GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts

The Department of Veterans Affairs' Innovation Unit brings novel solutions in health care to help save veterans and the VA time and money through low- to no-cost pilots. This includes pilots like Care Centra, an AI personalized health coach, that uses machine learning to track behaviors and nudge veterans to follow better health outcomes and reduce the number of in-person visits. The unit's Deputy Director Sarah MacDawutey discusses these pilots, how the unit works across the enterprise to test solutions in emerging technology like AI before they are deployed at scale and how she sees them benefitting veterans.

Leaders in federal technology point to storytelling as a key trait that has helped them excel in their careers. This first episode of our GovCast Storytelling Miniseries features a conversation exploring why storytelling is an essential tool to upskill women and to help them advance into leadership roles in the public sector. Guests include two members of the Women Tech Leaders Working Group: Transportation Department Association CIO for Resource Management/CFO Lucinda Wade and NIH Center for IT Chief of Enterprise Platform Services Mahua Mitra. Wade and Mitra discuss the art of crafting compelling narratives, the impact of authentic storytelling on your professional journey and how to use the technique to connect with and inspire others.

Explore how CISA and CMS are tackling open source software (OSS) security in government. CISA Technical Advisor Jack Cable shares insights on CISA's roadmap, best practices and efforts to secure OSS and promote open source program offices. CMS Digital Service Open Source Lead Remy DeCausemaker also discusses the strategic approach to creating an open-source program office, focusing on stakeholder engagement, security measures and regulatory guidance. Hear how these strategies are shaping the future of open source security and fostering collaboration.

Travelers around the world are seeing more opportunities to use digital documents to verify their identities at airports and other travel hubs. The Transportation Security Agency (TSA) is honing in on technologies that rely on biometrics and artificial intelligence to develop and create seamless solutions that cater to all travelers at these checkpoints. At Identity Week in Washington, D.C., TSA Capability Manager for Identity Management Jason Lim discussed how advancements in AI and machine learning are helping the industry innovate around facial recognition technology. He also highlighted some of the latest interoperability standards government should know about when implementing digital identity solutions.

Biometric technology has seen remarkable advancements in recent years, especially in areas like facial recognition. Arun Vemury, senior advisor for biometric and identity technologies at the Department of Homeland Security, shared how error rates in facial recognition have dropped tenfold over the past decade thanks to machine learning. He also highlighted the growing use of digital credentials such as mobile driver's licenses and emphasized the importance of rigorous testing to ensure these technologies' reliability. Vemury discussed the Remote Identity Validation Technology Demonstration (RIVTD) project, which evaluated technologies for credential validation, selfie-to-document matching and presentation attack detection, with some results available with Maryland Test Facility at https://mdtf.org/.

In August, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released a new draft of its Digital Identity Guidelines for the identity-proofing process. This covers technologies like digital wallets, passkeys and physical identification documents like REAL ID-compliant passports and drivers licenses. The draft outlines ways to boost privacy, accessibility and security during the identity-proofing process for those accessing government services and benefits. Ryan Galluzzo is the digital identity program lead at NIST. At Identity Week in Washington, D.C., he spoke about the guidelines, the interoperability work that powers these technologies, and the importance of balancing security and accessibility when implementing digital identity programs.

General Service Administration Executive Director of Cloud Strategy Eric Mill briefed updates for the newly focused FedRAMP program and associated advisories for cloud service providers. FedRAMP's Agile Delivery Pilot will help prepare the program for continuous assessments, a key part of FedRAMP 2.0's evolution. He also previews FedRAMP's Emerging Technology Prioritization Framework that will soon enable agencies to use generative AI. Mill discusses the agency's new automation hub, automation.gsa.gov, supporting cloud service providers creating and managing digital authorization packages. He also shares his priorities around real-time data sharing, APIs and secure software development.

The White House has made government cybersecurity hiring a priority, releasing a strategy in 2023 to address gaps. Agencies and their partners have stressed the need to build foundational cyber skills in Americans long-term. ISC2 is a professional association for cybersecurity pros, with more than 650,000 members. ISC2 Executive Vice President of Advocacy, Global Markets and Member Engagement Tara Wisniewski spoke about skills-based hiring in cybersecurity, how the regulatory process affects the workforce and how agencies can hire cyber pros easier.

The future of cybersecurity is changing as threats evolve. NIST's Cybersecurity Center of Excellence works with partners in the public and private sectors to address securing IT systems and critical infrastructure. Cherilyn Pascoe, director of NCCoE, at Billington Cyber Summit in Washington, D.C., discussed the center's collaboration with industry and government agencies, NIST's Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 and migrating to post-quantum cryptography standards to protect against quantum computer threats.

The Defense Information Systems Agency is harnessing artificial intelligence to secure multi-cloud environments. Effective monitoring capabilities for the cloud are critical to avoid bad actors from breaching vulnerabilities and to further secure the edge. DISA CTO and Emerging Technology Director Steve Wallace at Billington Cyber Summit in Washington, D.C., discussed how emerging technology is helping the Defense Department manage its multi-cloud environment, the value of AI amid legacy system modernization and the importance of embracing new technology to improve skill sets and tackle larger tech challenges.

National Science Foundation CDO and Chief AI Officer Dorothy Aronson is establishing a new organization that will unify departments within the agency. While the agency is standing up some critical efforts under the White House executive order such as the National AI Research Resource pilot, Aronson highlights some of her initial priorities for the role that include merging the CAIO, CDO and CISO under the Office of the CIO. Aronson also discusses the importance of preparing data for advanced analytics and AI as well as the significance of providing researchers with access to clean data layers.

A special initiative and data registry at the National Cancer Institute is helping researchers understand and treat rare childhood cancers. Dr. Mary Frances Wedekind, a pediatric oncologist and assistant research physician with the Pediatric Oncology Branch at NCI, explains how the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative follows children, teens and young adults for many years to collect key information about their cancer diagnosis, imaging and treatments. She added that the initiative along with the Rare Cancer Data Registry are critical to helping researchers access and analyze the clinical and genomic data that could potentially lead to more effective targeted therapies and new drug developments that could improve the standards of care for young patients.

Government's recent efforts to coordinate cybersecurity regulations have evolved as the threats have. A recent Government Accountability Office report examines the work that remains to support a longer-term strategy for juggling these policies across agencies. Dave Hinchman, director in GAO's IT and cybersecurity team, oversees the IT and cybersecurity workforce, cloud computing and IT modernization efforts. He discusses the recent report on cybersecurity, current cyber regulatory policies and how he's seen IT policy evolve.

Federal agencies are undergoing largescale transformation to meet White House directives on artificial intelligence development. This includes establishing chief AI officers to build implementation plans and programs. The AI GovCast monthly miniseries connects with these leaders across government to discuss how they are shaping their roles and where they see the promise for AI in their agencies. In this episode, catch up on what is happening with AI and CAIOs in the federal government.

As the nation's largest integrated health care provider, the Veterans Health Administration prioritizes how technology can address challenges in how it is delivering patient care and securing its infrastructure. Indra Sandal, chief of innovation at VHA in Tampa, Florida, breaks down how more than 300 participants collaborated and addressed challenges in a three-day hackathon. She highlights the takeaways from that hackathon and what it means for veterans. David Rhew, global chief medical officer at Microsoft, also discusses how the organization supported the hackathon and what lessons learned the public-private partnership has for the future of VA health care.

A recent National Cancer Institute study shows that a new targeted therapy can help prolong the time cancer patients are in remission. Called the ViPOR regimen, the non-chemotherapy treatment shrinks tumors of those who suffer from B-cell lymphoma. Dr. Christopher Melani, associate research physician with the Lymphoid Malignancies Branch in the Center for Cancer Research at NCI, highlights the importance of combining five therapies and administering them during a fixed cycle to maximize drug synergy and make tumors disappear. He also shares details about the second phase of the study that is expected to take place later this year as well as how precision medicine could potentially lead to a cure for all types of cancer.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has many public-facing apps that rely on application programming interfaces (APIs) for third-party developers creating software and services to veterans. Managing this ecosystem is VA's Lighthouse, where Deputy Director Andrew Fichter is constantly looking at innovating how to share and manage the data that fuels these apps. Fichter discusses how Lighthouse is serving veterans and why it is necessary for modernization of veterans services. Plus, he shares the future of these tools and how the program will evolve around emerging technology.

Climate change has a major impact on public health, especially for vulnerable communities. Rising temperatures, severe storms and other severe events can negatively affect health outcomes. Agencies are increasingly using data and technology for programs and tools to boost health equity. Dr. John Balbus, director of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at the Department of Health and Human Services, speaks about the ways that technology can be used to build resilience against climate-related negative health outcomes. He discusses his career, his role in shaping policies and his agency's Health Climate Outlook tool for predicting climate-related health risks.

Protecting sensitive information is critical to cybersecurity, but agencies need to learn to operate with fewer secrets in the aftermath of cybersecurity incidents. Sharing information about attacks within the community can help protect against future ones, according to Suzanne Spaulding, who formerly led the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security. Spaulding discussed how a focus on transparency will be advantageous for national defense. She explained why this approach is necessary by highlighting the risks associated with keeping secrets. Spaulding also discussed the impact of CISA's Secure by Design Pledge on the global cybersecurity environment, noting how recent commitments from companies further contribute to the idea of transparency.

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, telehealth and telemedicine have dramatically improved and widened the ability for the Department of Veterans Affairs to deliver health care to veterans. These technologies are revolutionary, but they also come with a higher risk of being compromised. VA Executive Director of Information Security Policy and Strategy Amber Pearson discusses the growing attack surface and how the agency is taking bolder steps to ensure patient data remains secure from threat actors.

Zero Trust is becoming a critical pillar of the department of Defense's cybersecurity strategy. The strategy, embodied by the motto of "never trust, always verify," demands a new outlook on cybersecurity. Randy Resnick discusses why Zero Trust is so important, how his office is working to reshape the way DOD employees view zero trust, and how clear standards can help the DOD and other agencies adopt zero trust in their operations.

From the battlefield to headquarters, the potential of 5G networks opens the door for new partnerships, strategies and emerging technologies. At TechNet Cyber, Defense Department 5G Cross Functional Team Director Juan Ramirez discusses how 5G unites the department under multiple interoperability efforts, prepares the warfighter for the fight of the future and enhances the cybersecurity of the DOD apparatus.

The military services are prioritizing developing technology in warfighting scenarios and fielding it quickly. At the Department of the Navy, officials are thinking about how to bring forward a set capabilities that can be interoperable throughout different scenarios while maintaining security. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Navy CIO Jane Rathbun discussed interoperability in the defense industry and platform standardization and cybersecurity.

The Defense Department's Fulcrum: DoD Information Technology (IT) Advancement Strategy unites many of DOD's cybersecurity strategies under one umbrella. It also provides a roadmap through 2029 for the DOD CIO's essential support of the National Defense Strategy. Robert Franzen, Deputy Customer Experience Officer at the DOD CIO's office, breaks down the department's recently unveiled Fulcrum and how it will support warfighters and the entirety of the Defense Department.

In an interview at the AWS Summit, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Chief Scientist for AI Court Corley and Director of the Center for Cloud Computing Scott Godwin discussed their efforts to enhance research through AI and cloud computing. They emphasized providing foundational compute capabilities and access to cloud services for Energy Department researchers addressing critical issues like sustainable energy and national security. They also highlighted the rapid evolution of AI tools and the importance of data management across different domains. Both stressed the need for cultural adaptation within the scientific community to embrace new technologies while also ensuring they enable reliable and validated results.

At AWS Summit in Washington DC, Nutanix Senior Director of US Federal Greg O'Connell discussed how agencies can ensure seamless data migration and app mobility, leverage generative AI and incorporate security. He equated today's rapid growth in modern applications to the impact of the browser, as the "killer app" of the internet era of the 1990s. With projections of 750 million new apps by 2026, he said agencies face challenges to incorporate more cloud and edge computing that would handle increased data processing and to develop more sophisticated security measures. Additionally, he addressed the impact of industry acquisitions on vendor dependency, stressing the importance of flexibility and freedom of choice in IT infrastructure to adapt to changing needs and avoid lock-in with a single provider.

The Air Force Sustainment Center is modernizing supply chain and logistics operations with cloud. Having an efficiently running supply chain and manufacturing operations for supplies and weapons systems is critical to national security. Leaders from the center, John York and Josh Thompson, highlight at AWS Summit some of their priorities around cloud and hybrid cloud. They also detail how developments in the Technology Hosting Environment for NextGen Automation (ATHENA) program is driving cost savings and improving insight into disparate sensors and data hubs for the service.

Challenges can be opportunities when it comes to software modernization at the Defense Department. The agency is meeting these opportunities with the release of its new Fulcrum strategy and ongoing zero trust efforts, according to DOD Director of Cloud & Software Modernization George Lamb. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Lamb discussed progress made on the Pentagon's 2022 software modernization strategy, how the new Fulcrum strategy ties into software modernization goals and the necessity of zero trust being baked into all DOD operations.

The Food and Drug Administration recently released a new acquisition strategy that aims to transform how the agency buys technology to impact multiple mission areas. In an interview with FDA Office of Enterprise Portfolio Management Director Joseph Montgomery at AWS Summit, he highlights the importance of this strategy to create a "one FDA" ecosystem that prioritizes advanced technology and keeping pace with IT innovation. Montgomery also highlights how he's thinking about artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and cloud to impact financial operations (FinOps) and ultimately support FDA's modernization goals.

Automation is unlocking new levels of security for federal agencies facing a wide range of new threats and challenges. Red Hat Chief Architect for Law Enforcement & Justice Mike Hardee joined us to outline how federal IT leaders can harness these new automation solutions to provide higher levels of security. Hardee explained how automation can help federal agencies utilize automation to overcome everything from HR challenges to new law enforcement threats. He also said automation and observability arm IT teams with a unique ability to diagnose and solve problems fast.

In an interview at the AWS Summit, Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Officer Dr. Leith States discussed the significant impact of AI on health care. He also highlighted the critical priorities of ensuring continuity through the upcoming election cycle and managing resources effectively amid unpredictable funding scenarios. Plus, he shared his vision for health equity by design. States stressed the importance of ethical data practices, including patient empowerment, transparency and interoperability, facilitated by generative AI and machine learning. For technology providers, he advised engaging with and understanding the communities they serve to create effective solutions.

The U.S. Army is prioritizing digital transformation and new software development policies when it historically took the service months, even years, to deploy new technology. At AWS Summit, Army Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Young Bang highlights the Army's efforts to modernize its acquisition and technology processes to field new tech more quickly. He also discusses the cybersecurity implications of new technology for a priority he said is to reduce the U.S.'s electronic footprint in the battlefield. He also emphasizes how partnerships with industry are key to this plan and the importance of data management and cybersecurity. This includes its data mesh to help it manage data more efficiently across tactical and enterprise environments.

Officials at Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN) need to protect the DOD's thousands of employees when they use the network. To secure the system, JFHQ-DODIN uses a multi-faceted approach to cybersecurity, including adaptive intelligence, identity management and partnerships. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, JFHQ-DODIN Director of Operations Col. Michael Reeder discussed data security, the importance of collaboration within the cybersecurity community and DOD's unified force approach to network operations.

Every day, thousands of attacks are directed at U.S. military, government and defense industrial base systems. Protecting those systems is increasingly a key part of the national defense mission and keeping pace with adversaries is critical. Gen. Timothy Haugh leads Cyber Command and the National Security Agency in a dual-hat role. According to him, the ability to adapt and build resiliency is key to building cybersecurity. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Haugh broke down how threats are evolving, his plans for combatting them and how cybersecurity impacts national security.

Connectivity is integral to the warfighting force, but connecting the dispersed military and civilian workforce around the world is challenging. It requires a balance of speed and security while also prioritizing the user experience and modernizing infrastructure. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Defense Information Systems Agency J6 Global Services Directorate Vice Director Brig. Gen. Michael Cornell discusses cybersecurity efforts and how the department is embracing best practices and innovation while deploying new technology.

One year since the publication of the Defense Department's Cyber Workforce Implementation Plan, the department has made progress on filling 30,000 open cybersecurity roles. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, DOD Principal Director for Resources & Analysis Mark Gorak discusses the plan and how it's enabled the department to fill about 3,000 jobs so far. He also breaks down the next steps ahead in achieving full department efficiency and the plans to identify, upskill, train and retrain a mission-focused cyber workforce.

As the third largest network in the world behind the U.S. and China, Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information (DODIN) has many vulnerabilities it must secure. A key part of this mission is recruiting the talent to fill its numerous open cyber roles. DODIN Network Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Heather Blackwell said key to building strong cybersecurity is having an engaged and innovative workforce. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Blackwell discussed how culture, the workforce and technology work together to secure DODIN.

Artificial Intelligence is impacting two main areas of cancer research: image analysis and managing massive amounts of clinical data. The National Cancer Institute sees AI as a key capability in precision oncology. Dr. Eytan Ruppin, chief of NCI's Cancer Data Science Lab, recently published a study about a new AI tool researchers are implementing to foresee how a patient will respond to immunotherapy by providing an in-depth look at the clinical characteristics of the patient as well as the Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB). Ruppin discusses the NCI/CCR Synthesis Clinical Trial expected to start this fall and shares details about how the research will impact the treatment of aggressive breast cancer.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has its sights set on advancing health equity through "Health Equity By Design" and U.S. Core Data Interoperability standards to ensure that everyone has fair and equal access to the highest quality of health care regardless of race, gender, disability, location and a host of other factors. Artificial intelligence is also playing a pivotal role in helping agencies achieve national health goals. Recently appointed acting chief AI officer of the Department of Health and Human Services, Tripathi said AI is helping to close health equity gaps when it comes to analytics, determining patient demographics and informing decision-making for treating patients. Tripathi also highlighted ONC's collaborative efforts with the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies that are improving interoperability and the integration of public health data.

The Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), both a bureau in the State Department and a member of the Intelligence Community, is the only U.S. intelligence organization with the primary responsibility of providing intelligence to inform diplomacy and support U.S. diplomats. The bureau, like many government agencies, has focused on modernizing the enterprise by upskilling the workforce and modernizing IT. CIO Jimmy Hall, also director of the Technology, and Innovation Office (TIO), spoke about this progress, what makes some of his technology challenges unique and what it all means for ongoing diplomacy priorities.

Following its "Secure by Design" initiative and pledge, America's cyber defense agency, CISA, is supporting the movement for software manufacturers to build security into their products at the start. The movement is part of a White House priority to shift responsibility for cybersecurity away from end users and toward manufacturers. CISA Senior Technical Advisor Jack Cable and Senior Policy Advisor Lauren Zabierek examine the impact the strategy and pledge will have on federal and industry leaders in the pursuit of creating a more secure world. Featured audio: https://youtu.be/R6RW-DemWbQ?si=_zLigtIZ-OZGd46a

The Forest Service's mission as lead federal agency in natural resource conservation includes oversight of 193 million acres of public lands and 600 million acres of forests across the U.S. A big mission for the service is wildfire management, which requires modern technology to monitor millions of acres and share information between the departments of Agriculture and Interior and also the public. The 100-year-old agency is transforming its technology and data operations to make more data available by closing tech gaps, removing legacy systems and improving interoperability for even the most remote and rural environments. Assistant CDO for the Natural Resources and Environment Mission Ramona Carey discusses the data landscape, where emerging technology fits in to her priorities and how data modernization is underpinning critical conversation efforts.

The National Cancer Institute's partnership with St. Jude is helping researchers to better understand how cancer accelerates the aging process of survivors who were diagnosed as children. The team is also developing therapies that can decrease risks of frailty and dying at an early age. NCI's Jennifer Guida and St. Jude's Kirsten Ness say the Behavioral Research Program as well as the Human Performance Laboratory have been instrumental in helping determine which survivors are more likely to experience physical and cognitive decline. These programs have also assisted researchers with identifying interventions that can possibly prevent premature death and other complications caused by cancer and cancer treatments. Guida and Ness discuss how technology like artificial intelligence is playing a critical role in improving care for childhood cancer especially in conducting screenings, tracking a person's risk for heart failure as well as creating a patient's survivorship plan.

NIST's new Cybersecurity Framework published earlier this year gives organizations a new set of harmonized cybersecurity guidelines and best practices. It's the first major update in 10 years and broadens its scope beyond critical infrastructure entities. Cherilyn Pascoe, director of NIST's Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, had a large role in developing the new framework. She said the plan emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity in an evolving technological environment and discusses how others can tailor it to their organizations across missions. Pascoe also highlights a growing focus in broader cybersecurity priorities around post-quantum cryptography and AI, and explains how NIST's Center of Excellence is developing additional guidance for the community.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) aims to recruit a more diverse pool of candidates to work in public health care. ONC Deputy National Coordinator for Operations and Chief Operating Officer Lisa Lewis Person helped create the Diversity Equity Inclusion and Accessibility Council back in 2020. An employee-led committee, the council develops policies and programs that ensure all Americans are represented in ONC's workforce. Person also sponsors the Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) Workforce Program, which gives minority serving institutions the ability to provide certifications as well as degrees in public health. She discusses why diversity in health care matters and how it impacts health IT.

The U.S. Postal Service is in the middle of a three-year modernization plan to update its massive infrastructure, data centers and expansive telecom network. The service wants to prioritize technology innovation and leverage partnerships to transform its operations and business model for evolving mail and deliver services, relying on no taxpayer dollars to do so. CIO Pritha Mehra is focused on maintaining a highly resilient telecom network, securing data transfer and embracing new technology. Mehra shares how the agency is using emerging technology like generative AI in its operations, the service's plan for integrating zero trust architecture amid new policy directives, and also how the service is evolving upskilling and recruiting initiatives to attract and retain its workforce.

Cybercrime spans borders and agencies, so governments across the world have to work together to foment cybersecurity. Spain's INCIBE is the Spanish National Institute of Cybersecurity and its version of what the U.S. knows to be CISA. Plus, NATO wants to work more closely with private and academic sectors in cybersecurity matters. The alliance recently chose INCIBE to be the only accelerator of cybersecurity startups of the Atlantic Alliance in Spain through the Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) project to boost transatlantic cooperation in critical technologies. INCIBE Secretary General Carla Redondo Galbarriatu discusses cybersecurity collaboration across borders, women in the technology sector and Spain's emergence as a cybersecurity global leader.

The White House's National Cybersecurity Strategy tasks government agencies, industry and other organizations with guarding against cyber crime across the online environment. For the FBI, the strategy amplified and clarified the Bureau's role across law enforcement efforts. FBI Cyber Deputy Assistant Director Cynthia Kaiser discussed at the RSA Conference in San Francisco how the strategy's agile approach to cybersecurity and how it strengthens defenses. She also discusses how the good guys stay ahead of the bad guys and how partnerships help law enforcement find malicious cyber actors.

In 2023, Operation Cookie Monster disrupted the Genesis Market, which trafficked in selling digital fingerprints and credentials to the cyber underground. According to FBI agents, Genesis Market was a superstore for cybercriminals, spanning small crimes and massive theft. Led by the FBI, the operation brought together private industry, U.S. law enforcement and international partners. FBI Intelligence Analyst Thomas Gathman and Supervisory Special Agent Amanda Knutson discussed at the RSA Conference in San Francisco the lessons learned from Operation Cookie Monster and how federal law enforcement efforts are disrupting these illicit markets.

The Department of Veterans Affairs' new digital tool monitors hundreds of agency applications for glitches and other technical issues and sends alerts to remediate any detected problem in a matter of hours. This program, called Watchtower, shrinks the time that critical services are out of commission and ultimately prevents major disruptions to services for veterans. In some cases, Watchtower was able to preemptively identify issues before they became apparent. Overseeing the program is Bill Chapman, director of engineering in VA's Office of the CTO. He discusses more of these details about the program and how the agency is assessing its performance.