eRulemaking Initiative
  
October 22,  2003
Overview
President's Management Agenda (PMA)
"...government needs to reform its operations - how it goes about its business and how it treats the people it serves." 
				President George W. Bush

President's Management Agenda (PMA)
Five Components:

* Competitive Sourcing
* Financial Management
* Human Capital
* Budget and Performance Integration
* Expanding Electronic Government

PMA: Expanding Electronic Government
Vision: 
* Order of magnitude improvement in the government's value to the citizen. 

Goals:
* Citizens can easily obtain service and interact with government
* Improved government efficiency and effectiveness
* Improved government responsiveness to citizens
PMA: e-Gov    24 Projects
* USA Services
* EZ Tax Filing
* Online Access for Loans
* Recreation One Stop
* Eligibility Assistance Online
* eRulemaking
* Simplified and Unified Tax and Wage Reporting
* Consolidated Health Informatics
* International Trade Process Streamlining
* e-Vital
E-Government Act of 2002
* Authorizes the PMA Expanding E-Government Initiatives
 Section 206 is the online rulemaking provision
* All agencies are expected to:
 Make their public regulatory dockets electronically accessible and searchable via the eRulemaking Initiative (regulations.gov.)
 Accept electronic submissions to the online dockets
* OMB plans to issue a timeline for agency compliance
* Implementation guidance for the E-Gov Act issued on August 1, 2003 
 eRulemaking Initiative
Vision: Citizens can easily access and participate in a high quality, efficient and open rulemaking process

Goals
* Provide easy and consistent way for public to search, view, and comment on proposed federal rules 

* Create centralized federal government docket system 

* Build a seamless, integrated, unified, and cost-effective regulatory management system

Scope / Partners
Partner Agencies
* EPA - lead partner
* Federal Communication Commission
* General Services Administration
* Government Printing Office
* Health and Human Services
* Housing and Urban Development
Project Plan
* Effort organized into three components
 Module 1: www.regulations.gov (Portal to find, retrieve, view, and comment on federal regulations)
 Module 2: Federal Docket Management System (based on EPA's EDOCKET system)
 Module 3: Virtual Workspace and standardized processes for rulemaking

* Collaborative approach

* Executive Committee and Advisory Board provide enterprise-wide oversight

* Workgroups: Records Management, Acquisition, Budget, Business Process Re-engineering, Legal & Policy, Module 1, Module 2, Module 3, and XML
Conceptual Architecture
Module 1 - www.regulations.gov
Module 1 - www.regulations.gov Data Flow
Module 1 - www.Regulations.gov Home Page
Module 1 - www.Regulations.gov Search Page
Module 1 - www.Regulations.gov Search Results
Module 1 - www.Regulations.gov Comment Form
Module 2 - Federal Docket Management System Model
Module 2 based on EPA's EDOCKET system

EDOCKET 
* Launched on May 31, 2002 for EPA Headquarters Program Offices (Office of Water, Office of Air and Radiation, etc.)

* Being expanded to include regional materials

* Assessed as closest to ideal federal-wide system by an independent evaluator using agreed upon criteria

* Recognition: 
 2003 eGov Trailblazer award
 Grace Hopper award finalist
Module 2 - Federal Docket Management System Attributes
* Designed using Commercial-Off-the-Shelf Technology, configured for online docket management
 Documentum (document management application)
 Input Accel (document capture)
 Oracle (database management)

* Image- and text-based system

* Sophisticated search capabilities
 Full-text
 Boolean

* Technical features include:
 Inter-operability with other systems
 Scalability to accommodate a large number of users
 Security / access control
 Utilize XML and workflow management

* 24/7 Internet access for the public to search, retrieve, submit comments on dockets

* Sophisticated data entry, workflow processing and tracking, and records management of docket materials

* Configured specifically for and integrated with large-scale docket processing operations
 Scanning of paper to render into electronic format

* Handle minimum 10,000 simultaneous users and unlimited documents in a collection

* Compliance with Section 508 and other government regulations
Module 2 - Federal Docket Management System 	Scope of 								Documents
System will include: 
* Rules (proposed and final)
* General notices 
 information collection requests, meeting notices, public hearings, grant announcements, etc.
* Supporting materials
 supporting analyses, public comments etc.
* Miscellaneous materials
 Adjudications, appeals, orders, information quality guidelines, etc.

System will not include:
* Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
* Controlled correspondence
Module 2:  EDOCKET Workflow Overview
Module 2 - EDOCKET System Example Home Page
Module 2 - EDOCKET System 	Example Search 
					Screen
Module 2 - EDOCKET System 	Example Docket Results
Module 2 - EDOCKET System 	Example Docket 							Detail
Module 2 - EDOCKET System 	Example Public 
					Comment
Module 3 - Virtual Workspace for Regulation Writers
* Define agency regulatory processes and requirements

* Develop electronic review and submission process

* Identify expert tools to assist in: 
 Analysis and decision making
 eRecords and document management
 Knowledge Management

Proposed - Federal Docket Service Center
* Operated by GPO

* Support multiple federal agencies

* Services:
 On-site docket processing
 Public reading room
 Long-term storage for paper, microform, and other tangible items
 Implementation of archival schedules

Organizational Structure
Milestones
* 18 December 	2002	Soft Launch of Regulations.gov
* 23 January    	2003	Formal Launch of Regulations.gov
*      January    	2003	Resubmittal of Business Case to OMB 
*      February   	2003	Project Management Office Staffed
*      March       	2003        	PMO and Workgroups formed
*      March        2003	Business Process Reengineering Begins,  
*      April          	2003   	FOSE
*      April/May  	2003   	Resources from other agencies arrive
*      June          	2003   	Move to Vermont Ave, eGov Conference
*      September	2003   	Acquisition completed 

Results that Benefit the Public
* One stop portal to search, read, and print all federal regulatory material

* Status of each regulation, docket or rule

* Ability to electronically file comments

* Ability to search, read and print all supporting documents (including comments)

* Listserv for businesses and citizens

* Improve the quality of decisions
Results that Benefit the Government
* Transform the entire federal rulemaking process

* Ability to efficiently analyze and aggregate public comments

* Provide electronic desktop support to regulation writers / managers

* Ability to maintain a web-based regulatory and comment dialogue with the public

* Central intake point and repository for all public comments.
Lessons Learned to Date
Contact