Interview transcript:

Terry Gerton You’ve worked across several different executive branch agencies and done a lot of things. Tell us what first drew you into public service.

Kshemendra Paul I came into public service in 2005 into the Department of Justice, in large measure because I was presented with an opportunity to be part of the solution, to be a part of something bigger than myself post 9/11. So for many years, I was part of structural response in the government to the tragic events on 9/11: improving information sharing, more effective use of technology at a pretty interesting and challenging time for the nation.

Terry Gerton Sounds like that got you hooked. How did you find it moving across different federal agencies?

Kshemendra Paul It did get me hooked. I came from the private sector — took a little bit of a pay cut because of the attraction to the mission. Two years in, I was getting ready to start thinking about maybe what’s next for me. I thought that was going back to the private sector, but that was right around the time when I got outreach from Karen Evans and Dick Burke in White House, in the Office of Management and Budget. And they asked me to come up and be the federal chief architect. I had to do a gut call; it was a big job. I decided I love working and doing the public service mission. I said yes, and I went up there and just continued in OMB and then later as the presidentially designated governmentwide lead for information-sharing under President Obama. At that point, I decided to just stick with it. And I have no regrets. I’m just full of gratitude for the opportunities I had, for the people that held me up, and the exciting and interesting work I was able to do.

Terry Gerton You just mentioned some pretty massive and impressive projects. As you look back, is there any one accomplishment or success or program that you go, yes, that’s what it was really all about, that’s where I’m especially proud?

Kshemendra Paul  I have many of those, but my first success, maybe my first love in the public sector, was leading something called the National Information Exchange Model. I was asked soon after coming into the Department of Justice by the then-CIO Van Hitch to take a look and help out and lead the project. I was really pleased to be able to do that with state and local partners, with DHS, other federal partners, and deliver the first version of the exchange model — really providing a core technical aspect of the government’s response post-9/11. Semantic interoperability, right? With computer systems, you have data stovepipes and what terms mean doesn’t necessarily translate across system boundaries, much less boundaries of endeavor like law enforcement, homeland security, intelligence and levels of government. And that was a problem that we solved successfully with the NIEM. Now it’s 20 years old and actually successfully transitioned to OASIS as an international standards body and a standard itself. That effort was a great introduction to the possibility of transformation using data and technology in the public sector.

Terry Gerton Well, data and technology have changed a lot in the last 20 years. Is your sense that the government is able to keep pace?

Kshemendra Paul I think the government does a lot, and there’s a lot of folks across the federal workforce that are quite capable and committed. But the government has challenges, large bureaucracies. Some of that is related to the political process. When I first came into government, the government budget process seemed to work, more or less. That’s dropped off over the years and that’s cascaded; the budget process really is the keystone management process, and I’m a management guy. That dropping off really caused some consternation and made it more difficult. The prevalence of shutdowns, we just went through the longest shutdown, that didn’t help. So there’s challenges, and that was actually a key theme of the conference. We focused at the NAPA conference, the National Academy of Public Administration, on the challenges that the public sector faces, but also the fact that these are long-standing challenges, the drop of trust in government, in some ways the ossification of public administration, and the opportunity for reinvention in this moment — never let a crisis go to waste.

Terry Gerton I’m speaking with Kshemendra Paul. He’s a former senior federal data and tech leader and a newly elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. Kshemendra, you’re joining the Academy at a time when public trust in government is under pressure. How do you hope to participate with the Academy and jointly help the government address some of these issues associated with public trust?

Kshemendra Paul My lane is data, information sharing and technology applied to government to perform and improve government performance. As a part of the Academy, I’m hoping that what I bring to the table can be melded and remixed with the other 1,000 fellows that have different perspectives. They can help make me better and I can help make them better, and together the Academy can put forward positive, constructive and respectful prescriptions for what’s next. I think that’s a major role and a theme at the conference. I also am keen to carry forward ideas about open government. Government needs to be transparent. Government needs to be participatory. Government needs to be collaborative. And I really think that using data in smart and innovative ways to help with setting incentives and organizational design and organizational incentives offers new opportunities for public administration.

Terry Gerton You’re joining this group of a thousand people who’ve had long careers in public service. If you were speaking to someone from the next generation maybe, how would you encourage them to consider a career in public service?

Kshemendra Paul It’s so important not to get caught up and react to the moment, but to be reflective and smart and strategic and respond in the moment. And that response is informed by your values, informed by what makes public administration and public service so important. I think public administration — vigorous public administration that’s transparent and responsive, that works across levels of government — really keeps with the constitutional design that’s reflected in the Federalist Papers and in our constitution as written. So that’s the eye on the prize. A vigorous, effective government is so important to restoring trust in government, to underpinning our democracy and our federated republic. I think the next generation can be part of that solution and respond to the sound of cannon, so to speak, maybe in some way like I did after 9/11 and generations have done so in the past.

The post From DOJ to VA, Kshemendra Paul’s journey exemplifies lasting public service first appeared on Federal News Network.

Interview transcript

Terry Gerton You have had an amazing career, really, multi-sector, across all kinds of dimensions and a focus on cyber security. What drew you into public administration and the public space?

Diana Burley I really wanted to make sure that technology and technology changes worked for all people. And so, you know, I often tell a story about my grandmother and me being excited and telling her about some new innovation that was going to happen on the World Wide Web back in the ’90s. And she just looked at me like, that’s not… exciting, and what about the people that I’m going to speak with, you know, that I won’t get to speak with anymore and the stories that I won’t hear in the community. And that’s really what struck me is that as we think about all the wonderful things that technology can do to make our lives more efficient, and in many ways, better. We cannot forget about the people and making sure that as we implement these new technologies, we are doing it in a responsible way.

Terry Gerton It’s kind of hard to even imagine, if you look back, the massive change in our lives as a result of technology. How have you kept yourself on the cutting edge of policy and talent?

Diana Burley I read a lot. I read lot, I listen a lot to podcasts and radio stations and interviews and I engage with the community. I think that in cybersecurity, especially when I would talk to my students, I made sure that they understood that this is not a career space where you can learn it and then go do it and forget about learning. It is truly an example of a space where you have to be continuously learning and engaging. And be excited about that. And so that’s what I do.

Terry Gerton As you think about your career, it’s full of recognitions and accomplishments and impact. Is there one thing maybe that stands out that you’re most proud of or a place where you think you really had an impact?

Diana Burley You know, every now and then, I will hear from a former student or even a former student that I didn’t actually teach but that saw me speak somewhere, or that heard me give advice to someone, and they’ll reach out just out of the blue and thank me or tell me something about their careers and really that is the greatest feeling — to know that you have positively impacted someone and help them to continue to grow.

Terry Gerton And in the technology space, there’s a lot of talk these days that technology has a real responsibility in terms of our lack of trust or our loss of trust in institutions. As you’re a new fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, how do you see the role right now for public administration and public institutions in rebuilding that trust?

Diana Burley Well, public institutions have a significant responsibility. It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure that the work that we are doing is done in a transparent way and in a way that the communities and the citizens that we’re working to serve are able to not just hear the end, not just understand the decision or see or deal with the decision, but actually understand the process. And have an opportunity to engage in that process.

Terry Gerton Well, you’re certainly in a position where you have an impact on that leading research at the Brookings Institution. Are there particular policies or approaches that you would recommend, especially in the cybersecurity space, to help build that trust back?

Diana Burley It’s really all about transparency. I mean, that really is not just the practice that I think is important, but it’s also what I believe should be the core of the policy solutions, is making sure that people understand the rules of the road, how data was incorporated into the systems, how their data is being used, really making sure that individuals have some sense of agency and ownership over their own personal selves. We used to just think about agency over our physical selves, but now we have to believe that it is also important for us to have agency over digital selves. And that to me is the most important thing, regardless of who the people are.

Terry Gerton I’m speaking with Dr. Diana Burley. She’s the senior vice president of research at the Brookings Institution and a newly elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. Diana, becoming a NAPA fellow is a big milestone. It’s sort of a culminating credit to your career. What does it mean to you personally to be inducted into that organization? It feels good to know.

Diana Burley That my work is being recognized for the impact. Napa Fellows and there are so many just extraordinary members of the Napa Academy, their work has made a difference and their work continues to make a difference. And that has always been my goal is to make sure that the work that I was doing had an impact, positive impact on someone’s life. And so this recognition helps me to just know that that is true even in some.

Terry Gerton The Academy’s got its fingers in lots of different pies and it’s a cross-sector community. How are you hoping to be engaged with the work that NAPA has ongoing?

Diana Burley I’m going to continue doing what I do onto digital transformation and thinking about how technology can help us serve the public better and help us be more efficient in the ways that we conduct our work. And so I am going to engage with the Academy in those spaces and just make sure that I’m bringing the best of.

Terry Gerton Of what I know to the work. One of Napa’s big focuses is on building the next generation of public servants. If you were chatting with a young person today who was still considering a future in public service, what advice would you have for them? Come join us.

Diana Burley You know, public service is so important. It really is the backbone of our democracy. The individuals who work in these public spaces, they don’t do it for accolades. They don’t it for lots of money. They do it because they believe in making our society work and in helping each other. And so I do believe that it’s not just a mission, it’s a calling. And I would encourage every young person to take advantage of the opportunity.

Terry Gerton They have it. Any particular guidance for folks who might think about a career in cybersecurity? Be willing to keep learning.

Diana Burley You have to read constantly, learn constantly, engage with people. And if you do that, you will be able to continue to move forward in cybersecurity.

The post A new honor for a leader who’s shaped cybersecurity policy and talent across sectors first appeared on Federal News Network.