Source: Buzzfeed
As some of Obama’s signature achievements face termination or overhaul in Donald Trump’s new Washington, one part of the president’s legacy, government officials say, will endure: the movement to bring government tech into the 21st century.
It’s no secret that much of Silicon Valley, a progressive stronghold, favored Hillary Clinton over Trump — reflected in campaign contributions and endorsements as well as broader agreement on social and economic policies. (Although, billionaire investor Peter Thiel very publicly backed Trump.) While the tech industry will have to reckon with the shifting politics of the Trump administration, Obama’s efforts to build a pipeline of talent from Silicon Valley to Washington will also be tested under a president whose campaign promises contradict many technologists’ values.
But Rob Cook, the new Commissioner of the government’s Technology Transformation Service, and former Pixar executive, is optimistic. Cook, who took charge in late October, oversees both 18F, the government’s in-house developer and digital consultancy, and the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program, which recruits elite engineers, designers, and data scientists for tours of duty within federal agencies.So although Trump’s successful campaign was defined in part by his inflammatory and divisive rhetoric, Cook believes the goal of initiatives like 18F, and the motivations for technologists seeking government work, haven’t changed.
For Cook, working on projects for agencies like the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services promise vast impact, and serve as an unmatched recruiting tool for tech talent. “If you fix something here, the number of lives you touch is huge. People are not in it for the stock options.”
US Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith offered similar remarks at the Politico event. “These people are excited about the work they’re doing; they’re committed to it.” She also noted that positions within USDS are not tied to Obama’s time in office. “These positions weren’t set up as political positions. They’re term positions,” she said, meaning their projects will extend into the Trump administration. Smith is the third person to serve as US CTO, a position created by Obama. Whether that role will exist under president Trump and who might fill it remains to be seen.
“I don’t think it’s a party issue,” said Tony Scott, the federal government’s Chief Information Officer, about recruiting technologists to work in Washington. Scott, who also spoke at the Politico conference, believes the bigger question is what the Trump administration’s priorities will be. “I know that a lot of people are watching and anxiously awaiting and…me too. But I think it’s too early to make any prediction about which way things go,” he said.
How the Trump White House handles digital privacy and surveillance, for instance, may affect how tech companies operate and whether tech workers choose to serve in the administration.
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| Donald Trump |
As some of Obama’s signature achievements face termination or overhaul in Donald Trump’s new Washington, one part of the president’s legacy, government officials say, will endure: the movement to bring government tech into the 21st century.
It’s no secret that much of Silicon Valley, a progressive stronghold, favored Hillary Clinton over Trump — reflected in campaign contributions and endorsements as well as broader agreement on social and economic policies. (Although, billionaire investor Peter Thiel very publicly backed Trump.) While the tech industry will have to reckon with the shifting politics of the Trump administration, Obama’s efforts to build a pipeline of talent from Silicon Valley to Washington will also be tested under a president whose campaign promises contradict many technologists’ values.
But Rob Cook, the new Commissioner of the government’s Technology Transformation Service, and former Pixar executive, is optimistic. Cook, who took charge in late October, oversees both 18F, the government’s in-house developer and digital consultancy, and the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program, which recruits elite engineers, designers, and data scientists for tours of duty within federal agencies.So although Trump’s successful campaign was defined in part by his inflammatory and divisive rhetoric, Cook believes the goal of initiatives like 18F, and the motivations for technologists seeking government work, haven’t changed.
For Cook, working on projects for agencies like the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services promise vast impact, and serve as an unmatched recruiting tool for tech talent. “If you fix something here, the number of lives you touch is huge. People are not in it for the stock options.”
US Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith offered similar remarks at the Politico event. “These people are excited about the work they’re doing; they’re committed to it.” She also noted that positions within USDS are not tied to Obama’s time in office. “These positions weren’t set up as political positions. They’re term positions,” she said, meaning their projects will extend into the Trump administration. Smith is the third person to serve as US CTO, a position created by Obama. Whether that role will exist under president Trump and who might fill it remains to be seen.
“I don’t think it’s a party issue,” said Tony Scott, the federal government’s Chief Information Officer, about recruiting technologists to work in Washington. Scott, who also spoke at the Politico conference, believes the bigger question is what the Trump administration’s priorities will be. “I know that a lot of people are watching and anxiously awaiting and…me too. But I think it’s too early to make any prediction about which way things go,” he said.
How the Trump White House handles digital privacy and surveillance, for instance, may affect how tech companies operate and whether tech workers choose to serve in the administration.
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