CDAO is hosting an Industry Day to enhance industry understanding of the CDAO and its direction.

03/15/2023 at 11:00 PM EST

        The Chief Digital and AI Officer (CDAO) was established 8 Dec 2021 for stronger alignment and synchronization to accelerate decision advantage and generate capabilities for our warfighters. CDAO is the Department’s senior official responsible for strengthening and integrating data, artificial intelligence, and digital solutions in the Department. Industry is a major enabler for the CDAO mission.

      Industry Day 1 (4 April 2023, Mitre 1, McClean, VA): Large group format; Government provided presentations and demonstrations; dedicated periods for open discussion. Materials and discussion will be held to the SECRET//NOFORN level. Day 1 will include vignettes from the following Top 5 Plays / Focus Areas:

 

FOCUS AREA 1: Defend the Nation

 

Defend the Nation ­Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) Data Integration Layer – In FY23, the CDAO will host three Global Information Dominance Experiments focused on defining and delivering a joint data integration layer that will enable INDOPACOM, CENTCOM, NORTHCOM, its components as well as the United Kingdom and Australian partners to access, share, and integrate data to address key operational problems in the Joint Warfighting Concept.  This includes improving workflows to increase speed and accuracy of targeting, and the ability of Combatant Commands (CCMDs) to coordinate global force management and deliver integrated deterrence.  In these experiments, the CDAO will use clear metrics to baseline JADC2 capabilities and measure how JADC2 capabilities impact priority mission threads.

 

Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ML) Enterprise Scaffolding – In FY23, the CDAO will survey DoD Components developing AI/ML-enabled capabilities to identify the enterprise services and infrastructure they most need to accelerate appropriate AI/ML development and adoption.  The CDAO will assess the current AI/ML industry market, which has matured rapidly and significantly in the last few years, to identify how to best leverage industry capabilities and expertise in support of DoD efforts.  The CDAO will then prioritize and begin to deliver in FY23, ramping up in FY24, the necessary DoD enterprise AI/ML scaffolding (i.e., a combination of infrastructure, data, tools, services, and best practices that will help DoD Components build AI/ML capabilities more easily, securely, reliably, and responsibly than today).

 

FOCUS AREA 2: Take Care of Our People

Digital Talent Management Pilot – In FY23, the CDAO will work with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (OUSD) for Personnel and Readiness (P&R) and other DoD Components to scope a pilot for establishing a Defense Digital Corps, a cadre of digital experts aligned to digital positions across the DoD and managed as a unified cohort.  As the community lead for data, analytics, and AI work roles in the cyber workforce, the CDAO will identify positions and people (military and civilian) in a subset of DoD organizations; code positions and people as part of the Digital Corps; and apply best practices for digital talent management from the Defense Digital Service and DoD’s Innovation Workforce Tiger Team (e.g., establishing mentoring, networking, and professional development for the cadre and creating a pipeline to attract, recruit, and flexibly hire digital talent).  The FY23 big play would scope the pilot, develop a plan, and seek approval from the Deputy’s Workforce Council for FY24 execution.

 

FOCUS AREA 3: Succeed Through Teamwork

Business Performance Metrics– In FY23, the CDAO will deliver, in partnership with the Performance Improvement Office and the OUSD for Policy, digital applications and measurable, outcome-based metrics for DoD Components to a ssess progress on the strategic goals and performance measures outlined in the DoD Strategic Management Plan (SMP) and National Defense Strategy Implementation Plan (NDS-I).  The CDAO will also deliver an integrated executive dashboard for the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) and Deputy Secretary of Defense to track progress on DoD priority areas. 

­Improved Data Quality - Quality data is the CDAO’s top priority – it is a prerequisite for trusted analytics and AI.  In FY23, the CDAO will provide data teams to OSD Principal Staff Assistants to improve their ability to access and use quality data across functional communities in support of SECDEF priority areas, the SMP, and the NDS-I.  The CDAO will also continue to mature the Accelerating Data and AI (ADA) teams at CCMDs and the Joint Staff in FY23.  The CDAO will focus on improving the quality of logistics and personnel “core concept data” – the essential data enabling the majority of DoD use cases in these areas – as a pathfinder for improving data quality in other areas.

 

Additional topics for discussion during the event include:

 

• CDAO acquisition vehicles
• CDAO lines of effort vs. products
• CDAO data quality priorities and needs

 

Attendees will be given time to ask the presenters about their material and will be encouraged to discuss their viewpoints and provide feedback to CDAO.

 

Industry Days 2-3 (5 & 6 April 2023): Focus group and/or one-on-one settings to focus on preset topics with industry and are invite only.

        Please submit a statement of interest under the “Challenge Submission” link clearly identifying the following: