GSA tees up internal demo days following cuts to tech staff
The General Services Administration is launching an internal demonstration program for agency offices to show how they are using software and technology, including projects that use a new GSA artificial intelligence chatbot and workflow automation, according to an email obtained by FedScoop.
Stephen Ehikian, the agency’s acting administrator and a former Salesforce VP, said in an email to staff that they are encouraged — but not required — to sign up through a form to present a five-minute virtual demonstration for a project at any stage in the development cycle. Staff are asked not to prepare a formal presentation, but to show Ehikian and fellow employees the coding work, design files, infrastructure overviews and more in GSA’s integrated development environment.
“I’m excited to personally emcee these optional meetings and give team members the chance to present their projects with the goal of promoting the cross-pollination of ideas,” Ehikian said in the email. “Leveraging software and technology is essential to reaffirming GSA’s founding mission — leading the way in making government more effective and efficient.”
The presenting staff are asked to begin the demo by explaining what problem they are trying to solve and to “not obfuscate away from code or technical details” while refraining from sharing sensitive or classified data. A GSA spokesperson told FedScoop that the demos do not involve any members of the DOGE, and are not going to be used to inform the reductions in force (RIFs) that have been happening at the GSA.
The GSA last week announced a 50% reduction to Technology Transformation Services. TTS Director Thomas Shedd, a Tesla alum, said last week during a town hall that the agency will only support work that is required by statute and policy, fits into the Trump administration’s definition of “critical” and is prioritized by leadership at GSA “in accordance with the priorities of the administration.”
A source familiar with the inner workings of the U.S. Digital Corps — which is managed by TTS — told FedScoop last month that DOGE employees asked them and others to show coding work in 15-minute touch bases before their termination that was part of the government-wide elimination of probationary employees.
Ehikian said in his email that the team is interested in a “wide range of tech demos” including a “new AI chatbot” and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) bots. The agency’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer plans to present an RPA that it developed, as the OCFO leads the Federal RPA Community of Practice.
DOGE has been looking to find and champion positive achievements, according to The Washington Post, with Shedd reportedly telling staff during a meeting last week that he needs “wins to defend.”
