Speed to Mission – The New Way of Doing Business at DHS
Insights / Blog

Speed to Mission – The New Way of Doing Business at DHS

Speed to Mission – The New Way of Doing Business at DHS

A ‘big bang’ approach to homeland security projects – where projects take multiple years, have huge scope, cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and are prone to failure – are a thing of the past. While achieving mission results sometimes does take years, homeland security agencies recognize that a strong future vision, achieved through multiple, incremental projects are lower risk, more cost effective, and drive measurable change more quickly.

We see the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) doing smaller, more focused projects on cross-agency information sharing. We see DHS components standing up new enterprise-wide analytics capabilities, using agile approaches to develop new systems, and undertaking mission-specific projects to combat human trafficking and mitigate flood risk.

With the challenges of large projects in mind and a keen eye on new ways to address stagnant budgets, Arc Aspicio strategically recognizes that achieving success requires 1) proven methods, 2) innovation tools, and 3) project accelerators to achieve mission results. For ongoing projects that need ‘new life’ or for new projects that tackle emerging mission challenges.

We call our approach Speed to Mission. It includes building blocks of repeatable processes, templates, tools, and innovation techniques that yield results more quickly than traditional methods used by large, expensive consulting firms and systems integrators.

Speed to Mission starts with a focus on Mission First, including in depth knowledge about the mission, strategy, and goals of a homeland security organization. Who are the key clients and stakeholders and what is most important? How do you make tradeoffs across stakeholders with conflicting demands?

Speed to Mission includes several elements that allow projects to achieve measurable results quickly:

  • Strategic Mission Focus
  • Prioritize Work Based on Client Goals
  • Execute Using Repeatable Methods, Accelerators, and Tools
  • Effectively Manage Schedule, Budget, Quality, and Risk
  • Demonstrate Measurable Results

“Fast” is the new black. Clients demand innovation and want results yesterday. Our solution is to apply our methods and accelerators that we built over the course of more than 60 projects with DHS. We collaborate with clients, inject our Innovation Tools (I-TOOLS), bring homeland-experienced people with a passion for the mission, and focus on mission success. It’s the way we know to earn trust with each of our clients.

About Arc Aspicio
Arc Aspicio is a management, strategy, and technology consulting firm that takes a mission-oriented approach to complex client challenges. Focused on innovation, Arc Aspicio provides services in strategy, design, human capital, operations, analytics and visualization, technology and information sharing. The company is known for a strong, collaborative culture that values gratitude, provides leadership opportunities, and explores the future. Our teams take a human-centered approach to working with clients and are flexible and responsive within dynamic Government client environments where missions evolve and new priorities arise sometimes even daily. We thrive on these situations and promote continuous improvement and new ideas. And, #welovedogs! Follow us on Twitter @arcaspicio or learn more at www.arcaspicio.com.

Blog Arc Aspicio Culture and Vision Speed to Mission

Contributors

Lynn Ann Casey |

Global thought leader and Founder and CEO of Arc Aspicio, Lynn Ann Casey brings unique passion and insight to Government’s toughest challenges including in homeland security, border and transportation security, emergency management, and law enforcement. She is committed to partnering with governments worldwide to think differently, act strategically, innovate and explore, and deliver mission results in partnership with their employees and stakeholders.

Meet Lynn Ann  |  View all Insights by Lynn Ann

△
Reinventing Strategy

Reinventing Strategy

Since the GPRA Modernization Act in 2010, agencies across the Federal Government have raced to establish new Strategic Plans in response to incoming Presidential Administrations and agency leaders. Developing a new Strategic Plan is incredibly exciting for an agency. Leaders can redefine priorities, frontline managers can improve mission performance, and employees can better engage with the mission. Strategy, however, is so much more than just a Strategic Plan.

→
Connor Barrett
, , ,
Running IT Like a Business: How Technology Business Management is Shaping the Future of Federal Agencies

Running IT Like a Business: How Technology Business Management is Shaping the Future of Federal Agencies

As the Government continually looks for ways to increase efficiency and encourage innovation, Information Technology (IT) is emerging as a solution to these needs. Recent Federal guidance mandates all agencies to adopt a new framework for better understanding IT costs. Technology Business Management (TBM) is a framework that incorporates IT departments into the overall business network, shifting away from treating IT as an independent unit. This provides a clear way to evaluate and manage IT, running IT as a business and communicating the value of new IT investments.

→
Michael Boyce
Behavioral Science – Using Behavioral Science to Affect Action

Behavioral Science – Using Behavioral Science to Affect Action

How do organizations encourage behavior change in their customers? Increasingly, they focus on customer experience, and as a consequence employ behavioral science methodologies. At the heart of behavioral science is the consideration of how an organization can make small investments that generate incremental savings/returns while considering both customers and organizational benefits. One example is Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Pre✓® and U.C. Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry programs.

→
Karin Jones
,
Launching into #Action Through Strategy

Launching into #Action Through Strategy

As a new employee, your first company-wide meeting can make you nervous. This was how I felt.

Arc Aspicio’s recent Strategy Launch Day was so well planned and it involved participants so that I learned that I had nothing to worry about! The company treats each employee equally and equips even the newest joiners with the information and skills they need to have a meaningful experience

→
Alexis Hollon
, ,
What Being a Consultant Means to Me

What Being a Consultant Means to Me

As a Consulting Associate at Arc Aspicio, I provide expertise and insight to help clients solve difficult problems. To be successful, a consultant does not need only to be a subject matter expert on their client’s industry and needs - though this often ends up happening over time.

→
Katherine Delk
Captivate Your Audience Through Design+Data

Captivate Your Audience Through Design+Data

So often, senior leaders must communicate their strategic and simple vision in a world of growing complexity. They must make decisions – and frequently explain them – based on an enterprise view of their data. It’s getting easier to do this these days through data visualizations and infographics that speak to specific employee and stakeholder audiences. Design+Data is what we call it at Arc Aspicio.

→
Lynn Ann Casey
,
Chief Data Officers: Six Steps to Manage Data as an Enterprise Asset

Chief Data Officers: Six Steps to Manage Data as an Enterprise Asset

With an exponential increase in the types and quantities of data, organizations need defined strategies and techniques to manage data as an enterprise asset. To create enterprise-wide use of data, a Chief Data Officer (CDO) needs a clear data agenda for leadership and the whole organization to address current and future needs. CDOs should follow this six-part data plan to achieve short term capability gains and plot a path to greater enterprise data maturity.

→
Rob O'Keefe
,
Securing Cyberspace: Agile Strategy to Counter Changing Threats

Securing Cyberspace: Agile Strategy to Counter Changing Threats

Cybersecurity, managing and protecting computer systems from attacks, is evolving just as quickly as the techniques hackers use to cause damage. Historically, the public and private sectors believed that stronger technology and more advanced computer systems alone were enough to prevent attacks. As new trends emerge and the technologies used to both conduct and prevent hackings improve, cybersecurity strategies must remain agile, trying new tactics to counter changing threats.

→
* Arc Aspicio
,
Hacking Back – Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?

Hacking Back – Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?

With the increased frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks worldwide, companies and executives are becoming frustrated with a traditional focus on defensive tactics. As a result, some private sector actors are taking a more active role in cybersecurity by “hacking back” – hacking against the very groups that are attacking their systems in retaliation or to retrieve stolen data. As hacking back rises in popularity, it is important to consider a number of political and legal issues and the risks to counter-terrorism efforts.

→
Katie Vaughan