The federal government has a long history of creating and deploying innovative science and technology solutions – but institutional complexity and bureaucratic bottlenecks too often stifle its ability to solve problems. Amongst the many challenges facing the legislative and executive branches, tools and approaches currently exist that can dramatically increase government’s ability to deliver for the American people, but these tools remain underappreciated and underutilized.
The Federation of American Scientists aims to help the government identify, define, prioritize and champion solutions to society’s most pressing needs, with a focus on financial mechanisms, modernization, and talent and hiring as key drivers for change.
Throughout this phase of work, there are many actions hiring managers and staffing specialists can take to streamline the process and improve the quality of eligible candidates. Most importantly, hiring managers and staffing specialists can collaborate within and across agencies to expedite and simplify the process.
With a collaborative, cross-agency lens and a commitment to engaging jobseekers where they live, the government can enhance its ability to attract talent while underscoring to Americans that the federal government is not a distant authority but rather a stakeholder in their communities that offers credible opportunities to serve.
FAS reached out to over 55 civil servants who work across six agencies and 17 different offices to lea about their experiences trying to hire for permitting-related roles in the implementation of IRA, BIL, and CHIPS.
Investing in interventions behind the walls is not just a matter of improving conditions for incarcerated individuals—it is a public safety and economic imperative. By reducing recidivism through education and family contact, we can improve reentry outcomes and save billions in taxpayer dollars.
The federal government plays a critical role in correcting bias in technologies and incentivizing future processes for equitable innovation.
The urgency of building new clean energy infrastructure creates a critical window of opportunity for permitting reform.
We are working with development experts to identify a set of cost-effective interventions and pathways to scale within USAID and other federal programs.
Both established and new approaches to federal evidence use — including living evidence synthesis, public engagement, and expert advising — face obstacles to reaching their potential.
