Data and analytics play a crucial role in making informed decisions and increasing the state of knowledge in the military.
The armed forces prioritize innovation and leverage technology and data to improve decision-making and warfighting capabilities.
Deep dives
Introduction of the podcast and guest
In this podcast episode, host Kyle Wintervossum welcomes Paul Evangelista, the chief data officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Paul shares his background, starting from his career as an engineer officer in the Army to his pursuit of a PhD in machine learning. He discusses the role of West Point as a leader development institution, primarily focused on developing leaders of character for the Army. Paul explains his responsibilities as a chief data officer, which include data engineering, innovation, and supporting strategic decisions with data and analytics.
The importance of data in decision-making
Paul emphasizes the value of data and analytics in making informed decisions. He explains that data can expose truth and increase the state of knowledge about the world. He discusses the significance of decision literacy for data and analytics professionals, encouraging them to understand the business problems and decisions that need to be addressed. Paul believes that building relationships with decision-makers is crucial for designing effective tech solutions that align with their needs.
Innovation and the culture of the armed services
Paul highlights the spirit of innovation within the armed services and how it drives the pursuit of leveraging technology and data. He explains that the armed forces prioritize harnessing technology and data to make better decisions and improve warfighting capabilities. Paul mentions examples of historical innovation in military operations research and how the armed forces continue to hire executives from the technology industry, invest in initiatives, and emphasize modernization.
Measuring ROI and success
Paul discusses measuring return on investment in a non-commercial setting. He explains that exposing truth and improving the state of knowledge can inherently create value. Paul also highlights the importance of success metrics such as adoption of systems and analytics, growth of user and contributor communities, underpinning key decisions with data, and providing cost-effective solutions. He emphasizes the value of data and analytics professionals understanding the decisions that leaders need to make to create meaningful and impactful innovations.
In Episode 15 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Paul Evangelista, Chief Data Officer at United States Military Academy at West Point, where they discuss how the armed forces are using Data & Analytics to drive innovation, which includes;
The role of Data in the current US Military Academy
How Data has played a role in the military since the early 1900’s
The maturity journey of Data and Analytics in the US military
The trackers used to measure adoption and usage of Data & Systems
What the success metrics look like in that environment
The importance of empowering leaders at all levels
The importance of culture and executive support
Why becoming 'data-centric' is second on the priority list of the US Army
How the armed forces innovate
Examples of how Data was used in the World Wars
Why the US Government is hiring leaders from the world’s biggest tech players
How the US military has a culture of innovation of change
The role of data on the war in Ukraine
How they calculate ROI in their field
Why we need to focus on decision literacy not data literacy
The gap that exists in the D&A industry
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