18F’s National Security and Intelligence Portfolio
This repo is an index of work in the national security space led by teams within GSA's Technology Transformation Service (TTS) (which includes 18F).
About the National Security and Intelligence Portfolio
The 18F National Security and Intelligence Portfolio is a unit within 18F that will bring together staff to focus on partner projects that relate to the national defense. As part of this work, the portfolio will partner with traditional defense and intelligence agencies, and also with other agencies working on projects that have a clear nexus with national defense.
Why a Focus on National Security and Intelligence?
At 18F, we see technical challenges and barriers across government. As an organization, we are well-positioned to help national security and intelligence agencies adopt and apply new technologies more efficiently and more successfully.
The unique dynamics at work on our national security engagements will help 18F validate and evolve current practices and theories of change. How we conduct user research, foster iterative delivery, and advocate for adoption of open source technology are core to our work with agencies. These pillars will be tested rigorously on national security engagements, helping our practices become more adaptable and durable to broaden our impact.
One of the most important outcomes of 18F’s work assisting agencies in efficiently adopting new technology and digital solutions is improving stewardship of public money. No area of government has the potential to generate these benefits more than in the national security and intelligence area. Our work with defense and intelligence agencies has already generated hundreds of millions of dollars in savings.
Most importantly, we have an opportunity to support the success of agencies responsible for keeping our country safe. When these agencies face challenges fulfilling their mission, our nation’s security is at risk. 18F can have an enormously beneficial impact on the work of these agencies, and - as a result - directly impact our national security and save lives.
Blog posts
Current Projects
Past Projects
Army Research Laboratory Path Analysis
- March 2019
- Team: Kathryn Connolly, Andrew Dunkman, Eleni Gesch-Karamanlidis
- Help the ARL make a plan to efficiently and transparently share open source software within legal requirements, that doesn't feels top-heavy to researchers. This will likely move to an E&I.
- Deliverables: project folder 🔒, final presentation 🔒
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), GEOINT Services Path Analysis
- March 2019
- Team: Waldo Jaquith, Stephanie Rivera, Mark Hopson, Vicki McFadden
- Analyze product management and procurement practices and provide recommendations.
- Deliverables: final report 🔒
Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Center Operations Online platform (COOL) Path Analysis
- September 2018
- Team: Uchenna Moka-Solana, Julia Lindpainter, Stephanie Rivera
- COOL is nearly 20 year old, custom-built application that Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) uses to manage flight operations and store information related to line scheduling, flights, and individual pilot training. We assessed the current system and delived a high-level roadmap for modernization.
- Next: In June 2019, we began an E&I project to build the first step of this roadmap on cloud.gov.
- Deliverables: final process/practice presentation 🔒, final roadmap presentation 🔒, project folder 🔒
Air Force, Business and Enterprise Systems Path Analysis
- November 2019
- Team: Peter Rowland, Miatta Myers, Waldo Jaquith, Ron Bronson, Olesya Minina, Vicki McFadden
- Provide leadership with advice on how to adopt and strengthen modern information technology (IT) practices – such as agile development, user-centered design, product management, DevSecOps, and complementary acquisition strategies – to deliver value to end-users more rapidly.
- Deliverables: path analysis report 🔒
Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Cyber Training Ranges Foundation Engagement
- May 2018
- Team: David Kane-Perry, Eddie Tejeda
- The Cyber Missions Forces have reported difficulty accessing training resources provided by cyber ranges. Timely access to cyber ranges and required training are crucial for ensuring that cyber teams are prepared to respond to increasing cyber threats.
- Deliverables: final report 🔒, project folder 🔒
Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) Path Analysis
- August-September 2018
- Team: Eddie Tejeda, Cordelia Yu, Kathryn Connolly
- The Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) provides travel support and information to Department of Defense (DoD) Service members and civilian staff. We helped develop a strategy for their main website based on key user needs.
- Deliverables: final report 🔒, project folder 🔒
U.S. Air Force Recruiting Services Path Analysis
- June 2018
- Team: Andrew Suprenant, James Hupp
- Assess the current state of the Air Force Recruiting Information Support System-Total Force (AFRISS-TF) and develop a high-level vision for a more modular and mobile-friendly system.
- Deliverables: final report 🔒, final presentation 🔒, project folder 🔒
U.S. Air Force Kessel Run Enterprise Path Analysis -
- March - June, 2019
- Team: Brian Fox, Abbey Kos, Ryan Hofschneider, Michael Cata, Mark Hopson, Miatta Myers, Stephanie Rivera
- The US Air Force (USAF) is embarking on an ambitious initiative to transform the way it builds and delivers software for its military operations. It has created an organization to focus specifically on this transformation, called Kessel Run, and is rapidly growing its efforts here to deliver value in a user-centered agile fashion. Outside of the agile workshops, this is the first of at least 3 PAs with the Kessel Run team. The main focuses will be: Operating and scaling the multi-region cloud infrastructure platform (based on Cloud Foundry), Paving the path to production for applications, Migrating applications at scale, and Product and project management.
- Deliverables: final report 🔒, project folder 🔒
U.S. Air Force / Center-Ops Online (COOL) PA
- September-November 2018
- Team: Stephanie Rivera, Mark Headd, Uchenna Moka-Solana, Julia Lindpaintner
- COOL is a custom built application initially developed for a particular office at the Air Force. With the increased platform use, there is a need to make improvements to ensure scalability across the Air Force. In preparation for evolving COOL, AFMC requires a better understanding of the current state of the system, its supporting processes, and user needs, in order to develop a vision for an improved flight operations management system.
- Deliverables: project folder 🔒, final presentation 🔒
U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) - Logistics and Planning PAs
- underway
- Team: Michael Antiporta, Mark Headd, Sarah Eckert, Ryan Aheard, Torey Vanek
- The Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics (DC I&L) is looking to improve its logistics operations, plans, policies, concepts, exercising staff supervision over joint and Marine Corps logistics matters, logistics manpower matters, logistics analysis, mobility, lift requirements, sustainability productivity, material readiness, logistics information systems, security assistance, fiscal matters for appropriate division sponsored programs, and coordinating the logistics aspects of prepositioning programs.
- Deliverables: final report 🔒, project folder 🔒
U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Path Analysis
- July-September 2018
- Team: Andrew Suprenant, TC Baxter, Kathryn Connolly
- Improve the quality of the data NAVAIR HR collects and manages through better data modeling to inform the use of predictive analytics, allowing the command to better identify past trends and better plan for the future, ultimately strengthening hiring and retention forecasting to better serve Navy and Marine fleets.
- Deliverables: final report 🔒, final presentation 🔒, project folder 🔒
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), GEOINT Services Path Analysis
- March 2019
- Team: Waldo Jaquith, Stephanie Rivera, Mark Hopson, Vicki McFadden
- Analyze product management and procurement practices and provide recommendations.
- Deliverables: final report 🔒
U.S. Army Research Lab Path Analysis #1076
- April - May, 2019
- Team: Andrew Dunkman, Kathryn Connolly, Eleni Gesch-Karamanlidis
- US Army is looking for help in establishing a better process for releasing software as Open Source across the Army Research Laboratory (ARL). ARL is hoping to re-engineer the current process in way that satisfies legal and regulatory policies while not being too much of a burden to follow for users and stakeholders. In addition to the process itself, ARL is interested in the identification of some tools and technology that could best support the new process.
- Deliverables: final report 🔒, project folder 🔒