 6

This is the Federal Drive show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional ...

Federal News Network Staff

June 6, 2012 8:53 am

2 min read

This is the Federal Drive show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

Today’s guests:

Danial Pick — Commandant, Defense Language Institute

A recent Senate hearing explored a big problem for the federal government. It doesn’t have enough people fluent in foreign languages. But the Defense Language Institute has found the secret to producing people fluent in difficult languages such as Farsi or Chinese.

Kevin Brancato — Defense Analyst, Bloomberg Government

The government is bracing for several years of financial constraints, especially under the across-the-board cuts known as sequestration. That means defense contractors have to do the same. But Brancato has a tip: He says contractors would be wise to seal deals before this fiscal year runs out.

September Defense spending spree takes on new urgency

Joe Petrillo — Attorney, Petrillo & Powell

Because federal agencies are funded year-by-year, they sometimes lease equipment instead of buying it outright. Lease-to-own contracts spread out the payments over several years. The government can cancel a contract for convenience if it wants. But if a leasing contract includes payments for termination, the government could be on the hook for cancellation fees. The Navy found this out the hard way.

Theresa O’Connell — former researcher, NIST

You’ve heard the term digital native. It refers to mostly young people who grew up using information technology in their daily lives. They might look like all they do is text and fool around with games. But there’s actually great skill development going on. O’Connell says digital natives can bring a lot of value as federal employees. But management can also do more to make best use of digital natives.

Carlos Munoz — Reporter, The Hill newspaper

Congress is polarized about more than just domestic policies. It’s also divided over ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty. The pending treaty would create rules for maritime operation in the Pacific. The administration wants it passed. Some senators say the treaty doesn’t improve security.