Imagine you are planning an expensive Hawaiian vacation—your first in two years. One of the first things you check is whether any of the costs are refundable if something were to prevent you from going. When you learn you could lose your deposit if you pull out of the trip, you plan to buy trip insurance just to be safe. In other words, you've identified a risk and found a way to mitigate it.
This is the fifth article of our six-part power of a problem series. Missed the last article? Read it the previous article here.
This is the final article of our six-part power of a problem series. Missed any of the previous articles in the series? Read previous articles in this series here.
As you enter into new federal award agreements this year, keep in mind they will likely have reporting requirements. We first ran this article in March 2022, but due to its importance, we're republishing it as a reminder.
Almost every federal program award requires recipients to file reports, which could include financial, performance and other special purpose reporting. Awarding agencies rely on these reports to ensure recipients used federal funds to achieve program objectives, which helps them make future funding decisions.
This is the fourth article of our six-part power of a problem series. Missed the last article? Read our last article in the series here.
Washington's state and local governments possess countless IT systems that provide critical government services and handle vital and sometimes very personal data. The public expects government to do all it can to ensure that these systems are secure so critical services can be delivered and data stored in those systems is not lost, stolen or damaged.
The State Auditor's Office plays a unique role in keeping an independent eye on government IT security. We work with state and local governments to help improve their cybersecurity programs through audits and outreach activities.
As a manager, you've likely come to think of problems as bad things. They are something you need to get rid of or fix as quickly as possible. Problems cause pain, anxiety and stress—for you, your staff and your organization. So it's only natural to view problems with a wary eye and a sigh before you cast about for a quick solution to make them go away.
This is the second article of our six-part power of a problem series. Missed the introductory article? Read it our introductory article here.
This is the third article of our six-part power of a problem series. Missed the last article? Read our last article in the series here.