Issue 5: May 25, 2006

• The Buzz: Internet is increasingly important to Americans, Pew Report shows



• CIO Spotlight: Larry A. Olson, Chief Technology Officer, State of Texas



• International: Tim Young Takes the E-Gov Business Case to Mexican CIOs



• E-Gov Initiatives: $192 Million will be spent on Presidential E-Gov Initiatives in 2006



• USA Services: New procurement and publishing services for Federal agencies



• Veterans' Information: Following the theft of 26.5 million veterans' records, USA Services helps the VA answer questions at 1-800-FEDINFO and www.firstgov.gov/veteransinfo.



• Cyber Security NIST issues Draft Guide for IT Security Performance Metrics



• State and Local: Interoperability is again the top priority for State Homeland Security Directors



• Clinger-Cohen Act: Executive Order 13011 is revoked



• IT Contractors: Top 100 Federal Prime Contractors in 2006



• Kudos: 18 Finalists for Harvard's Innovations in American Government Awards; Team and Individual IRMCO Award Winners; 12 GCN IT Leadership Award Winners; and the Government Communicator of the Year



• Transitions: Changes in the IT Community



• Upcoming Events Calendar



• Comments: We welcome your feedback at dotgovbuzz@gsa.gov.

Since a few years ago, millions more Americans have come to rely on the Internet for information to help themselves or loved ones cope with major illnesses, according to a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

The research, reported in "The Internet's Growing Role in Life's Major Moments," and released May 2, is based on a March 2005 survey that asked respondents whether they had helped someone deal with a major illness or health condition within the past two years and, if they had, what role the Internet played in this event.

Survey results in 2005 showed that 12% of online adults, representing 17 million citizens, said the Internet played a crucial or important role as they helped another person cope with a major illness. This represents a 55% increase over the response to the same question in a January 2002 survey that represented 11 million.

In addition, the 2005 survey found that those who said the Internet played a crucial or important role as they themselves coped with a major illness represented 7 million adults.

A related survey in December 2005 found that 20% of online Americans said the Internet has greatly improved the way they get information about health care. Of these respondents:

• 36% said the Internet helped them find advice or support from other people
• 34% said the Internet helped them find professional or expert services
• 26% said the Internet helped them find information or compare options.

When asked about all of the different sources of information they used, 58% of these caregivers said the Internet was their most important source.

Comparison of other recent Pew survey findings showed that using the Internet has improved other aspects of life for Americans as well. For instance, there were significant increases from March 2001 to December 2005 in the share of online adults who reported the Internet has greatly improved their ability to:

• Shop (16% in 2001 vs. 32% in 2005)
• Pursue hobbies and interests rose (20% in 2001 vs. 33% in 2005)
• Do their job (24% in 2001 vs. 35% in 2005).

State government in Texas is well known for being decentralized, and information technology was no exception. Agencies have a strong sense of independence and are proud of their ability to make their own decisions. Which makes it all the more remarkable that Larry Olson has been able to build the first statewide public IT enterprise in Texas in just two short years.

Olson serves as both the chief executive of the Texas Department of Information Resources and as the Chief Technology Officer for the State of Texas. In those roles, he is accountable for statewide IT policy and the development of shared services for public entities.

"Our goal has been shared success through shared responsibilities, and I think we've demonstrated that here in Texas," says Olson. The State's IT Strategic Plan lays out 10 specific business outcomes and 21 supporting strategies that are heavy on governmental collaboration. The plan is focused on execution. "Our goal is to get something done, not to talk about what we plan to do."

That approach seems to be working. Texas recently initiated a large procurement for the consolidation and outsourcing of the State's 31 data centers that is estimated to be worth more than $150 million per year. In addition, the Texas IT cooperative contracts program allows State, local, and educational public entities in Texas and throughout the country to purchase IT goods and services at discounted prices. The program is set to reach $750 million in revenue during this fiscal year, 83% of it from the voluntary participation of local governments and educational institutions in Texas. Olson's goal is to make the program the provider of choice for public entities.

Collaboration is a broad theme in the creation of a public IT enterprise in Texas. "We have worked hard to institute a belief that 'if you want to innovate, you need to collaborate," Olson said. That commitment allows him to quickly build relationships with other stakeholders inside and outside of state government. "For us, the key to building a public enterprise around IT has been strong participation from State agencies," he said. "Early on, I reached out not just to the CIOs of the different agencies, but to their business leadership and agency heads as well."

That decision now seems to be paying dividends. Olson worked closely with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission in negotiating a contract with IBM to provide hosted e-mail and advanced messaging services. At prices as low as $1.99 per mailbox per month and an estimated blended rate of $3.80, this landmark agreement delivers at least a 45% savings when compared to both agency self-reported costs and published national averages. While the initial contract only reflected 65,000 seats, Olson expects that number to grow significantly as public entities around the country join the program. "This is more than the best financial deal out there," he said. "It also represents a major improvement in security, performance, disaster recovery, and functionality."

Collaboration with the Federal government has been a priority for Olson. When he was in Pennsylvania, he pushed for Federal-State collaboration on Y2K issues and even held a national summit on Y2K for Federal and State CIOs. More recently, he has advised teams working in support of OMB's IT Infrastructure Line of Business initiative. Olson has also taken advantage of Federal expertise by hiring two former officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Naval intelligence to lead the Texas IT security team. Early on in the data center consolidation effort, Olson and his team traveled to Washington, DC, to meet with several Federal CIOs to discuss ways to streamline the Federal approvals process.

Holder of a bachelor's degree in Architecture from Texas Tech University, Olson credits his early training as an architect with giving him the ability to visualize solutions and think outside the box. He gained government experience as chief management officer for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, which is the largest State agency in the United States. He was also the Deputy State Treasurer and the first CIO for Pennsylvania. While there, he earned a place on Federal Computer Week's Federal 100 list of outstanding IT leaders in 1998. He also hosted the first joint State-Federal summit on Y2K preparedness, and negotiated the first international agreement (Singapore, Canada, and Pennsylvania) that was executed with digital signatures.

Olson has drawn on his private-sector experience providing executive advisory services to Fortune 500 companies like ACNielsen, Motorola, Raytheon, and Aetna. He has acted as the business owner or executive advisor on more than $4 billion of successfully negotiated contracts and was the author of a column for Information Week magazine called "The Strategic CIO." "There really isn't as much difference between the way that the public and private sector operate as people think," he said. "We all face the same challenge of doing more with less and using technology to support our prioritized business outcomes."

At the request of the Mexican government, Tim Young, OMB Associate Administrator for E-Government and IT, demonstrated the use of business cases in managing e-government programs for the Mexican CIO Council. His presentation, "Maximizing U.S. Federal Information Technology Investments," was rated "outstanding" by attendees.

Young spoke as one of a series of U.S. experts who are sharing their knowledge with the Mexican CIO Council under the auspices of USAID and an agreement between Karen Evans, OMB Administrator for E-Government and IT, and Mexican CIO Abraham Sotelo. John Sindelar, Acting Associate Administrator, GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy, and Lisa Schlosser, CIO of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, spoke to the Mexicans earlier this year.

The Federal government is spending over $192 million on the 24 quicksilver E-Gov initiatives in fiscal 2006. Government Computer News compiled a list of the funding allocated to each.

Five initiatives account for more than half of the spending. The Integrated Acquisition Environment program tops the list with $36 million. It is managed by GSA, with participation by 24 agencies. The next four programs and their managing partners are:

• E-Vital, Social Security Administration, $21.1 million
• Safecom, Department of Homeland Security, $20.5 million
• E-Travel, GSA, $14.3 million
• E-Rulemaking, EPA, $12.7 million

The least-funded initiative is IRS Free File, managed by the Treasury Department, which will spend $70,000 this year.

USA Services, the Presidential e-gov initiative managed by the GSA Office of Citizen Services and Communications (OCSC), has developed three new services for Federal agencies to help the government become more citizen-centric.

Emergency Procurement Tool Kit: The USA Services team has developed an Emergency Procurement Tool Kit to help agencies obtain immediate vendor support when needed to respond to citizen inquiries during emergencies and natural disasters. Use of the Tool Kit was instrumental in enabling the Department of Veterans Affairs set up a call center immediately after the theft of 26.5 million veterans' records to help concerned veterans protect themselves. (See the story that follows.)

The Tool Kit, a comprehensive user-friendly guide, provides all the documents necessary to use the USA Services FirstContact contract vehicle for contact center services and support, and instructions on how to use them. Accelerating the typical long procurement cycle, FirstContact allows an agency facing an emergency situation to issue a request for quotations to five pre-selected vendors, receive their responses, award a task order and be operational in a few days.

The Tool Kit was developed to reflect the lessons-learned during the response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in September and October 2005. Four task orders were awarded under FirstContact, which resulted in the handling of over 1.5 million hurricane-related calls and e-mails.

The Tool Kit includes, among other documents, examples of an Interagency Agreement, Statement of Work, Source Selection Plan and two case studies.

FirstGov Web Solutions Task Order: FirstGov.gov, the leading USA Services channel, and other citizen-facing Federal e-Gov initiatives will now be able to obtain hosting and other Web services under a new Task Order awarded under the Millenia GWAC. FirstGov Technologies and the GSA Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM) made the award May 15 to Raytheon Information Solutions.

Initially, the Task Order will provide Web solutions for FirstGov.gov and the Small Business Administration's Forms.gov and Business.gov. Under a $71 million spending limit, up to 25 other citizen-facing initiatives could use the task order during its five-year life.

"For the first time, agencies with citizen-facing applications will be able to obtain the same type of hosting and Web services that FirstGov uses," J.R. Murphy, Director of FirstGov Technologies said.

Federal Citizen Information Center Publication Services: Another USA Services information channel, the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) distributes Federal publications through its distribution center in Pueblo, CO. Under an interagency agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), FCIC is providing reimbursable publishing, warehousing and distribution services to disseminate 6 million FTC publications on how to avoid fraud and be better informed consumers.

FCIC has also developed an online publication ordering system for the FTC, which allows consumers to read, download and order approximately 200 English and Spanish publications on topics such as buying a car, managing credit, preventing identity theft and protecting their privacy, among others.

Over the weekend following the recent theft of 26.5 million veterans' records, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) quickly put in place a call center and website to answer questions about the implications of the theft and the steps veterans can take to protect themselves from misuse of their personal information.

The call center, at 1-800-FEDINFO, operates from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (EDT) Monday to Saturday. It can handle up to 260,000 toll-free calls a day.

The latest information on VA data security is posted on Firstgov.gov, the U.S. government's official Web portal, at www.firstgov.gov/veteransinfo.

Using the USA Services FirstContact contract and its Emergency Procurement Tool Kit, the VA was able to set up the call center and website within three days, far more quickly than a typical call-center procurement, which can take many weeks.

The database contains identifying information, including names, Social Security Numbers and dates of birth for veterans and some spouses, as well as some disability ratings, but it does not include any of VA's electronic health records or financial information.

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies have launched full-scale investigations into the incident, which occurred May 3 when a data analyst employed by VA took home electronic data in violation of VA policies. The data was stolen during a burglary at the employee's home. Authorities believe it is unlikely the perpetrators had any knowledge of the data content or how to use it.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released for public comment the initial draft of its Guide for Developing Performance Metrics for Information Security (SP 800-80).

The guide provides a methodology for linking agencies' IT security program performance to agency performance, "tying information security controls, implementation, efficiency and effectiveness to an agency's success in its mission-critical activities."

Along with two other NIST publications, Security Metrics Guide for Information Technology Systems (SP 800-55) and Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems (SP 800-53), it will help agencies comply with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA).

The publications offer templates and metrics to facilitate implementation for each of the 17 security controls identified in SP 800-53 that agencies should use to protect their IT systems.

Comments on the draft should be sent to 800-80comments@nist.gov by June 19.

A year after passage of the REAL ID Act, which requires states to adopt certain standards, procedures and requirements for issuing drivers licenses and identification cards if they are to be accepted by the Federal government, several state organizations have issued a report expressing their "critical concerns" about implementing the Act.

"State Implementation Recommendations," a review conducted by the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, was submitted to the Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with implementing the Act.

Enacted in May 2005 despite the opposition of the states, "the statute will have a wide-reaching impact on citizens and states because it will require changes to all 240 million existing licenses and IDs, and alter the business practices of every state motor vehicle agency," the document states.

"There is simply not sufficient time to implement the requirements" by the deadline of May 2008, the groups contend, adding that the states will need at least another eight years to comply.

The report lists several concerns raised by the statute, makes several recommendations and identifies Federal actions required to facilitate implementation. The concerns enumerated in the report include:

• The Act could increase visits to state motor vehicle agencies by over 75% annually.
• Implementation will require additional staff, facilities, training and equipment.
• Because each jurisdiction "will face the challenges of implementation from a different demographic, operational, legislative, technological and fiscal status," regulations must provide maximum flexibility.
• There is not sufficient time to implement the statutory requirements.

The report's recommendations encompass a wide range of concerns, including:

• Definition of the "official purpose" for which the Federal government will require compliant IDs, and of the meaning of "full legal names"
• Extending the timeframe for the states to renew all drivers licenses and IDs until May 2016
• Permitting the states to "self-certify" compliance with the REAL ID requirements
• Privacy issues regarding the information required and access to it
• Verification and retention of eligibility and identity documents.

President Bush signed an order May 12 revoking Executive Order 13011 of July 16, 1996, on Federal Information Technology. There was no comment on the action, which was one of several executive order amendments processed at the same time.

Executive Order 13011 provided policy guidance for improving the acquisition and management of IT by implementing the Clinger-Cohen Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Among other provisions, it called for the establishment of the Federal CIO Council as the principal interagency forum to improve Agency practices on such matters as the design, modernization, use, sharing, and performance of information resources.

The CIO Council and other provisions of the executive order have since become law through enactment of the E-Government Act of 2002, making the executive order unnecessary.

Thirteen companies brought in over $1 billion apiece last year as prime contractors to the Federal government. They topped the 2006 list of top 100 Federal prime contractors published in Washington Technology Magazine May 15.

The list shows that the top five Federal contractors the same five as last year, although General Dynamics Corp. rose in rank from number five to number four and Computer Sciences Corp. dropped from four to five. The 13 that topped $1 billion last year, and their revenues were:

The list, which was compiled by market research firm Federal Sources, Inc., ranks companies according to their revenue from prime contracts. It is based on 117 product service codes selected by Washington Technology to represent the most accurate snapshot of government spending on IT, telecommunications and systems integration work. The contract information is a compilation of all contract obligations over $25,000 reported by agencies to the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation.

Innovations in American Government: Eighteen Federal, state, city and county government programs were named finalists for the prestigious 2006 Innovations in American Government Awards. Chosen from among more than 1,000 applicants, they will compete for seven $100,000 prizes to be presented July 10 at the Excellence in Government Conference in Washington, DC.

The Innovations in American Government Awards are considered the "Oscars" of good government, given by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and administered by the Council for Excellence in Government.

The finalists include four Federal, six state, two county and six municipal programs that found innovative ways to solve difficult problems and "represent government's great capacity for creating positive change and achieving results," according to Gowher Rizvi, Director of the Ash Institute. The winners will be chosen for their novelty and creativity, effectiveness at addressing significant issues and problems and ability to be replicated by other jurisdictions.

The Ash Institute at Harvard fosters excellence in government around the world to generate and strengthen democracy. The Council for Excellence in Government is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to improve government performance by strengthening results-oriented management and creative leadership in the public sector, and to build understanding by focusing public discussion on government's role and responsibilities.

IRMCO Awards: Teresa Sorrenti, Director, GSA Office of Acquisition Systems, was honored April 26 with the 2006 Interagency Resources Management Conference (IRMCO) Award for creating the Integrated Acquisition Environment, a cross-agency team of procurement, finance and IT experts from civilian and defense agencies. The IRMCO Award is given annually for demonstrating exceptional ability to operate across organizational boundaries to improve the government's services to its citizens.

The IRMCO Award team winner was the Military Service Expedited Claims Process Team, representing a cross-section of employees from the Social Security Administration and the Department of Defense. During the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the team put in place the SSA Military Service Expedited Claims Process, which reduced the processing time for military claims from two weeks to one day. The award was accepted by:

• Patricia Ferraro, Chief, Operations Support Branch, Mid-Atlantic Program Service Center, SSA Philadelphia Region
• Robert McBride, Operations Manager, Mid-Atlantic Program Service Center, SSA Philadelphia Region
• Mark Ward, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Family Policy, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Military Community and Family Policy).

GCN IT Leadership Awards: Government Computer News named 12 winners of its 2006 GCN IT Leadership Awards. Winners were chosen for their accomplishment in "helping transform government with their vision-and the ability to rally fellow employees around that vision." The winners, reported May 1, are:

• Thurman Higginbotham, Arlington National Cemetery
• Barbara Hoffman, Office of the CIO, Navy Department
• David Songco, National Institutes of Health
• Debra Bonner, Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support
• Rebecca Spitzgo, Grants.gov E-Gov Initiative
• Avie Snow, U.S. Coast Guard
• Teresa Sorrenti, Integrated Acquisition Environment E-Gov Initiative, GSA
• Maj. Kevin Watts, U.S. Army
• Susan Smoter, Internal Revenue Service
• Sajeel Ahmed, Department of Defense
• Michael Taylor, Pitt County, NC
• Patricia Curtis, Leon County, FL

Government Communicator of the Year: The National Association of Government Communicators named National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield the Government Communicator of the Year for 2005. "Mayfield exemplified the best qualities of a government communicator," according to the NAGC selection committee. "He provided and continues to communicate timely, accurate, meaningful information. He has gained the public trust, and, in so doing, his warnings are taken seriously, resulting in thousands of lives being saved." The award was announced May 12.

Also available in pdf 721 kb

GCN Government IT Leadership Conference
Washington, DC
May 24

NASCIO Mid-year Conference (National Association of State CIOs)
Washington, DC
May 31-June 2

ACT Management of Change Conference
Hilton Head Island, SC
June 4-7

Digital Government Institute: Electronic Records Management
Washington, DC
June 5-6

AFFIRM Annual Awards Luncheon and Installation of Officers
Washington, DC
June 14

Government Customer Support Conference 2006
Arlington, VA
June 14-15

The 2nd Annual Government Health IT Conference & Exhibition
Washington, DC
June 15-16

AFCEA's TechNet International
Washington, DC
June 19-20

Governing Managing Technology
Philadelphia, PA
June 20-23

Excellence in Government Conference
Washington, DC
July 10-11

CIO Council IT Quarterly Forum on Project Management
Washington, DC
July 13, 2006

itsGov Technology Buying at Year-End Showcase
Washington, DC
July 26

Western Information Technology Council
Stateline, NV
August 6-9

National Association of Government Webmasters Conference
Reno, NV
September 27-28

American Council for Technology Executive Leadership Conference
Williamsburg, VA
October 29-31

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Please send your comments, concerns, complaints and questions to dotgovbuzz@gsa.gov.

Check out our previous editions at www.firstgov.gov/dotgovbuzz.html.

The DotGov Buzz is produced by the following individuals in the GSA Office of Citizen Services and Communications:

Darlene Meskell
Ted Cogdell
Bryant Jones
Ernestine Ramsay