# Presentation: 479253

## The State of US Federal eGovernment

- Mary Mitchell
- GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy
- policyworks.gov

- 5th Annual GTMC

**Notes:**
The following is a briefing on the impact of E-government.

## Trends Driving Government Transformation

**Government**

**Notes:**
Citizens are demanding more and better on-line services, 
Public does not care how government is organized and are demanding customer centric delivery: 
	communities like Access America
	process oriented	
Increasing push to bring on private sector partners
	leverage capabilities
	share cost and risk   
Changing needs and dramatically increased competition for 
technical workers, 
increased global competition, 
show progress and focus on outcome, not outputs 
better access, increased accountability
Extend innovation from existing base into government operations 
 ATMs
 800 #s - call centers instead of in
 Internet - information and transactions
 7x24 availability
Real time problem resolution
Deflation (lower cost of operation of gov’t pgm), not increases
Anywhere

## Key eGov Findings

- Most government Web sites are informational, serving as an additional dissemination channel
- Government Internet development is typically fragmented and disparate due to different origins of revenues and lack of overall strategy.
- Despite fragmentation, government Web initiatives can integrate independent efforts and automate off-line transactions.
- Most government Web sites did not support access by persons with disabilities or offer language translation
- Sources: Jupiter and Brown University studies

## Four More Studies Focused on Citizen Expectations

- _Citizens Expectations for Electronic Government Services,_ policyworks.gov/intergov, under “Reports” by GSA, September 2000
- _Hart-Teeter Study_, www.excelgov.org/publication, under “Polls” by Council for Excellence in Government (CEG), September 2000
- _Trust in Government Study_, same as above except under “Studies” by CEG, July 1999_ _
- _What Citizens Want From E-Government_, www.ctg.albany.edu/resources/htmlrpt/e-government/what_ citizens_want.html by University of Albany, October 2000

**Notes:**
Four studies completed within the last 18 months:

Citizens Expectations report

A recently completed study “ What Citizens Want” by the  Center for Technology in Gov’t at the University of Albany.

And the Council for Excellence in Government Trust in Government Study.  All completed w/I the 18 months.

The Citizens Expectation for available online at:

policyworks.gov/intergov.

## Citizens Expectations Report

**Citizens Expectations Report**

- Findings:
- Citizens want choices for service delivery: In-person, Telephone, Internet,Kiosk, Interactive TV
- Citizens want online access to government information and services
- Citizens are concerned by privacy and security

**Notes:**
Clearly citizens want choices for delivery of government services.  

Citizens want the flexibility to deal with government on site (in person), by mail, by telephone, by fax, CD-ROM, kiosk, interactive voice response systems, interactive TV and via the Internet.  

Access to government information and services

However, it is the Internet that will be the foundation of future electronic government initiatives.

Also citizens hold government to a higher standard than the private sector in regard to privacy and information security safeguards. 

## Some Things to Know 

- The issues are the similar in all nations.
- Each country is on its own journey based on unique geography, people, culture, and resources.
- The European Union is attracting a high level attention.
- The EU has sponsored forums for sharing experiences.

## Targets Are Hollow

- Many Nations have set “targets” for online services
- Measurements are rarely identified
- Slight emphasis on making public services better or more convenient
- Costs of changes are not considered
- Nor, are affects on privacy and public trust.
- Citizen requirements have not generally been identified
***U.S. Status: identical***

## Citizen Service Gold Standard

- Focus on what citizens care about, not what management cares about
- Address issues important to the public
- Challenge the organization to improve by setting attainable goals
- Set easily measured metrics & publish results
- Review & update standards as conditions change
- Integrate with performance measurement to increase accountability and foster learning
- Source: UK and Canadian Governments

**Notes:**
Can’t rely on an Internet only solution, still where users and stakeholders accept, considerable savings are possible

Demand to do more with less - when process redesigned, 10 - 1 savings are possible.

Need a common source of funding so that turf is not an issue.

## Service Challenges: Social Security Administration

- Receive 240 million earnings items from 6.5 million employers
- Send out 125 million Social Security statements
- Issue 16 million Social Security Cards
- Give benefits to 50 Million People
- Answer 60 million 800-number calls
- ...*with a downsized workforce.*

**Notes:**
This chart should also say with a downsized aging workforce, most near retirement age, and flat budgets.
This is pushing us toward using technology to work better.

## Implications of Current Reality

- Old ways of doing business won’t go away anytime soon
- Investment costs are a concern
- Multiple benefits but often one program carries the burden
- Likely to support old and new ways of doing business, at least for now
- Can’t support large up-front investment costs because operational costs exceed demand for service

**Notes:**
Can’t rely on an Internet only solution, still where users and stakeholders accept, considerable savings are possible

Demand to do more with less - when process redesigned, 10 - 1 savings are possible.

Need a common source of funding so that turf is not an issue.

## Government Online

**Online Voting**

**Online Voter Registration**

**Online Application for Grants**

**Online Bidding for**
**Government Contracts**

**Update Information Online**

**File Taxes Online**

**Government Records Online**

**Government Forms Online**

**Kids' Education Area**

**Recruitment/Employment Section**

- Source: n=81

## Driving toward 

**Collaboration: Interagency Councils**
**  ****Exec Leadership Initiatives**
**Workforce: Training, Telework**
**Outreach: White papers, Talks, Press**

**Secure**
**Web**

**Digital**
** ****Signatures**

**CA Cross**
**Certification**

**Authent-**
**ication**

- Driving Toward Electronic Government6.ppt

**A-130   PPD-63 (Security )**

**Change Agents**

- Driving toward
- eGovernment

**Getting There**

**FedForms**

**Single Face**
**Portals**

**Infrastructure**

**Notes:**
Presenting One face to the citizen through  - 
* FirstGov - the first-ever U.S. Government online information portal that will connect Americans with information and resources from all 27 million federal agency web pages.
* FedBizOpps - The FedBizOpps (formerly known as the Electronic Posting System) is a web based application that provides electronic access to government business opportunities by posting synopses, solicitations, and other related documents directly to the Internet. 
* FedGrants - In 1998, the Office of Electronic Government established the Interagency Electronic Grants Committee (IAEGC) to coordinate the development of Federal Commons, a governmentwide electronic grants system to serve the federal grants community.  The first functions of the Federal Commons system will be online in early 2001. 
* FedSales     an initiative to improve citizen on-line access to federal asset sales (real property, personal property, and financial assets such as loans). A current list of ederal agencies selling property on-line is available at  www.financenet.gov.
FedForms
FactsForYou
* ARNET - the Acquisition Reform Network - a portal to every aspect of government acquisition policies, regulations opportunities and training. Excluded Parties
* Extensible Markup Language (XML), a promising technology standard for EC, is one of the primary standards by which industries have begun to define the structure and semantics of information they exchange. 
* Smart Cards - a multi-award contract for agencies to buy smart cards.  Important step in the use of emerging technologies: Produce Guidelines and ground rules on how to develop systems to help agencies avoid mistakes; and developed a business case analysis for agencies to use on how to best employ the technology (for example,  PKI technology in smart cards.)

## US Interagency Initiatives

- Government Portal
- Contract Opportunities
- Access America
- Federal Grants
- Federal Property & Asset Sales

**FedSales**

**Notes:**
Can’t rely on an Internet only solution, still where users and stakeholders accept, considerable savings are possible

Demand to do more with less - when process redesigned, 10 - 1 savings are possible.

Need a common source of funding so that turf is not an issue.

## FirstGov.gov

**Featured Subjects**
**Interesting Topics**
**U.S. Government**
**State & Local**
**FirstGov Partners**
**Your Feedback**

**Notes:**
The FirstGov.gov portal was developed by GSA in an amazingly “short” 90 days.  FirstGov has seven areas which I will describe briefly for you.
Today, I want to talk about where all this comes together: 
The advancement of E-Government through www.firstgov.gov
1- The Main Search Index - The first area, and the most visible is an 	index of 27 million government web pages.  The powerful 	searching and indexing technology is provided to us by 	Fed-Search Foundation
2- Interesting Topics by categories
3- Featured Subjects - highlighting on-line transactions and new 		websites; 
4- Organizational Directory - of executive, legislative and judicial 		branches of the U.S. government
5- State and Local Government websites
6 - FirstGov Partners - Public and Private sector FirstGov Partners
7- Your Feedback - 120 feedback links
(Jim Flyzik - 11/15/00 CIO -Webcast)

## Interesting Topics

**16 Topics**
**Common categories organized  by popular topics**
**Highlights interagency collaborative website efforts**

**Notes:**
2- Interesting Topics by categories

The topics change monthly

The topics are developed according to the areas users search most

## State & Local

**Links to state and local websites**
**Information for state and local employees**
**Locators for federal services**

**Notes:**
State and Local Gateway Government Resources Agricultural Service Centers Locator  American Fact Finder Community 2020 Software Demographic and Economic Profiles by State and County  Economic Data by State and Metropolitan Area Employment and Training Regional and State links  Export Assistance in Your Area Federal Child Care Centers Federal Depository Libraries Federal Funding for State and Local Governments FedStats - Gateway to federal statistical information Housing Counselors Indian Health Service Area Offices . Military Installations . National Park Guide Occupational Safety and Health Administration Office Locator 

## Your Feedback

**Feedback by Topic**
- Scroll down to “Veterans” and tell the Veterans’ Administration what you like, or what could be improved about the way they provide services
**Feedback by Agency**
- Send e-mail to the Secretary of Health and Human Services or other Department officials
**Feedback to FirstGov**
- E-mail the FirstGov team to make content suggestions or comments about the website

**Notes:**
7-  Your Feedback - 120 Feedback Links / Here are some examples of Feed back:
“A mother who home-schools her children plans to use FirstGov as her main educational resource.”

“An 87 year old grandfather who does not own a computer or know how to use one but was so excited about the press stories and what can be done online he went down to his local library.”
GREAT site.  Already very useful personally and as a professor of government I'll use the site in course development and in student assignments almost immediately... The flexibility of this site, so that it includes such useful sites, is commendable.  Kudos to all. 
This is a great site.  I can now eliminate about 10 URLs on various gov sites that I have been using.  I will let several seniors, that I walk with every morning, know about this site.  I know it will be very beneficial to them as it has been to me on my first visit today to this site. 
I have begun using the site since Sunday night and have had very little sleep since. Everyone on the Firstgov development team should be commended for this. Excellent job in ease and the search engine is superb. Congratulate the Surgeon General and his staff on the excellent CDC site as well. 
Today was the first time I used your website, and I had a wonderful experience.  I had to help a customer find the CFR 240, but we were unsure of the agency or department.  The third hit was a winner out of 8000.  Thank you so much for your services.
Just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done. I just entered the web site today, and have found it to be very well constructed and easy to use. I am going to be able to clean out one of my ""favorites"" section on my browser and basically replace it with one item. Nicely done.

## 	Goal
“...ensure that any notice of agency solicitation or requirements for contract opportunities is provided in a form that allows convenient and universal user access through a single, Government-wide point of entry [SPE].”Sec 850

- “...ensure that any notice of agency solicitation or requirements for contract opportunities is provided in a form that allows convenient and universal user access through a *single, Government-wide point of entry* [SPE].”Sec 850

-  **Provide firms w/ access to ALL Federal opportunities **
** ****Easy interface to Agency**
** ****Sensitive to needs of ALL businesses & agencies**

-  **Able to integrate w/other systems**
** ****Capable of widespread distribution**
** ****Secure**

- Success Criteria

- formerly known as Electronic Posting System

**Notes:**
US Congress passed legislation requiring that the Federal government adopt a coherent EC strategy in 1997.  
Federal EC strategy established a number of broad goals.  One of those was to provide a method of notice of contract opportunities.
A pilot with 5 agencies proved that we could create single place where suppliers could access both the synopsis and detailed information about government requirements.    
Today19 agencies are on-line including the Air Force. 60,000 suppliers are receiving notices, 4.3 million hits a month
The site provides more than a URL to the solicitation, as with (Commerce Business Daily) CBDNet; 
Firms have access to the actual documents, modifications, etc.

## Functions

**SPS**

**USAF**

**NAIS**

**NASA**

**PD**

**DOI**

**RFP,**
**RFQ,**
**Synopsis Etc****.**

- Index

**FedBizOpps**
- formerly **EPS**

**DOT**

**GSA**

- CBDNet

**CBDNet**

**Access solicitations, amendments, all files part of specification**
**Search for, select and download docs**
**Vendors register to be notified by e-mail**
**Automate data feed to CBDNet, Value-Added Networks**
**Interfaces to Small Business’s PRONet**
**@ www.fedbizopps.gov**

**Notes:**
Loosely coupled - Narrow interface between agency systems
Appears to be a centralized system but it is not - distributed across many agencies, leverages their existing investments
Search - currently by agency, product code, or date, soon by Key-word, FAR change for place of performance 
Register to receive just for a specific solicitation,or 
all notices from selected agencies and product service classifications, or all notices. 
On of the keys to success is the responsibility of the Agencies to control their own content 
Agencies can choose features beyond indexing and posting want. GSA will host their actions if desired.

## Next Steps...

- Designated as Single Point of Entry
- Remaining agencies have until September 30th
- Scale governmentwide
- Has 26 agencies on-line (>30%)
- Over 70,000 firms receiving notices
-  4.5 million site visits per month
- Pilot to extend to Federal grant opportunities
- Add ability to securely respond to RFPs
- Add ability for primes to solicit small subcontractors

**Notes:**
US federal acquisitions have remained stable at ~$200 Billion a year
Adding rest of over next 3-5 months (total ~80% of all Federal actions)
US federal grants account for ~$300 Billion a year

## Interagency Portals

- Access America organized “user communities”
- Goal to substantially improve customer service
- Improved access, faster filings/submissions, quicker response and processing
- Unify interactions and receipt of information from agencies
- Reduce burden of doing business with Gov’t
- Eliminate cost and time delays of paper transactions

**Notes:**
Fair access - ability to locate opportunities
Right information the 1st time
Routed to signature authorities
Shortened processing time
Eliminating paper leads to cost avoidance

## Improved Post-secondary Student Services

**Through electronic “yellow pages” students, schools, and other stakeholders access a suite of electronic services and gain access to secure data and systems through an electronic ID..**** **

**Participating Student**

**Electronic**
**Access using**
** *****Access***
*** ******America***
**Gateway and **
** ****Website **
**Links**

- 3

**Agencies/Schools with On-Line Transactions**

**Social Security**

**College/University**

**One Stop Centers**

**Labor**

**FAFSA on the WEB**
**DIRECT LOAN **
**ACCOUNT INFO**

**ADDRESS CHANGE**
**ZIP LOOK-UP**
**POSTAGE CALC**

**PARK RESERVATIONS**

**ELECTRONIC FILING SERVICES**

**MONTHLY ENROLLMENT CERTIFICATION**

**PERSONAL EARNINGS AND BENEFITS**

**AMERICA’S JOB BANK**
**AMERICA’S TALENT BANK**

**ADMISSIONS**
**REGISTRATION**
**GRADES**

**Recreation Agencies**

**Veterans Admin.**

## Federal Grants

- Approximately $300 billion annually
- 1000+ programs in 33 agencies
- Over 30,000 organizations receive > $300K year
- Streamlining being done under the multi-agency ***Federal Commons*** effort
- Many program-specific requirements
- OMB Guidance
- Agency-specific solutions not adequate
- Engage stakeholders (states, non-profit, etc.)

**Notes:**
Deserves more attention than it gets - SLEEPER

Scope  - 50% bigger than Contracts 200 billion 

Each Program Passed by specific piece of Legislation 
	Streamlining will need to 

States invited to  provide input on the Federal Commons development through the Inter-agency Electronic Grants Committee State and Local Subcommittee. 

 The subcommittee is chaired by Tony Cavataio (Department of Education: tony_cavataio@ed.gov) or Karen Evans (Department of Justice: evansk@ojp.usdoj.gov).

Look for Commonality - 8 agencies have responsibilities for Emergency relief

## Federal Commons:Common Face + Federal Hub

- Federal Commons:Common Face + Federal Hub

## What is Required by PL 106/107?

- Electronic application and reporting
- Reduce burden on grantees
- Establish common formats
- Financial and performance
- reporting
- Uniform administrative rules
- Consolidation A-102 & A-110
- Reduction of program-specific terms
- Assurances and Certifications?
- Agency plans due May 2001

## SmartPay

**Purchase Cards**

- GAO & other reports estimate a **savings of** **$55. per order**

_**FY 2000**_
**23.5 million **
**        ****actions**
**12.3 billion $**
**avg. buy ~$500**
**20% increase!**

**Notes:**
Use of SmartPay Purchase Cards - CY99 $10.8 billion 
Avg. transaction amount $494. 
 24% increase annual increase
630,000 purchase card users
Incentives: $52.5 million in refunds to Federal Agencies based on sales volume 
NASA E-Catalog purchase card buys: 101,053 at $63 million

## GSA Advantage!

- An Internet acquisition solution for Federal buying, providing access to products and services with the ability to order directly from your desktop

**$125 M**

- $5.6M

- $27.8M

- $60.9M

- $85.7M

**On-line Sales**

**http://gsaadvantage.gov**

**GSA Advantage!**

**Notes:**
Low dollar value - Most credit card buys
	                 FY96  FY97    FY98   FY99   FY2000
Value Ordered ($M)        5.6     27.8   60.9      85.7  125
Last 2 days of FY sales of 1.7 & 1.6 (Saturday) - 
1 million in eOrders

Avg order just under $500.

## GSA Advantage!tm

- Over 1.25 million items
- Over 3,000 catalogs
- Includes capability to select options, configure servers, personal computers
- Covers volume discounts, warranties, etc.
- Links to company websites for additional info
- Agency buyers like:
- Ease of performing market comparisons
- Screen by socio-economic criteria, eg minority 8(a)
- Ability to make immediate small purchase buys

## GSA Advantage! Benefits

- Agency:
- Easy to perform market comparisons
- Socio-economic including minority 8(a)
- Immediate small purchase buys
- Supplier:
- Increases exposure government customers
- Can elect to receive orders by EDI or Fax. Other ways like RosettaNet XML are in process
- Registration required for new awards/ extensions (As of Mar 2001)

## What is Buyers.Gov?

- A reverse auction exchange that is FAR-compliant
- Implements three auction exchange models:
- Private Auctions
- Aggregated Buying through volume purchases
- Quick Quotes
- Attempt to leverage buying power for high volume, low dollar goods
- Initiative by GSA Federal Technology Service, target credit card purchases of IT equipment
- An efficient, cost-effective price negotiation

## Rules of Thumb

**Notes:**
Move incrementally against a plan 
Revisit/streamline business processes 
Rely on commercial practices, commercial solutions, and open standards  
Use smaller awards, multiple sources, existing contract vehicles
Form partnerships and use interagency groups
Conserve your IT talent
Own just just data and processes needed  
Always tie $ investment to business case
Greatest impact when work across organizational boundaries, however:
	Need executive commitment
	Add risk – organizational risk
	Must satisfy needs/get buy-in of all stakeholders

## Conclusions

- Privacy and Security major concerns
- Citizens want government held to higher standard than the private sector
- Private sector practices can’t be simply duplicated
- Citizens expect to not be charged fees but Businesses are generally willing to do so
- Proceed slowly and carefully

**Notes:**
Government is being held to a higher standard in this area.

Citizens prefer an Opt-in process not an Opt-out after their information has been collected.

Citizens demand for Internet based services will grow as their experience with the Internet becomes as common as the telephone use is today. 

## Additional References

- Third Global Forum, Naples Italy, March 2001
- Europe’s Readiness for e-government, William Heath, Kable Government News, London, England, www.kablenet.com
- Inventory of E-Government Applications in the U.S. Government, policyworks.gov/intergov, GSA, March 2001

## Key US Federal eGov Sites

- GSA’s Governmentwide Policy
- Federal EC/eGov site
- FirstGov Portal
- FedBizOpps Contract Opportunities
- Property & Asset Sales
- Access America:Students, Seniors
- President’s E-Commerce WG
- FedCommons:  Grants
- Interagency Grants Cmte
- OMB Policy:  Grants, Information Procurement, Financial Management
- Fed Public Key Infrastructure
- Access Certificates for Electronic Services (ACES)
- Smartcard Security

- http://www.policyworks.gov
- http://ec.fed.gov/
- http://firstgov.gov
- http://www.fedbizopps.gov
- http://fedsales.gov/
- http://students.gov and http://seniors.gov
- http://www.ecommerce.gov
- http://www.cfda.gov/federalcommons/
- http://financenet.gov
- http://www.whitehouse.gov/OMB/
- http://gits-sec.treas.gov
- http://gsa.gov/ACES
- http://smart.gov