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Report to the President 
Technology: Transforming Federal Training 

July 2000 
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PRESIDENT'S TASK FORCE ON FEDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 
REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT 

Technology: Transforming Federal Training 
July 2000 
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Pre s i d e n t 's Ta s k F o r c e o n F e d e r a l Tr a i n i n g Te c h n o l o g y 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 
Sarah Adams 
Director, Human Resource Development 
Office of Personnel Management 

Melissa J. Allen 
Assistant Secretary for Administration 
Department of Transportation 

Ken Bresnahan 
CFO Council Representative 
Chief Financial Officer 
Department of Labor 

Fernando Burbano 
Chief Information Officer 
Bureau of Information Resources Management 
Department of State 

John J. Callahan 
Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget 
Department of Health and Human Services 

Dolores Chacon 
President, DOI University 
Department of Interior 

Stephen R. Colgate 
Assistant Attorney General for Administration 
Department of Justice 

Romulo L. Diaz, Jr. 
Assistant Administrator for Administration and Resources 
Management 
Environmental Protection Agency 

Kay Frances Dolan 
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Resources 
Department of Treasury 

Lisa Fairhall 
Program Examiner, Education Branch of 
Human Resources 
Office of Management and Budget 

Willie Gilmore 
Director, Office of Management 
Department of Education 

Ann Grandy 
Administrator, HUD Training Academy 
Department of Housing and Urban 
Development 

Katie Hirning 
Deputy Director 
National Partnership for Reinventing 
Government 

President's Task Force on Federal Training Technology 
List of Members 
Janice R. Lachance 
Task Force Chair 
Director 
Office of Personnel Management 

Emzell Blanton, Jr. 
Task Force Executive Director 
Senior Advisor 
Office of Personnel Management 

Patricia W. Lattimore 
Task Force Vice Chair 
Assistant Secretary, Administration and Management 
Department of Labor 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 
Russ Kile 
Liaison, National Partnership for Reinventing 
Government 
Federal Emergency Management Agency 

David M. Klaus 
Director, Management and Administration 
Department of Energy 

Carole Lieber 
Training Officer 
Department of Treasury 

Paul Longanbach 
Human Resources Development Council 
Representative 
Program Director for Training 
Department of Transportation 

Thomas K. Longstreth 
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Readiness) 
Department of Defense 

D. Elaine Lowry 
Program Manager 
General Services Administration 

Linda P. Massaro 
Director of Information and Resources 
Management and CIO 
National Science Foundation 

Joseph McElwee 
Manager, Distance Learning 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Elizabeth Montoya 
Associate Deputy Administrator for Management 
and Administration 
Small Business Administration 

Gloria R. Parker 
CIO Council Representative 
Chief Information Officer 
Department of Housing and Urban Development 

Ellen Roderick, Ph. D. 
Small Agency Council Representative 
Training Director 
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 

Stephen G. Sharro 
Acting Director, Training Division 
Federal Emergency Management Agency 

Manny Simantiras 
Office of Training and Education 
Central Intelligence Agency 

Stanley Sinclair 
Deputy for Financial Management 
Department of Veterans Affairs 

Felicita Sola-Carter 
Director, Office of Training 
Social Security Administration 

Tali Stepp 
Director of Human Services 
Department of Labor 

Sally Thompson 
CFO/ Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration 
Department of Agriculture 

Debra Tomchek 
Director for Human Resources Management 
Department of Commerce 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 
Donna Beecher 
Director, Office of Human Resources Management 
Department of Agriculture 

Randy Bergquist 
Program Manager for Learning & Development 
Department of Transportation 

Ann Busby 
Program Manager, Technical/ Specialized Training 
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 

Christine Cataldo 
Human Resources Development Council Representative 
Chief, Executive Personnel and Development Division 
National Science Foundation 

Steven Cohen 
Director, Workforce Relations 
Office of Personnel Management 

Susan Cooch 
Representing the CIO Council 
Special Assistant to the Chief Information Officer 
Department of Housing and Urban Development 

Dante Cornish 
Training Manager 
Office of Human Relations 
Small Business Administration 

Diane Disney, Ph. D. 
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense 
Civilian Personnel Policy 
Department of Defense 

Alice Fierstein 
Acting Chief, Customer Support and Assessment Branch 
National Science Foundation 

Don Heffernan 
Deputy Chief Information Officer 
General Services Administration 

Barbara Hulick 
Leader, Human Resources Development 
Department of Veterans Affairs 

Mark Hunker 
Senior Advisor to the Director 
Office of Personnel Management 

Ingrid Kolb 
Director of Training and Development 
Department of Education 

Daniel LaPlaca 
Program Examiner 
Office of Management and Budget 

Bruce F. Morrison 
Dean, School of Technology 
Department of State 

Carl Morse 
Program Analyst 
Office of the Chief Information Officer 
Small Business Administration 

President's Task Force on 
Federal Training Technology 

List of Alternates 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 
Lisa Nelson 
Reinvention Associate 
National Partnership for Reinventing Government 

Michael A. Parmentier 
Director, Readiness and Training Policy and Programs 
Department of Defense 

Zane Schauer 
Director, Office of Workforce Programs 
Department of Commerce 

Joanne Simms 
Director, Personnel Staff 
Department of Justice 

Thomas Sullivan 
Procurement Analyst 
Environmental Protection Agency 

Roy Tucker 
Director, Organization and Employee Development 
Department of Health and Human Services 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 
Table of Contents 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................................................................................ 1 
EXECUTIVE ORDER 13111 ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 
TASK FORCE INTERIM ACCOMPLISHMENTS............................................................................................................................ 1 
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................................................... 2 
CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 
REPORT OF FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS 
INTRODUCTION: TECHNOLOGY  TRANSFORMING FEDERAL LEARNING ............................................................................. 7 
TASK FORCE FORMATION........................................................................................................................................................ 7 
METHODS AND RESEARCH...................................................................................................................................................... 8 
RECOMMENDATIONS AND FINDINGS ...................................................................................................................................... 8 
EMERGING ISSUES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS...................................................................................................... 14 
APPENDICES.......................................................................................................................................................................... 15 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................................................................................... 16 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 
"America's competitiveness and the prosperity of our people 
in a changing economy depend increasingly on 
high-skill high-wage jobs. 
Realizing our potential will require investing in 
education and learning for all of our people 
throughout their lifetimes." 

Al Gore, Vice President of the United States 
Summit on 21 st Century Skills for 21 st Century Jobs 
January 12, 1999 
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EXECUTIVE S UMMARY 
1 
Executive Summary 
As we cross the threshold to the new millennium, the way we live, work, and conduct business is being radically changed 
by the e-society. Private sector companies are constantly being forced to redefine their business model to meet customer 
demand for products and services provided via the Internet and other forms of e-commerce. This has produced a continu-ous 
need for skills enhancement and retraining that can only be efficiently addressed by using technology-based training. 
Public expectations for services from government agencies are now higher. To meet this new level of expectation, we need 
to ensure that Federal employees take full advantage of these new learning technologies and that they acquire the skills 
and learning needed to succeed in a rapidly changing workplace. Access to training is the key to a competent and respon-sive 
workforce. The Federal government will need to evolve with the Internet age and move aggressively toward using 
learning technology to provide "anytime" and "anyplace" training opportunities to its workforce. 

Executive Order 13111 
On January 12, 1999, President William J. Clinton moved to establish a coordinated effort to access and promote the use 
of technology to train the Federal workforce when he issued Executive Order 13111, Using Technology to Improve Training 
Opportunities for Federal Government Employees. This directive established the President's Task Force on Federal Training 
Technology with membership from a multidisciplined cadre of senior-level representatives of the Federal government. 
The cadre's principal charge was to develop a policy to "make effective use of technology to improve training opportuni-ties 
for Federal government employees." 

Task Force Interim Accomplishments 
During the course of its work, the Task Force achieved several interim accomplishments that included: 

Implementing 13 Agency Individual Learning Account (ILA) Pilot Programs  These pilots will provide the 
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) with the empirical data necessary to determine the viability of establishing 
ILA programs government-wide. 

Establishing a Joint OPM and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Initiative to Help Agencies to Better Plan 
the Allocation of Training Resources  This OPM and OMB alliance is working to produce a requirement in the FY-2002 
OMB Budget Circular A-11 to direct agencies to annually develop specific training goals and measures aligned with 
mission requirements. In support of this initiative, OPM will publish guidance to help agencies strategically plan training. 

Developing Consensus Standards for e-learning  As a result of extensive cooperative efforts across the public and 
private sectors, on January 31, 2000, the Department of Defense (DOD), in consultation with the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, released the Sharable Courseware Reference Model (SCORM). This pivotal work provides spec-ifications 
and guidelines that will be the foundation for how organizations will use learning technologies to build and 
operate the e-learning systems of the future. DOD also established the Advanced Distributive Learning (ADL) Co-Laboratory 
to foster collaborative research, development, and assessment of the common tools, standards, content, and 
guidelines for the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative. 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 
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Administering the First Government-wide Electronic Survey on Learning Technology  The data gathered via 
a web-based survey from 349 respondents in 33 different agencies provided the most comprehensive benchmarking of 
Federal efforts to implement learning technology ever documented. 

Establishing the Training Technology Implementation Group (TTIG)  This interagency group of more than 
40 project leaders was formed to help promote collaborations and share information about agency learning technology 
implementations among agencies. 

These interim accomplishments, as impressive as they were, only highlighted the tremendous challenges the Task Force 
faced in finding ways to accelerate the acceptance and effective use of learning technology by Federal agencies. 

Findings and Recommendations 
The Task Force divided its work into six focus areas and established sub-groups to conduct research and provide recom-mendations 
to address the President's charge. Using a consensus approach, the full Task Force agreed that the President 
should be asked to support the following slate of recommendations: 

1. Create a Steering Committee and One-Stop-Shop for Federal Training Technology  Agencies have 
recognized the tremendous payoffs that come with providing technology-based training opportunities to their 
employees. The Task Force found isolated examples of successful learning technology implementations. However, 
the lack of a coordinated government-wide effort to promote interagency collaborations and information sharing 
inhibits the widespread adoption of effective learning technologies. A Federal Learning Technology Steering 
Committee charged with establishing government-wide strategies to accelerate these implementations is critically 
needed. This interagency body would be responsible for an annual report to the President on the status of the 
Federal government's efforts to use learning technology. It would also provide coordination for a Federal 
Learning Technology Resource Center that will serve as the "one-stop-shop" for agencies seeking assistance and 
information on implementing technology-based training. 

2. Make Training a Strategic Planning Priority for All Agencies  Several recent studies in both the private and 
public sectors have shown that integrating and aligning training needs with corporate strategic goals positively impact the 
bottom line. A review of Federal strategic plans revealed that training is usually not an integral part of agency plans. The 
Task Force, therefore, recommends that OPM and OMB issue a requirement and guidance for all agencies to establish 
specific training goals and measures as a part of their Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Annual 
Performance Plans. 

3. Establish a Government-wide Fund for Learning Technology Innovation Grants  Agencies identified a lack of 
funds for research and development (R& D) and start-up costs as a major barrier to implementing technology-based 
learning. The Task Force recommends that an OPM-managed Innovation fund be created to fund agency requests for 
assistance. The funds will offset the research and start-up costs associated with an effort to implement technology-based 
training. OPM would convene a blue-ribbon panel to review agency grant requests and give priority to proposals that 
involve interagency collaborations and external partnerships. 
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EXECUTIVE S UMMARY 
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4. Launch a Campaign to Educate Decision-Makers on the Advantages of Using Learning Technology  Senior 
agency officials who have the authority to approve learning technology implementations often do not fully understand or 
appreciate the potential of learning technology. This predicament is exacerbated by a skills gap among human resource 
development professionals who are not prepared to make a compelling business case to support an investment in learning 
technology. The Task Force recommends that the deterrent effects of these problems be addressed via a multifaceted 
awareness and skills-building campaign. This effort should be initiated and coordinated by OPM and should be targeted 
at senior-level decision-makers and human resource development professionals charged with agency efforts to implement 
learning technology. 

5. Develop a Program to Promote Existing Procurement Flexibilities for Agency Acquisitions of Learning 
Technology  Research affirms that procurement mechanisms currently available are more than capable of supporting 
agencies' transition to technology-based learning systems. Many, however, perceive the procurement process as too inflex-ible 
to efficiently service their needs. The Task Force's analysis showed that these perceptions are fueled by a general lack 
of understanding of the current flexibilities in the Federal procurement system. It is, therefore, recommended that a coor-dinated 1 
government-wide awareness campaign be initiated for decision-makers and other stakeholders involved with 
selecting various options and methods for buying and sharing learning technology. 

Conclusions 
The Federal government's ability to provide the services and products that the American public expects depends on the 
talents and skills of the Federal workforce. Federal workers cannot meet the complex challenges of the e-society without 
continuous learning and development. Using technology to fulfill a growing need for retraining and new skills is no 
longer an option; it is a necessity. The recommendations of the Task Force, if accepted by the President, will create the 
foundation needed to accelerate the use of learning technology in the Federal government and strengthen the growth of a 
world-class Federal workforce. 

1 The General Services Administration (GSA), the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), and the Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM) should join forces with representatives of the Procurement Executive, Human Resources Development, Chief Information Officers, and Chief Financial Officers Councils. 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON 
F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 

Report of Final Recommendations 

July 2000 
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REPORT OF F INAL RECOMMENDATIONS 
Report of Final Recommendations Introduction: 
Technology  Transforming Federal Learning 
The explosion of technological innovations and the Internet are positively affecting all sectors of our society. One con-crete 
example is the private sector's acceptance of technology-based learning as a viable method for delivering training. 
Private sector employers are using distributed learning systems to provide employees with "just-in-time" training to 
satisfy the rapidly changing demands of the marketplace. This transition has made them more competitive and 
improved their responsiveness to customers. 

The public's increasing desire to get services on-line is radically changing the way it wants to interact with its govern-ment. 
The flexibilities of the e-society bring with it a continuous need for employee retraining and skills upgrades. The 
Federal government must accelerate its use of technology to ensure the availability of readily accessible and high quality 
training to its workforce. 

A wide divergence exists in the training needs of Federal employees. These needs range from training in basic literacy and 
math skills, information technology, leadership, and management to complex defense training scenarios. To be responsive 
to these needs, training must be delivered using a combination of traditional and nontraditional means. Technology-based 
training affords employees access to training that fits their schedule, allows them to proceed at their own pace, and lets 
them decide when to proceed after having mastered a topic. Research also shows that when training is provided using a 
"just-in-time" model, the efficiency and value of the training are enhanced. 

Toward these ends, the Federal government is increasing its use of and investment in learning technology. A variety of 
independent initiatives, such as training delivered through CD-ROMs using computer-based training (CBT), satellite 
down-links, expert systems, Internet/ Intranet based systems, and sophisticated 3-D virtual simulations, represent a monu-mental 
attempt to integrate technology into the way training is delivered. However, more needs to be done to accelerate 
and coordinate learning technology integration so that new technology-based training opportunities are available more 
broadly to Federal employees. 

Two key elements will play a major role in facilitating this integration. First, common software and system standards need 
to be adopted across the public and private sectors to enable programs to be exchanged and reused on a large scale. Second, 
agencies must undergo a cultural change that encourages more interagency collaborations and private sector partnerships 
to aggressively promote e-learning systems. 

Task Force Formation 
To address this critical need for change, President William J. Clinton, on January 12, 1999, issued Executive Order (E. O.) 
13111: Using Technology to Improve Training Opportunities for Federal Government Employees. This groundbreaking directive 
established the President's Task Force on Federal Training Technology, composed of senior-level representatives of the 
Federal government, and charged them with developing a policy to "make effective use of technology to improve training 
opportunities for Federal government employees." The E. O. specifies that the focus of the Task Force should go beyond 
training and should encompass the broader concept of learning: 
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"A coordinated Federal effort is needed to provide flexible training opportunities to employees and to explore how Federal training 
programs, initiatives, and policies can better support lifelong learning through the use of learning technology." 

OPM Director Janice Lachance serves as the Chair, and Assistant Secretary for the Office of Administration and 
Management at the Department of Labor, Patricia W. Lattimore, serves as Vice Chair of the Task Force. Emzell Blanton 
Jr., a senior advisor to the Director of OPM, serves as the Executive Director. 

The 63 Task Force members and alternates were appointed from a cadre of senior-level representatives from 25 Federal 
agencies and four interagency councils. Having representatives from the Human Resources Development (HRD), Chief 
Financial Officers (CFOs), Chief Information Officers (CIOs), and Human Resource/ Personnel (HR) councils makes this 
one of the most professionally diverse groups ever assembled to address training in the Federal government. 

The work of the Task Force and its sub-groups are highlighted in the following sections. 
Methods and Research 
Given the high number of deliverables in the Executive Order, the work of the Task Force was broken into six focus areas 
and sub-groups established for each. The focus areas were: 

Individual Learning Accounts 
Learning Technologies 
Financial Investments 
Training Technology Implementation 
Procurement Options 
Standards 

Each Task Force representative was assigned to one of the six sub-groups using a self-nomination process. After more than 
a year of conducting research using a variety of methods, which included focus groups, surveys, and personal interviews, 
each sub-group issued a comprehensive report of its findings with draft recommendations. The sub-group reports provide 
detailed information on the strategies and methods used to gather information and formulate recommendations. 

Each report is catalogued on the President's Task Force on Federal Training Technology web-site at www. technology-taskforce. 
gov/ reports. html 

These reports will serve as historical benchmarks for the Federal government's efforts to implement learning technology 
at the beginning of the new millennium. They will also be an invaluable resource for agencies seeking information on 
strategies, resources, and pitfalls of initial ventures into implementing technology-based learning systems. 

Recommendations and Findings 
Together the Task Force reviewed all draft recommendations and consolidated them into five final recommendations, which are 
detailed in the next section. These recommendations are presented in the following manner: (1) the text of the recommendation 
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REPORT OF F INAL RECOMMENDATIONS 
with a short narrative explanation, (2) a suggested agency or group of agencies that should be tasked with implementing the rec-ommendation, 
and (3) a suggested timeframe for completing the actions required in the recommendation. 

The Individual Learning Account (ILA) Sub-Group submitted its report 2 on the feasibility of establishing ILAs 
for Federal employees to the Task Force in early June 1999. The report indicated that ILAs have great potential 
as tools for Federal agencies to allocate training resources and to ensure employee input, and they deserved 
further study. 

On July 12, 1999, the Task Force sent the President a recommendation calling for a series of OPM-coordinated agency 
ILA program pilots. These programs would provide the empirical data to access the value added by ILAs and give OPM 
the information it needs to establish government-wide guidance. 

In November 1999, after the President's approval of the ILA recommendations, OPM issued guidance for agencies 
to establish 17 ILA pilots among 13 agencies. Initial reports are due to OPM in October 2000. During the latter 
part of FY-2001, OPM will share "lessons learned" from the pilots and provide government-wide implementation 
guidelines. 

The Learning Technology Sub-Group was chartered to make recommendations on integrating the effective use of 
current and emerging training/ learning technologies into the Federal government's efforts to provide more accessible 
and cost-effective training opportunities for its employees. Its survey identified four primary types of technology in use 
by the Federal government: (1) computer-based training (CBT), (2) the Internet/ Intranet, (3) satellite television, and (4) 
videocassettes. Of these delivery venues, the majority of the technology-based training in use was noninteractive and 
considered low-tech by today's standards. 

This Sub-Group also recognized the value and potential of establishing external partnerships with the private sector, 
academia, and other nonfederal stakeholders in the e-learning community. The Sub-Group, in conducting a study to 
determine their use by Federal agencies, found very few external partnerships and concluded that the Federal govern-ment 
is bypassing a constructive opportunity as a result. 

Recommendation from the Individual Learning Account Report: 
Establish Pilots for Individual Learning Accounts 

Recommendation 1: Create a Steering Committee and One-Stop-Shop 
for Federal Training Technology 

2 Individual Learning Accounts Focus Area Sub-Group Report  www. technology-taskforce. gov/ reports. html 
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The Sub-Group also was asked to review current agency on-line training information systems to determine whether a 
likely candidate exists for a government-wide training information repository. After reviewing scores of agency specific 
systems, the Sub-Group recommended the adoption of the Department of Labor's (DOL) on-line Federal Learning 
Exchange (FLX). This system met all of the evaluation criteria. DOL is now working with the Task Force and other 
interested stakeholders to continually update and refine the system. 

The Learning Technology Sub-Group Report 3 also indicates that agencies have recognized the tremendous payoffs that come 
with providing technology-based training opportunities to their employees. Several examples of successful learning tech-nology 
implementations were found. In general, however, the lack of a coordinated government-wide effort to promote 
interagency collaborations and information sharing inhibits the widespread adoption of effective learning technologies. 

A Federal Learning Technology Steering Committee charged with establishing government-wide policies and strategies to 
accelerate learning technology implementations is critically needed. This interagency body would be responsible for an annual 
report to the President on the status of the Federal government's efforts to use learning technology. It could also provide coor-dination 
for a Federal Learning Technology Resource Center. The Resource Center would serve as the "one-stop-shop" for 
agencies seeking assistance and information on implementing technology-based training in the Federal government. 

Tasking: 
OPM, in coordination with the Office of Science and Technology Policy, should prepare an Executive Order to: 

Establish the Steering Committee and outline its responsibilities, and 
Define the structure, funding, and staffing of the Resource Center. 

The Training Technology Steering Committee should have six standing member agencies and five rotating member 
agencies each serving two-year terms. The six standing agencies should be: 

Office of Personnel Management 
For its role as the agency responsible for establishing government-wide training policy; 

Department of Labor 
For its leadership in the creation and use of Internet-based training databases as a part of its America's Career Kit, 
which includes the America's Learning Exchange and the Federal Learning Exchange; 

Department of Defense 
For its leadership in the creation of a consensus-based standard for learning technology software and systems, and 
sponsors of the Advanced Learning Distributive (ALD) Co-Laboratory; 

Department of Commerce 
For its leadership in promoting more commercial and intellectual collaboration between the Federal government and 
the private sector to accelerate the use of technology in training; 

3 Learning Technology Focus Area Sub-Group Report  www. technology-taskforce. gov/ reports. html 
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REPORT OF F INAL RECOMMENDATIONS 
General Services Administration 
For its role as the leading procurement source for agencies seeking hardware acquisitions, and off-the-shelf learning 
technology software and learning-management systems; and 

Office of Management and Budget 
For its ability to ensure that agency budget submissions reflect and support investments in training technology. 

The Steering Committee should determine the rotating agencies based on the value they add to the continuing effort to 
promote technology-based training solutions. 

Timeframe: 
Target Date for Issuance of Executive Order -October 16, 2000. 

The Financial Investments Sub-Group was chartered to provide guidance to agencies on integrating training goals and 
measures into annual planning and budget processes. The Sub-Group's research showed that leading private sector compa-nies 
view training as an investment that must be strategically and continually planned, budgeted, and evaluated. In contrast, 
its review 4 of the Federal process showed that training is usually not an integral part of agency strategic planning processes. 

To address this critical shortfall, a recently formed alliance among the Task Force, OPM, and representatives of the OMB 
needs to complete the work it has underway to get agencies to integrate specific training goals and measures into the FY-2002 
Annual Agency Performance Plans. Once in place, these new goals and measures would be governed by the same 
strictures of content and timeframe currently required of Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Agency 
Performance Plans. 

Tasking: 
OMB should establish a requirement for integrated training goals and measures as a principal element of an agency's 
Annual Performance Plan. Appropriate language should be added to the FY-2002 Budget Circular A-11. 

OPM should publish guidelines for agencies seeking to strategically align training resources with mission requirements. 
Timeframe: 
OMB should complete revisions to its Budget Circular A-11 in time for agencies to include goals and measures in its 
FY-2002 Annual Performance Plans. OPM should publish its guidelines no later than October 1, 2000. 

Recommendation 2: Make Training a Strategic Planning Priority for 
All Agencies 

4 Financial Investments Focus Area Sub-Group Report  www. technology-taskforce. gov/ reports. html 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 
The Training Technology Implementation Group (TTIG) was established to facilitate more agency collaborations and 
information sharing. The Sub-Group has established four platform-specific focus areas, each having a lead agency, to pro-mote 
interagency exchanges of ideas centered on a common implementation strategy. The group holds frequent meetings, 
that are usually highlighted by agency demonstrations of efforts to implement learning technology. With support from 
OPM, this Sub-Group will continue as a principal interagency forum for information sharing and dialogue associated 
with the implementation of technology-based learning systems. 

A principal finding of this group was that a lack of funds for Research & Development and start-up costs is a major barri-er 
to implementing technology-based learning. The Task Force recommends that an OPM-managed, competition-based 
Innovation Fund be created to fund agency requests for assistance. Assistance may also offset the research and start-up 
costs associated with efforts to implement technology-based training. OPM would convene a blue-ribbon panel to review 
agency grant requests and give priority to proposals that promote interagency collaborations and external partnerships. 

Tasking: 
OPM, working with the OMB, should develop a budget proposal to establish a Training Technology Innovations 
Grant Fund. 

Timeframe: 
The proposal should be completed in time for the FY-2002 budget appropriation. 

Senior agency officials who have the authority to approve innovative uses of learning technology for training often do not 
fully understand or appreciate the potential of learning technology. This is exacerbated by a skills gap among human 
resources development professionals who subsequently fail to make the compelling business case that is needed to support 
an investment in learning technology. The Task Force recommends that the deterrent effects of these problems can best 
be addressed via a multifaceted awareness and skills-building campaign. 

Tasking: 
Under its responsibility for government-wide training policy, OPM will work in partnership with the Human Resources 
Development Council (HRDC). It should design specific curricula to increase management knowledge with respect to 
learning technology. Additionally, the curricula could address the skills gap that exists among HRD professionals, who 
could then make a compelling business case for the integration of learning technology into agency training programs. 

Recommendation 3: Establish a Government-Wide Fund for Learning 
Technology 

Recommendation 4: Launch a Campaign to Educate Decision-Makers 
on the Advantages of Using Learning Technology 
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REPORT OF F INAL RECOMMENDATIONS 
Successful programs would include information provided using a wide assortment of methods including the Internet, 
classroom, special forums, seminars, and written materials/ brochures. 

Timeframe: 
Initial interventions (courses, seminars, etc.) should be targeted for the first quarter of FY-2001. 

The Procurement Options Sub-Group was chartered to assess the viability and flexibility of the Federal procurement 
system as the principal means for acquiring technology-based training solutions. Its findings 5 showed that the current sys-tem 
can do the job; however, it seems that many users of the system lack a fundamental awareness of the flexibilities cur-rently 
available to them. This lack of awareness promotes a belief that the current system is a barrier to the efficient 
acquisition and implementation of learning technology. It is, therefore, recommended that GSA create an extensive 
awareness campaign for decision-makers and other stakeholders about the many procurement options and methods 
available for acquiring learning technology. 

Tasking: 
The General Services Administration (GSA), the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), and OPM should 
work with representatives of the Procurement Council, Human Resources Development Council, Chief Information 
Officer Council, and Chief Financial Officer Council, to develop an on-line, interdisciplinary training program on 
using the Federal procurement system to acquire learning technology. This program would be used to mount an 
aggressive awareness campaign for managers, human resource development professionals, budget professionals, and 
employees about the way the procurement system can be used to efficiently acquire technology-based training and 
learning-management systems. 

A successful program would use a broad spectrum of approaches, thereby, reaching as many stakeholders as possible. 
These approaches would include programs based on the Internet, formal course offerings, forums/ seminars, and specific 
literature/ brochures. 

Timeframe: 
Initial procurement interventions (courses, seminars, etc.) should be targeted for the 2nd quarter of FY-2001. 

Recommendation 5: Develop a Program to Promote Existing 
Procurement Flexibilities for the Acquisition of 
Learning Technology 

5 Procurement Options Focus Area Sub-Group Report  www. technology-taskforce. gov/ reports. html 
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EMERGING I SSUES AND F UTURE DIRECTIONS 
Emerging Issues and Future Directions 
The overwhelming embrace of the e-society brings with it many new issues never faced by the Federal government. 
These issues include equity of access, privacy, and intellectual property rights. The Task Force believes that these issues 
will be the focus of many public policy debates over the next five years and that a serious dialogue needs to be started to 
address them. Two issues that need immediate attention are intellectual privacy rights and Federal employee access to 
the Internet. 

Agencies contracting for e-learning systems in the future will need special contract language to ensure that the products they 
acquire may operate and be shared across locations and agencies. Restrictive contract language that does not vest ownership 
and distribution rights of the final product to the government will defeat efforts to significantly reduce costs through inter-agency 
sharing of learning technology products. The Learning Technology Steering Committee, once it is established, 
should prioritize the development of a government-wide policy to address the issue of intellectual property rights with 
respect to learning technology software and related systems. 

Statistical survey information gathered on the Internet revealed the existence of an "Internet digital divide" in some 
Federal agencies. Specifically, several agencies still have in place very restrictive policies on who has access to the Internet. 
These policies, in many instances, contribute to the lack of acceptance of web-based training as a viable and more cost-effective 
alternative to traditional training methods. The "anytime" and "anyplace" advantage offered by web-based learn-ing 
technology will not be available to those employees whose agencies have decided that they have no need for access to 
the Internet. 

The President's Management Council supports making preparations for all Federal employees to be web-competent and 
to prepare them for the transition to an environment using more on-line services. Having a Federal workforce where all 
are proficient in the use of the Internet is in keeping with the President's goals to address the social and economic issues 
posed by the e-society. The Learning Technology Steering Committee should include this as a priority issue on its agenda 
once it is established. 

Conclusions: 
The recommendations in this report, supported by the research codified in the Focus Area Sub-Group Reports, form the 
basis for a coordinated government-wide approach to implementing e-learning for the Federal workforce. These recom-mendations 
should be considered as an integrated package of tools, all of which address specific weaknesses in the current 
Federal effort to use technology to enhance the skills of its workforce. If the initiatives in these recommendations are suc-cessfully 
implemented, the Administration will have put in place the foundation of an e-learning environment that will 
grow exponentially and provide the universal access to the knowledge resources needed to fuel a nation of highly skilled, 
competitive, and adaptive lifelong learners. 

The President charged the Task Force with finding ways to make training more accessible through the use of learning 
technology. The Task Force believes that having Innovation Grants, targeted awareness raising programs, and the 
Training Technology Steering Committee to serve as a centralized coordinating body, will accelerate the acceptance and 
use of learning technology in the Federal government. 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 
Appendices 
Learning Technologies Focus Area Sub-Group Report -
www. technology-taskforce. gov/ reports. html 

Financial Investments Focus Area Sub-Group Report -
www. technology-taskforce. gov/ reports. html 

Training Technology Implementation Group Report -
www. technology-taskforce. gov/ reports. html 

Procurement Options Focus Area Sub-Group Report -
www. technology-taskforce. gov/ reports. html 

Standards Focus Area Sub-Group Report -
www. technology-taskforce. gov/ reports. html 

Individual Learning Account Focus Area Sub-Group Report -
www. technology-taskforce. gov/ reports. html 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY 
Rashaan Dozier-Escalante 
Technical Advisor 
President's Task Force 
Presidential Management Intern 
Social Security Administration 

Jeff Gantt 
Executive Assistant 
President's Task Force 
Office of Personnel Management 

Ellen J. Goings 
Executive Assistant 
President's Task Force 
Office of Personnel Management 

Elijah Jenkins 
Procurement Specialist 
Office of Personnel Management 

Fred Lang, Ph. D. 
Transition Team 
Office of Personnel Management 

Tanya Luckett 
Technical Advisor 
President's Task Force 
Department of Energy 

Patrice Mendonca 
Procurement Specialist 
Office of Personnel Management 
Craig Moran 
Web Developer 
Department of Labor 

Faith Rodman 
Technical Advisor/ Web Developer 
President's Task Force 
Department of Labor 

Barbara Swanson 
Transition Team 
Office of Personnel Management 

Lee A. Wexel 
Senior Technical Advisor 
President's Task Force 
Department of Defense 

JoAnne Whitman 
Senior Technical Advisor 
President's Task Force 
Department of Energy 

Acknowledgments The Task Force would like to gratefully acknowledge the following people for their dedicated assistance and support in 
helping to achieve the mandate of the President. 

Special thanks and appreciation are also extended to the 
following members of the White House's Office of 
Science and Technical Policy: 

Henry Kelly 
Assistant Director for Technology 

Martha Livingston 
Assistant General Counsel 

Carson Eoyang, Ph. D. 
Technical Advisor 
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PRESIDENT' S TASK F ORCE ON 
F EDERAL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY JULY 2000 
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