Shut-in
The Essentials Newsletter, Forty-sixth Edition
As I write this, it is Friday, day three of the federal government’s latest shutdown. I do not intend to delve into the myriad reasons these keep happening nor do I intend to seriously predict when the shutdown will end (but if I were a betting person, I would bet $2 that a deal will be made over the weekend with the shutdown ended early next week).
I’ve been in the Washington, D.C., area since graduating from college, so I’ve seen a lot, including many shutdowns, debt limit fights, impeachment proceedings for two presidents, several blizzards shutting down the city, 9/11, the ricin attacks (look it up!), the D.C. sniper, an earthquake, etc. There’ve also been many good things – large and small – which is why I’ve stayed, despite ongoing risks.
Of course, keeping the trains running on time or responding to many of these events would not be possible without our robust critical infrastructure sectors (CI), most of which are not dependent on the federal government for their core functions. An abject lesson for the future – the federal government’s budget and focus are, obviously, changeable, so CI sectors should calibrate their relationships with the federal government accordingly. However, there are some areas where the federal government excels, and these strengths should be leveraged by CI, whether in the short-term or the long-term. Because of the current administration’s focus on cutting budgets, this latest shutdown got me thinking about how the federal government can tap into those core competencies for critical infrastructure sectors “on the cheap.” Here are some thoughts:
Convene CI sectors across certain verticals that need to be in a room together for open dialogue. Broken record alert here – I’ve been encouraging such convening for months now, especially related to supply chain issues. The federal government is uniquely positioned to convent stakeholders, whether through conversational forums, meetings or educational conferences, the latter which can be paid for by charging attendees. CI sector leaders want to be “in the room where it happens,” so they will attend if asked to by the government. Unusual pairings between CI sectors could result in real progress on low-hanging fruit-type issues – consider healthcare and electricity leaders, for example, and the progress that could be made in understanding how hospitals are withstanding major weather events nationwide. Shutting people into a room together will result in progress, especially if there are well-captured action items, but even if people just learn something and meet other leaders.
Technical assistance (TA). I have worked with national labs, and so I know first-hand how incredible their technical assistance offerings are. While not “cheap” per se, the TA work is often an outcropping of the pure research that comprises the labs’ core mission. The researchers learn interesting things that can help out CI sectors. While the broader energy sector, including state energy offices, is blessed to be the primary beneficiary of the labs’ work, there are often applications across CI sectors.
Data/information/reports. Again, not outright cheap, but not a significant addition to existing core missions. Federal agencies provide tons of data to businesses, including CI sectors, as well as to individuals. Much of it is readily available online. I’m most familiar with the data provided by the Energy Information Administration under the Department of Energy as well as the Bureau of Labor Statistics under the Department of Labor and the Department of Agriculture’s statistics about agricultural commodities. It’s really good stuff enabling better decisions.
Open meetings. The vast majority of congressional hearings and legislative mark-ups are open to the public. The individuals who testify at such hearings must provide written testimony that is posted online, providing a wealth of information on CI issues in addition to the oral testimony and Q&A that can be viewed live or online later. Regulatory agencies typically hold open meetings, and some cabinet-level agencies make certain efforts public. Again, this is not cheap, per se, but it is part of the core process. CI sectors and vendors serving these sectors can glean a great deal from these interactions.
This is just where my mind went – I’m sure there are other things. As CI sectors, I hope we can remember to access these resources. As the federal government, when the shutdown is over, I hope the idea of convening various CI sectors, even those less directly linked, will be a priority, especially as major national security and economic security initiatives are pending (“winning the AI race” for example).