U. S. Department of Education

Office of the Chief Information Officer

Information Resources Management (IRM)

Strategic Plan

FY 2014 – 2017 

Final

August 31, 2015

Archived Information
US Department of Education

Office of the Chief Information Officer

Contents

1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................6

2 IRM Goals..............................................................................................................................................7

3 Goal One: Portfolio Alignment..............................................................................................................8

3.1 Department Alignment.................................................................................................................8

3.1.1 Department Strategic Plan....................................................................................................8

3.1.2 Segment Architecture .........................................................................................................10

3.1.3 Value Measurement Methodology (VMM) ........................................................................12

3.2 Federal Alignment.......................................................................................................................13

3.2.1 Digital Government Strategy ..............................................................................................14

3.2.1.1 Implementing the Digital Government Strategy.............................................................14

3.2.1.2 Information Centric.........................................................................................................15

3.2.1.3 Shared Platform ..............................................................................................................17

3.2.1.4 Customer Centric ............................................................................................................19

3.2.1.5 Security and Privacy ........................................................................................................21

3.2.2 Federal Data Center Consolidation.....................................................................................23

4 Goal Two: Technology Services...........................................................................................................23

4.1 Current Services..........................................................................................................................24

4.2 Future Services............................................................................................................................25

4.2.1 CIO’s Innovation Agenda.....................................................................................................27

4.2.1.1 Access Anywhere Computing..........................................................................................27

4.2.1.2 OCIO Support Services....................................................................................................27

4.2.2 Common Enabling Services (CES)........................................................................................28

4.2.3 Commodity IT and Shared Services.....................................................................................30

4.2.3.1 Maturing the IT portfolio ................................................................................................30

4.2.3.2 Use of savings resulting from consolidations of Commodity IT......................................31

4.2.3.3 Maximizing use of inter- and intra-agency shared services............................................31

4.2.3.4 Continuity of operation for mission critical applications................................................32

4.2.4 Cloud Computing ................................................................................................................32

4.2.5 Data Analytics Strategy Initiatives ......................................................................................33

4.2.5.1 Data Analytics at Department of Education ...................................................................33

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4.2.5.2 Creating a Data-Driven Culture at the Department of Education ..................................34

4.2.5.3. Efforts at the Department to Establish a Data-Driven Culture..........................................34

4.2.5.4. Data Analytics Technology.................................................................................................35

4.2.6 Cybersecurity Initiatives......................................................................................................36

4.2.6.1 HSPD-12 ..........................................................................................................................36

4.2.6.2 TIC ...................................................................................................................................36

4.2.6.3 CM...................................................................................................................................37

4.2.7 IPv6......................................................................................................................................38

4.2.8. Electronic Stewardship..............................................................................................................38

5 Goal Three: Information and Technology Management ....................................................................38

5.1 IT Governance Structure.............................................................................................................38

5.1.1 Enterprise Architecture Program Office (EAPO).................................................................39

5.1.2 Investment and Acquisition Management Team (IAMT)....................................................39

5.2 Key Department Contributors to the IRM Governance Process.................................................40

5.2.1 IT Acquisition (Procurement)..............................................................................................40

5.2.2 Regulatory Information Management................................................................................40

5.2.3 Information Assurance Services (IAS) .................................................................................40

5.2.4 Information Technology Services (ITS)................................................................................40

5.2.5 Accessibility.........................................................................................................................41

5.2.5.1 Creating a diverse work environment for individuals of all abilities ..............................41

5.2.5.2 Building workforce skills to support and enforce Section 508 requirements ................41

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Revision History

Date Version Updates Section #

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Updated the Document Purpose section

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Inserted a bullet in the Introduction section 1

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Removed bullets under IRM Goals section 2

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Removed Strategic Goals table 3.1.1

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Removed section and added it to section 3.2.1 3.2.3

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Updated section, removed graphic 4.2.1.1

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Updated the CES table, removed repeting rows 

and condensed Data Analytics para

4.2.2

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Removed Current cloud Services table 4.2.4

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Updated section, condensed paragraphs, 

removed graphics and removed repeating rows 

in table

4.2.5

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Updated section, removed table 4.2.6

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Updated Information Technology Services (ITS) 

section

5.2.4

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Removed Human Capital Management section 5.2.5

8/13/15 FY14-FY17 Updated Accessibility section 5.2.6

4/22/15 FY14-FY17 Added Future Cloud Services table 4.2.4

4/22/15 FY14-FY17 Added a new section on Data Analytics 4.2.5

4/22/15 FY14-FY17 Update section (Cyber Security Initiatives) 4.2.6

4/22/15 FY14-FY17 Updated section (IPv6) 4.2.7

4/22/15 FY14-FY17 Removed OMB headings (ex. AXXA) from 

headings for entire document

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Document Purpose

This purpose of this document is to describe the strategy for acquiring and managing IT within the U.S.

Department of Education (The Department) to support the achievement of the strategic plan goals.

There are five sections that discuss different aspects of implementing and managing IT resources. These 

five sections are as follows:

Section 1 Specifies the Chief Information Officer’s (CIO) objectives and planning horizon of the 

Information Resources Management (IRM) Strategic Plan. The Introduction also provides an overview of 

the external policies incorporated in the Department’s IRM Strategic Plan.

Section 2 Identifies the strategic goals set by the CIO to achieve the Department’s technology objectives.

Section 3 Describes Goal One of the Department’s IT portfolio alignment. This section discusses how the 

portfolio is aligned to meet the Department’s business mission and Federal IT initiatives.

Section 4 Describes Goal Two of the Department’s IT portfolio alignment. This section identifies the 

current technology services offered at the Department, along with future technologies that will meet 

the Department’s growing business requirements.

Section 5 Describes Goal Three of the Department’s IT portfolio alignment. This section identifies the 

key stakeholders and provides an overview of what they manage and contribute to the information 

resource management process.

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1 Introduction

The CIO at the Department has primary responsibility to ensure that IT is acquired and information 

resources are managed in a manner consistent with statutory, regulatory, and departmental 

requirements and priorities. The CIO provides management advice and assistance to the Secretary of 

Education and to other senior staff on information resources investment and operations. The CIO also 

promotes a shared corporate vision for the Department’s information activities, and provides services to 

effectively manage information, while providing value-added, enterprise-wide systems and 

infrastructure.

The Department Information Resources Management Strategic Plan for FY 2014 - 2017 describes:

• The relationship between the IT vision and the enterprise business goals and performance 

objectives

• The set of value-added IT services delivered or planned to be delivered

• The set of IT management processes and plans for ensuring the effective use of IT resources 

across the Department

While the IRM Strategic Plan serves as the strategic document for the Office of the Chief Information 

Officer (OCIO), it is built from other more detailed strategic, operational and tactical plans of each 

information management element throughout the Department, ranging from enterprise architecture to 

E-Government. The IRM Strategic Plan describes what will be implemented over the planning horizon, 

while the other strategic, operational and tactical plans describe how these goals will be accomplished.

Together, these plans allow OCIO to ensure that IT activities are aligned with, and supportive of, the 

Department’s mission and strategic goals.

In addition, the Department recognizes the need to integrate external policies and directions as defined 

by Congress and the Administration into its IRM Strategic Plan. As such, the Department’s IRM Strategic 

Plan responds to:

• Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA)

• Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA)

• Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996

• E-Government Act of 2002

• Government Performance and Results Act of 1993

• Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130

• Implementing PortfolioStat Memorandum OMB M-12-10

• Chief Information Officer Authorities Memorandum OMB M-11-29

• Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA)

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OMB Circular A-130 describes the IRM Strategic Plan as a management tool that is “strategic in nature 

and addresses all information resources management activities of the agency and agencies must 

develop and maintain the agency’s IRM strategic plan” It also requires that the IRM Strategic Plan be 

submitted together with the Department’s IT budget request.

2 IRM Goals

The CIO’s objective is to support the Department’s mission through effective management of valueadding technologies. The IRM Strategic Plan describes the technology strategic goals necessary to 

achieve the CIO’s objective.

Figure 1: IRM Strategic Plan Goals

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3 Goal One: Portfolio Alignment

Goal One of the Department’s IRM Strategy is to ensure that the IT investment portfolio supports the 

Department’s business mission objectives while delivering business value. The IT portfolio objective is to 

accomplish: 

• Alignment to Departmental Business Mission

• Alignment to Federal IT initiatives

The IRM Strategic Plan describes how the Department’s technology investments are managed to 

support the business mission and performance objectives of the Department’s program offices, and to 

respond to Federal IT initiatives.

3.1 Department Alignment

The Department’s IRM Strategic Plan is designed to demonstrate how the Department’s information 

resources are aligned to support achievement of the Department’s mission.

3.1.1 Department Strategic Plan

OCIO’s technology goals are to support the achievement of the Department mission and strategic 

performance goals and objectives for 2014 – 2018.

The Department of Education’s mission is:

“To promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering 

educational excellence and ensuring equal access.”

The Department’s Strategic Plan 2014-2018 embodies six Department of Education strategic goals:

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Table 1: Department of Education Strategic Goals and Objectives

Strategic Goals Strategic Objectives

Goal One: Postsecondary 

Education, Career and 

Technical Education, and Adult 

Education. Increase college 

access, affordability, quality, 

and completion by improving 

postsecondary education and 

lifelong learning opportunities 

for youths and adults.

Strategic Objective 1.1: Access and Affordability. Close the opportunity gap by improving the 

affordability of and access to college and/or workforce training, especially for 

underrepresented and/or underprepared populations (e.g., low-income and first-generation 

students, English learners, individuals with disabilities, adults without high school diplomas, 

etc.).

Strategic Objective 1.2: Quality. Foster institutional value to ensure that postsecondary 

education credentials represent effective preparation for students to succeed in the 

workforce and participate in civic life.

Strategic Objective 1.3: Completion. Increase degree and certificate completion and job 

placement in high-need and high-skill areas, particularly among underrepresented and/or 

underprepared populations.

Strategic Objective 1.4: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) 

Pathways. Increase STEM pathway opportunities that enable access to and completion of 

postsecondary programs.

Goal Two: Elementary and 

Secondary. Improve the 

elementary and secondary 

education system’s ability to 

consistently deliver excellent 

instruction aligned with 

rigorous academic standards 

while also providing effective 

support services to close 

achievement and opportunity 

gaps, and ensure all students 

graduate high school collegeand career-ready.

Strategic Objective 2.1: Standards and Assessments. Support implementation of 

internationally benchmarked college- and career-ready standards, with aligned, valid, and 

reliable assessments.

Strategic Objective 2.2: Effective Teachers and Strong Leaders. Improve the preparation, 

recruitment, retention, development, support, evaluation, recognition, and equitable 

distribution 7of effective teachers and leaders.

Strategic Objective 2.3: School Climate and Community. Increase the success, safety, and 

health of students, particularly in high-need schools, and deepen family and community 

engagement.

Strategic Objective 2.4: Turn Around Schools and Close Achievement Gaps. Accelerate 

achievement by supporting states and districts in turning around low-performing schools and 

closing achievement gaps, and developing models of next generation high schools.

Strategic Objective 2.5: STEM Teaching and Learning. Increase the number and quality of 

STEM teachers and increase opportunities for students to access rich STEM learning 

experiences.

Goal Three: Early Learning.

Improve the health, socialemotional, and cognitive 

outcomes for all children from 

birth through 3rd grade, so 

that all children, particularly 

those with high needs, are on 

track for graduating from high 

school college- and careerready.

Strategic Objective 3.1: Access to High-Quality Programs and Services. Increase access to 

high-quality early learning programs and comprehensive services, especially for children with 

high needs.

Strategic Objective 3.2: Effective Workforce. Improve the quality and effectiveness of the 

early learning workforce so that early childhood educators have the knowledge, skills, and 

abilities necessary to improve young children’s health, social-emotional, and cognitive 

outcomes.

Strategic Objective 3.3: Measuring Progress, Outcomes, and Readiness. Improve the capacity 

of states and early learning programs to develop and implement comprehensive early 

learning assessment systems.

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Strategic Goals Strategic Objectives

Goal Four: Equity. Increase 

educational opportunities for 

underserved students and 

reduce discrimination so that 

all students are wellpositioned to succeed.

Strategic Objective 4.1: Equitable Educational Opportunities. Increase all students’ access to 

educational opportunities with a focus on closing achievement gaps and remove barriers 

that students face based on their race, ethnicity, or national origin; sex; sexual orientation or 

gender identity or expression; disability; English language ability; religion; socioeconomic 

status; or geographical location.

Strategic Objective 4.2: Civil Rights Compliance. Ensure educational institutions’ awareness 

of and compliance with federal civil rights obligations and enhance the public's knowledge of 

their civil rights.

Goal Five: Continuous 

Improvement of the U.S. 

Education System. Enhance 

the education system’s ability 

to continuously improve 

through better and more 

widespread use of data, 

research and evaluation, 

evidence, transparency, 

innovation, and technology.

Strategic Objective 5.1: Data Systems and Transparency. Facilitate the development of 

interoperable longitudinal data systems for early learning through employment to enable 

data-driven, transparent decision making by increasing access to timely, reliable, and highvalue data.

Strategic Objective 5.2: Privacy. Provide all education stakeholders, from early childhood to 

adult learning, with technical assistance and guidance to help them protect student privacy 

while effectively managing and using student information.

Strategic Objective 5.3: Research, Evaluation, and Use of Evidence. Invest in research and 

evaluation that builds evidence for education improvement; communicate findings 

effectively; and drive the use of evidence in decision-making by internal and external 

stakeholders.

Strategic Objective 5.4: Technology and Innovation. Accelerate the development and broad 

adoption of new, effective programs, processes, and strategies, including education 

technology.

Goal Six: U.S. Department of

Education Capacity. Improve 

the organizational capacities 

of the Department to 

implement this strategic plan.

Strategic Objective 6.1: Effective Workforce. Continue to build a skilled, diverse, and engaged 

workforce within the Department.

Strategic Objective 6.2: Risk Management. Improve the Department’s program efficacy 

through comprehensive risk management, and grant and contract monitoring.

Strategic Objective 6.3: Implementation and Support. Build Department capacity and 

systems to support states’ and other grantees’ implementation of reforms that result in 

improved outcomes, and keep the public informed of promising practices and new reform 

initiatives.

Strategic Objective 6.4: Productivity and Performance Management. Improve workforce 

productivity through information technology enhancements, telework expansion efforts, 

more effective process performance management systems, and state-of-the-art leadership 

and knowledge management practices.

Source: U.S. Department of Education Strategic Plan 2014-2018

3.1.2 Segment Architecture 

The OCIO’s Enterprise Architecture Program Office (EAPO) developed a Segment Architecture approach 

to align the IT portfolio to the Departmental strategic goals. 

The EA Program Office, in accordance with the FEA practice guidance, identified business segments that 

support common missions and provide common services. These business segments are then grouped 

into categories by how they address the various business and technology needs of the program and 

principal offices across the Department: core mission, business service, and enterprise services. As a 

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result of the identification and development process, the EA Program Office described the Department’s 

business using the 13 segments in the following table.

Table 2: The Department’s 13 Segments

Segment 

Name Segment Definition Segment Category

Budget 

Formulation & 

Execution

Enable the Department’s budget personnel to reduce manual processes and improve 

budget formulation and execution efficiency and data accuracy

Business 

Service

Compliance Ensure that policies mandated by the Department and by Federal law are being carried 

out

Core Mission

Evaluation & 

Policy Analysis

Assess the Department’s programs and related policies for meeting national education 

objectives

Core Mission

Facilities 

Management

Track assets and the provision of services related to those assets, to include the 

operation of office buildings, space planning, and other capital assets that are 

possessions of the Department

Enterprise 

Service 

Financial 

Management

Deliver responsible financial management capabilities, including centralized data, 

increased access, electronic record keeping, and improved reporting

Business 

Service 

Grants Review, award, and disbursement of formula and discretionary grants through the 

various program offices

Core Mission

Human Capital 

Management

Improve the strategic management of the department’s human capital Business 

Service

Information 

Assurance

Build and enable mutual trust needed to support widespread use of electronic identity 

authentication interactions between the public and the government

Enterprise 

Service 

Information 

Dissemination

Distribute education information products through multiple channels and formats Core Mission

IT Infrastructure Improve customer service and reduce the Department’s operational risks by improving 

performance, providing a common technology platform for business applications, and 

facilitating better information management

Enterprise 

Service 

IT Management Facilitate the interagency-wide governance of information resources, to include the 

practices of enterprise architecture, and capital planning and investment control

Enterprise 

Service 

Loans Manage and deliver federally funded or federally guaranteed financial assistance for 

post-secondary education

Core Mission

Research Research and statistical analysis on the condition of education in the U.S. Core Mission

The EAPO worked with the segments to establish the investments in the Department’s IT portfolio and 

how they were developed to improve the business performance of the program offices they support.

The following figure provides a visual representation of principal offices and their engagement with the 

Department’s 13 Segments.

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Figure 2: Principal Office and Segment Engagement

The segment architecture approach is expected to improve the Department’s performance and help 

identify ways to reduce cost by aligning business processes and investment activities while eliminating 

unnecessary duplication of processes, investments and technologies.

3.1.3 Value Measurement Methodology (VMM)

The VMM is the process that is used to assess the relative value of the Department’s IT investments. The 

VMM applies a numerical scale to the Department’s mission priorities, value drivers and performance 

metrics to assign a value score to each of the Department’s IT investments. The VMM value score is 

combined with other rating factors such as the CIO ratings and Planning and Investment Review 

Working Group (PIRWG) select scores to make funding and management decisions about the 

Department’s IT investment portfolio.

The PIRWG uses the VMM in the portfolio selection process to make funding recommendations about IT 

investments and IT investment opportunities. The segment owners of the Department’s lines of 

business (LOB) use VMM to make IT investment planning decisions and determine their priority and 

funding recommendations to the PIRWG about those IT investments. The VMM also helps the 

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Department identify opportunities for investment consolidation and/or termination, thereby increasing 

the efficiency of IT services and resource utilization by the Department.

3.2 Federal Alignment

The Department’s goal to align its portfolio also includes alignment to Federal technology initiatives.

By implementing the following initiatives in compliance with government-wide mandates, the IT

portfolio will support the Federal government’s technology direction:

• Digital/Open Government Strategy

• EA Value

• ED Space Modernization

• Customer Service 

• Cloud Computing

• Homeland Security Presidential Directive 

(HSPD-12)

• Investment Consolidation

o Financial Management

o Grants Management

o Website Consolidation

• Trusted Internet Connection (TIC)

• Electronic Stewardship

• Performance Measurement

On May 23, 2012, the White House released its strategy for digital government, “Building a 21st Century 

Platform to Better Serve the American People.” The strategy has three primary objectives:

(1) Enable the American people and an increasingly mobile workforce to access high-quality 

digital government information and services anywhere, anytime, on any device

(2) Ensure that as the government adjusts to this new digital world, we seize the opportunity to 

procure and manage devices, applications, and data in smart, secure and affordable ways

(3) Unlock the power of government data to spur innovation across our Nation and improve the 

quality of services for the American people

Four overarching principals drive this digital government transformation:

(1) An “Information-Centric” approach – Transforming from managing “documents” to 

managing discrete pieces of open data and content,which can be tagged, shared, secured, 

mashed up and presented in the way that is most useful

(2) A “Shared Platform” approach – Enables the government to work together, both within and 

across agencies, to reduce costs, streamline development, apply consistent standards, and 

ensure consistency in how the Department creates and delivers information

(3) A “Customer-Centric” approach – Influences how data is created, managed, and presented 

through websites, mobile applications, raw data sets, and other modes of delivery, and 

allows customers to shape, share and consume information, whenever and however they 

want it

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(4) A platform of “Security and Privacy” – Ensures this innovation happens in a way that 

ensures the safe and secure delivery and use of digital services to protect information and 

privacy

The Department is committed to supporting the digital government strategy through the engagement in 

the action plan presented in the following table.

Table 3: Department Action Plan

Digital 

Government 

Strategy 

Principal

Departmental Action Plan Activity

Information Centric 

Approach

• Engage with customers to identify major customer-facing services that contain high-value 

data or content to make compliant with new open data, content, and web API policy

• Make open data, content, and web APIs the new default by ensuring all new IT systems follow 

the open data policy and operationalize ED.gov and developer pages

• Publish a plan to transition additional high-value systems to make high-value data and 

content in existing major customer-facing systems available through web APIs and metadata 

tagging

Shared Platform 

Approach

• Establish an agency-wide governance structure for developing and delivering digital services

• Develop an enterprise-wide inventory of mobile devices and wireless service contracts

• Evaluate the government-wide contract vehicles in the alternatives analysis for all new 

mobile-related procurement

Customer Centric 

Approach

• Engage with customers to identify existing priority customer-facing services to optimize for 

mobile use

• Ensure all new digital services follow digital services and customer experience improvement 

guidelines

• Optimize two existing priority customer-facing services for mobile use and publish a plan for 

improving additional existing services

• Implement performance and customer satisfaction measuring tools on all government 

websites

Platform of 

Security and 

Privacy

• (Via CIO Council) Evaluate opportunities to accelerate the secure adoption of mobile 

technologies into the federal environment at reduced cost

• (Via CIO Council) Develop guidelines for standardized implementation of digital privacy 

controls and educate agency privacy and legal officials on options for addressing digital 

privacy, records retention, and security issues

3.2.1 Digital Government Strategy

3.2.1.1 Implementing the Digital Government Strategy

The Department of Education’s approach to the Digital Government Strategy focuses on:

• Better serving the Department’s customers

• Sharing ideas, solutions, and best practices across the Department

• Offering more cohesive processes for the delivery of digital services

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• Ensuring cost effective delivery of services

• Ensuring digital services provide value

• Reducing redundancies in digital services and data collections across the Department

The Department's Data Strategy Team (DST) is conducting an inventory of all public and restricted 

datasets, and is studying ways to build more coordinated policies and processes for data collection and 

release throughout the information life cycle across the Department. The DST has established a 

Disclosure Review Board led by the Department's Chief Privacy Officer. The Department's Digital 

Government Strategy working group plans to propose revisions to the Department's Lifecycle Directive 

Framework (OCIO 1-106) policy document and to standard language for contracts and statements of 

work to promote interoperability and data openness for new and renewed IT systems.

The Department has engaged with the broader education community and other interested developers 

and entrepreneurs through social media outlets and the Department’s official Homeroom Blog. Blog 

visitors have the opportunity to comment on the blog post and provide feedback about services and 

data they would like to access through open web APIs. Representatives from the Department’s OCIO, 

the Office of Communications and Outreach, and other key offices collect, analyze, and synthesize the 

feedback from the blog and social media comments to prioritize the development of APIs. The 

Department's White House Innovation Fellow is engaged in the Project Open Data initiative, and the 

Department had made its data inventory available as a JSON file to ensure its data publication workflow 

will be compatible with the new implementation approach for Data.gov.

3.2.1.2 Information Centric

3.2.1.2.1 Open Government Directive

The December 2009 Open Government directive set an unprecedented standard for openness in 

government. Open Government practices became an even more prominent priority at the Department 

with the issuance of the President's Open Government directive, Transparency and Open Government, 

on January 21, 2009. 

The Department’s Open Government Plan articulates Secretary Arne Duncan’s response to the Office of 

Management and Budget’s Open Government Directive (OMB M-10-06). The directive requires 

departments and agencies to document specific steps that will achieve the transparency, participation, 

and collaboration goals of President Obama and his administration. 

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The goals of Open Government are to:

Table 4: Open Government Goals 

Goals Objectives

Increase the 

Department’s 

transparency and 

accountability. 

• Provide clarity and guidance on privacy rules and regulations to 

ensure that information and data can be shared in a timely manner 

with the public while still protecting individual privacy as required by 

law. 

• Make more data and information available to the public. 

• Improve the timeliness of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 

processing and document release. 

• Increase the transparency of the grant application and award process. 

• Maintain up-to-date information on the Department’s website about 

Department offices and key programs. 

• Foster more transparency in the larger educational community. 

Solicit and incorporate 

more public input, 

including from 

students, families, 

educators, and 

community partners, 

into Department 

operations and 

programs. 

• Provide more insight into the agency’s decision-making process. 

• Provide regularly updated project maps, dated milestones, and 

financial data regarding open government and other key initiatives. 

• Collect and use input from the public and other stakeholders, 

including students, families, educators, and community partners, in 

decision-making.

• Empower students, families, educators, and community partners to 

have a voice in the development and implementation of Departmentfunded education projects at the state and local level. 

Increase collaboration 

and communication 

with other 

organizations. 

• Enhance collaboration with other federal and non-federal agencies, 

the public, and non-profit and private entities. 

Create a culture of 

openness within the 

Department. 

• Encourage openness and communication about effectiveness within 

the Department. 

• Enhance Departmental internal collaboration capabilities. 

3.2.1.2.2 Open Data

The Department formed a DST representing all the Department’s offices that work with data collections 

to coordinate data-related policy activities within the Department. The DST established a number of 

working groups pertaining to various data-related initiatives within the Department, developing or 

redesigning policy, processes, and/or tools. Among them, DST established the Data Inventory Group 

(DIG), tasked with developing a database of information about all Department-sponsored data 

collections that can be used to produce education statistics. The primary purpose of the database is to 

provide a centralized searchable source of background information about the Department’s collections, 

with the goal of facilitating both internal and external awareness of available data, and increasing data 

use and coordination among current and future data collections. 

DIG members met first as a group and then worked via email to determine the type of background 

information (metadata) to collect, and to identify the initial scope of the group’s product. DIG members 

agreed that as a starting point, any data collection that has an OMB clearance would be included in the 

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inventory database, encompassing both Department-sponsored data collections and reporting 

requirements for Department-sponsored grants. The database is currently being populated using the 

electronic OMB clearance packages (i.e., those submitted for clearance since 2005). To date, metadata 

for 46 program areas, big and small (including EdFacts and many NCES studies), have been entered into 

the ED data inventory database based on 269 OMB clearance packages. That is, and can be viewed, at 

data.inventory.gov.

3.2.1.2.3 Data.gov

As part of the Open Government Initiative, Data.gov shares the Open Government initiative’s goals to

increase agencies’ transparency and accountability with the public by providing improved access and 

usability of Federal data.

Additionally in FY2012, OMB, General Services Administration, the Department and other federal 

agencies with education-related data (e.g., National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration, Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of State),

launched the Data.gov Education Community at http://education.data.gov. This website showcases 

education-related datasets, challenges, mobile and web applications and other interests to the 

community.

Data.gov and Data.ED.gov are user-friendly platforms with a searchable data catalog that makes more 

data and information available to the public and also provides regular updates to project maps, dated 

milestones, and financial data regarding Open Government and other key initiatives. These Data.gov 

programs provide the public with increased access to high value, machine readable datasets so that they

can easily find, download, and use information generated by the Department.

3.2.1.3 Shared Platform

3.2.1.3.1 Cloud Computing

The February 2011 Cloud Computing Initiative and the Federal Cloud Computing Strategy require all 

Federal agencies to shift to a “Cloud First” policy. The goal is to become a more reliable, efficient, and 

innovative government.

The Department of Education is adopting cloud computing technologies whenever a secure, reliable, 

cost-effective cloud option exists in compliance with the following guidance and regulations:

• Federal Chief Information Officers Council (FCIOC) Privacy Committee, Privacy 

Recommendations for the Use of Cloud Computing by Federal Departments and Agencies, 

August 2010

• FISMA of 2012, Public Law 104-347

• NARA Bulletin 2010-05, Guidance on Managing Records in Cloud Computing Environments

• NIST SP 800-144, Guidelines on Security and Privacy in Public Cloud Computing, December 2011

• NIST SP 800-145, A NIST Definition of Cloud Computing, September 2011

• NIST SP 800-146, DRAFT Cloud Computing Synopsis and Recommendations, May 12, 2011

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• OMB Circular A-130

• The Cloud Computing Act of 2011 

• The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP)

• Department of Education Cloud Computing Strategy, September, 2014

3.2.1.3.2 Shared Services

The Department’s shared services strategy addresses the Federal Information Technology Shared 

Services Strategy, which provides policy guidance on the full range and lifecycle of intra- and interagency IT shared services. This strategy is part of the OMB “25-Point Implementation Plan to Reform 

Federal IT Management,” which seeks to increase return on investment, eliminate waste and 

duplication, and improve the effectiveness of IT solutions. The approach is commonly referred to as the 

“Shared-First” strategy. 

The Department’s shared service plan also seeks to comply with the following guidance:

• OMB Memorandum M-11-29, Chief Information Officer Authorities, August 8, 2012

• OMB Memorandum M-12-10, Implementing PortfolioStat, March 30, 2012

Please see Section 4.2.3 for more information on the Department’s shared services activities.

3.2.1.3.3 Investment Consolidation

Investment consolidation has been identified as a new initiative for the Department. Currently, it is 

comprised of three major components: Financial Management Consolidation, Grants Consolidation, and 

Web Consolidation (moving all Department websites to the same platform). The purpose of this 

consolidation is to begin to aggregate data onto the same platform to help increase access, use, and 

interoperability. 

Currently, the following three non-major Financial Management Segment investments which are 

considered to be key financial applications are not included as part of Educating Central Automated 

Processing System (EDCAPS) architecture and are therefore not in either the Financial Management 

Support System (FMSS) or the Integrated Support Service (ISS) investment. Through investment 

consolidation, these three investments (key financial applications) will be included under the EDCAPS 

umbrella and, if feasible, managed within the FMSS:

(1) Frontier (formerly CheckFree RECON Plus for Windows)

(2) Continuous Controls Monitoring System (CCMS)

(3) Interface between Internet Payment Platform (IPP) and Oracle.

The proposed grants consolidation initiative is an effort to ensure the Grants Management system (G5)

is the definitive, integrated grant-making platform that addresses the business needs of all grantsmaking offices at the Department. This roadmap will outline a strategy for migrating existing 

functionality and systems into G5, enabling elimination of current IT investments or systems, and 

provide a path for new functionality requirements to be incorporated, as well. This effort will be 

completed in cooperation with the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), and the Grants 

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Executive Board (GEB). The GEB, which has representation from all grants-related organizations in the 

Department, will provide oversight and support of the grants consolidation intiaitve, while its members 

instruct their respective organizations on the tasks needed to complete the effort. This consolidation is 

going to streamline processing and decrease required processing time, while aggregating grants 

information allowing for increased productivity and user satisfaction.

With web consolidation, the Department has noticed that many ED websites do not utilize the provided 

ed.gov domain names. The Department has realized that this causes problems with both customer 

intereactions and availability. With Department websites not utilizing the provided ed.gov domains, 

there are issues with branding, inconsistent service, and increased costs due to multiple hosting 

facilities. The web consolidation effort attempts to migrate these sites onto the ed.gov platform 

ensuring consistent service and availability. Succeeding in this will provide a number of benefits for the 

Department such as better branding, increased security, accelerated modernization, decreased costs, 

and increased leverage of shared services.

3.2.1.4 Customer Centric

3.2.1.4.1 Customer Service 

The Department’s Customer Service Plan is designed to improve the delivery of services to our 

customers by redesigning the business processes and systems that impact key customer interactions, 

including increasing online services and user-friendly services. The Customer Service Plan also addresses 

the Executive Order 13571 – Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service to improve 

the quality of service the Federal government provides to the public, private entities, and intragovernmental agencies.

The Department’s Customer Service Plan FY 2012 outlines the Department’s efforts to improve 

customer relationships and the customer experience by delivering faster and better services to the 

public while reducing costs. The Department is currently forming a working group with customer service 

representatives from across the enterprise to update and expand the current Customer Service Plan.

3.2.1.4.2 Electronic Stewardship

In support of Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic 

Performance, the Department will continue to serve as an active member on the Federal Electronic 

Stewardship Working Group (FESWG) and other interagency activities, including the Federal Electronics 

Challenge. The Executive Order, released in October 2009, includes the following areas associated with 

IT electronic stewardship that the Department will continue to implement and address throughout the 

acquisition, operations and end-of-life management lifecycle: 

• Establish and implement policies to enable power management, duplex printing and other 

energy efficient or environmentally preferable features

• Use environmentally sound disposal practices for excess or surplus electronic products

• Implement best practices in energy-efficient management of servers and data centers

The Department’s Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan outlines the agency’s electronic stewardship 

programs and complies with the following guidance:

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• Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic 

Performance

• Executive Order 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation 

Management

Please see Section 4.2.8 for more information on electronic stewardship.

3.2.1.4.3 EA Value/Performance

In the next year, the EAPO will develop outcome-oriented EA metrics in order to improve EAPO 

effectiveness and more efficiently prioritize and manage EA resources and the IT portfolio. Traditional 

metrics approaches tend to fail in their effort to demonstrate EA impact on business objectives. 

Through the use of outcome-oriented EA metrics, EAPO will drive effective resource allocation and 

prove the value and performance of EA to the Department business executives and IT executives. The 

approach for developing these metrics will follow the model below:

Table5: EA Value Metrics

Step Description

1. Identify ED Value Drivers EA will work with senior leaders to identify ED-specific business value drivers 

which are distinct sources of value delivery. Those value drivers will provide EA 

with clear guidance on EA services and deliverables.

2. Define EA Services Through analysis EA will differentiate EA services from EA enabling activities. 

EA services are consumable, replicable, and apply to a variety of circumstances. 

Additionally EA services are designed to directly support a specific objective. 

3. Link Deliverables to EA 

Services and Value Drivers

The deliverables or outcomes that result from the EA enabling activities will be 

linked back to the EA services that are comprised by those activities, and the 

ED value drivers which guide those EA services. 

4. Specify the Business Impact 

of each Deliverable

Through the consolidation of external benchmarks, internal process 

knowledge, and subject matter expertise, EA can begin to calculate the 

potential value of the outcomes. This will be supported through the 

development of questions that assess how each deliverable impacts the 

current state. That impact will be used to define relevant outcome-oriented 

metrics. 

5. Define Metrics The metrics are outcome-oriented and will provide quantifiable measures for 

IT cost savings, business value creation, EA compliance, EA environment, and 

EA activities. 

3.2.1.4.4 ED Space Modernization

This initiative strives to bring a new approach to the workplace at the Department of Education, build 

greater employee performance and productivity through innovative space designs and technology 

enhancements, while reducing the agency’s space footprint and associated out-year costs. This 

initiative aims to reduce the Departments footprint to between 150-180 sq/ft in compliance with new 

federal guidelines. The modernization will provide the Department such benefits as upgrades to the IT 

infrastructure, it strengthens performance management, designs innovative work spaces, reduces the 

Departments footprint, and provides 21st century tools to support a new mobile workforce. Most 

importantly, it provides the option for mobile computing and gives greater opportunities for hiring

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mobile employees. This allows the Department to leverage talent from all over the country, not just 

from local markets.

This initiative is highly aligned with the Access Anywhere and Cloud strategy initiative to provide mobile 

access to the Department's data and applications.

3.2.1.5 Security and Privacy

3.2.1.5.1 Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12

The Federal government established the HSPD 12 - Policies for a Common Identification Standard for 

Federal Employees and Contractors, the requirement that users provide two forms of identification for 

access to government systems. This required a government-wide standard for secure and reliable forms 

of identification. Agency goals in the department-wide integration of HSPD-12 are to reduce identity 

fraud, protect personal privacy, enhance security, and increase efficiency.

Please see Section 4.2.6.1 for more information on the Department’s HSPD-12 activities.

3.2.1.5.2 Identity Management

The Federal government is moving toward the idea of sharing credentials across multiple agencies and 

allowing citizens to use non-government credentials to conduct business with the government online.

The Department has been a participant in the identity management initiative, which is part of the EGovernment agenda outlined by the President’s Management Council.

Identity management provides the capability for the Department’s customers to use identity credentials 

other than those currently provided by the Department of Education, such as those from the top five 

identity providers: (1) banks, (2) universities, (3) Internet service providers, (4) merchants, and (5) 

employers.

The Department’s identity management program seeks to provide identity credentials to the 

Department’s customers while strengthening security, reducing inconvenience, and minimizing the cost 

of identity management.

The Department's approach to implementing identity management is to build a solid infrastructure that 

supports shared authentication services across multiple applications. The first building block is the 

security architecture infrastructure that includes identity and access management (IBM Tivoli Access 

Manager and Identity Manager suite of products). The security architecture provides tools, technologies, 

and policies for identity and access management across the Department. The goal is to provide 

consistent access control, authorization and auditing for applications that integrate with this 

infrastructure. Once the security architecture is developed and deployed, the identity management 

infrastructure can be layered on top of it and deployed to any application already in the security 

architecture.

3.2.1.5.3 Department ID and Access Control Implementation

To meet the requirement of HSPD-12, the Department’s Office of Management Security Services 

provides policy to Department facilities in how to manage the vetting and credentialing of individuals 

requiring access to agency information systems and facilities. Having consistent policies in place reduces

vulnerabilities to the Department’s physical and logical assets.

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The Department’s HSPD-12 solution, the ID Card and Access Control System, is currently in place and is 

used by employees and contractors at the Department’s headquarters and regional locations. All of 

these systems are networked to form one system. The ID Card and Access Control System also provides

complete access control and alarm monitoring for sites, including the following additional features:

• Access Control

• Security

• Point Monitoring

• Elevator Control

• Photo ID Badges

• Guard Tour

• Key Tracking

• Image Recall with Historic and User 

Accountability Reporting

• Live CCTV display/control

• Interface with Paging, CCTV, Parking, 

Central Station Automated Alarm 

Systems, HVAC, and Elevator Control 

Systems

The Department maintains privately leased, GSA owned, or GSA leased facilities, all of which have 

staggered lease renewal dates. As facility leases expire, the determination of whether to relocate or to 

extend the present lease will be determined. Security systems for all locations must be 100% compatible 

with the existing systems for proper monitoring and access control. 

3.2.1.5.4 Two-Factor Authentication

To improve the security and protect the assets of the Department, all employees and contractors are 

required to access authorized Department systems using two factor authentication. Two-factor 

authentication requires two authentication methods to access a system. At the Department, users are 

required to use their PIV-enabled identification badge and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for 

access to the Department’s network.

3.2.1.5.5 Trusted Internet Connection (TIC)

The Trusted Internet Connection (TIC) Initiative derives from the National Security Presidential Directive 

54 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 23 and is the first of 12 initiatives in the President’s 

Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI). The TIC Initiative aims to optimize and 

standardize the security of the Federal government’s network connections.

The Department’s TIC implementation will comply with the following OMB Memoranda:

• OMB Memorandum M-08-05, Implementation of Trusted Internet Connections

• OMB Memorandum M-08-16, Guidance for Trusted Internet Connection Statement of Capability

Form 

• OMB Memorandum M-08-26, Transition from FTS2001 to NETWORX 

• OMB Memorandum M-08-27, Guidance for Trusted Internet Connection Compliance 

• OMB Memorandum M-09-32, Update on the Trusted Internet Connections Initiative 

Please see Section 4.2.6.2 for more information on the Department’s TIC activities.

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3.2.1.5.6 Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)

Internet protocols (IPs) specify communication and interoperability rules on the Internet and on other IP 

networks. Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is most widely used in current Federal network 

environments. With the exponential increase in demand across the global Internet community, IPv4’s 

address space is nearing depletion, underscoring the need to transition to IPv6, which offers a larger 

Internet address space. OMB Memorandum M-05-22 mandates Federal agencies enable Internet 

Protocol version 6 (IPv6) within their current IPv4 networks. 

The Department developed an IPv6 Transition Guide, which describes the Department’s policies and 

activities to meet the Federal IPv6 requirements. The Department’s IPv6 Transition Manager and IPv6 

Working Group have met the FY2012 external application compliance milestones and have completed 

all of the FY2014 internal application compliance milestones as well.

Please see Section 4.2.7 for more information on the Department’s IPv6 activities.

3.2.2 Federal Data Center Consolidation

The 2010 Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI) called for a government-wide effort to 

consolidate Federal data centers with goals to:

• Promote the use of Green IT

• Reduce Federal costs

• Improve IT security posture 

• Shift Federal computing to more efficient technologies

The Department of Education has achieved its data center consolidation target, completed an inventory 

of its data centers and related assets, and completed its targets of consolidation to two data centers.

Through data center consolidation, the Department aims to do its part to reduce Federal energy 

consumption, reduce operational costs, strengthen IT security, and move toward employing innovative 

and efficient technologies.

4 Goal Two: Technology Services

Goal Two is to orient OCIO as a provider of technology-based business solutions including infrastructure 

services.

OCIO will enable program offices to better focus on their mission competencies by providing a robust 

enterprise platform with technology services that:

• Improve performance by providing a highly capable communications and computing 

infrastructure

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• Improve efficiency with interoperable technologies that can link work across independent tools 

and enhance staff productivity

• Reduce costs for IT service delivery by standardizing software and hardware platforms

4.1 Current Services 

OCIO’s role is to provide a stable technology infrastructure to support the business requirements of the 

Department. OCIO will continue the delivery of common IT resources, such as hardware, software, 

networks, and other services that support program offices business needs. OCIO will continue delivery 

of the following supportive technologies during the FY 2014 - FY 2017 IRM Strategic Plan.

Table 6: Current Delivery of Services

Hardware

Assistive technologies 

Hardware infrastructure maintenance and upgrade

Software

Assistive technologies 

Data Analytics

Data Management

Desktop Operating System – Upgrade to Windows 7

Email, Messaging, and Collaboration

Office Productivity Tools – Microsoft Office Suite 2010

Voice and Data

Network

Data Center

Data Warehouse

DNS SEC

Intranet

IPv4/ IPv6 Capable

Security

Servers

Services

Enterprise Architecture

IT Acquisition

IT Capital Planning

IV&V

Security (Authorization & Accreditation, Continuous Monitoring, 

HSPD-12, Remote Access)

Service Level Agreements

As OCIO delivers these common IT products and services to maintain a stable technology platform, it will 

also seek ways to improve productivity and cost performance by eliminating costly duplicative, legacy, 

and stand-alone systems.

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4.2 Future Services

To prepare the Department to meet future business goals, OCIO’s role will evolve to provide a broader 

set of technology services to the Department. This future direction will position OCIO to become a 

provider of enterprise common services beyond the current technical infrastructure.

OCIO continues to develop a clear design for the future enhanced set of service offerings and how these 

new services will be deployed, supported, and governed. What follows is OCIO’s current thinking around 

what IT shared services will be offered based on the Department’s business needs, and the management 

challenges that OCIO will need to address in the near future to provide these services in an effective and 

efficient manner.

The future core enterprise technology platform will improve the overall Department’s productivity and 

fiscal performance with faster, more reliable, and more innovative technologies.

Management Structure for Future Services

The Department will focus on these key goals for the implementation of all future technology services:

• Establish an effective product and service delivery model

• Implement an effective governance model 

• Support the programs to develop a funding strategy

• Provide superior IT services to the Department

The service delivery model for shared services will be based on the following set of guiding principles for 

OCIO’s operating model: 

• Promote a supplier-customer relationship between IT and the business units to foster a 

“customer service” culture in IT while maintaining the fiduciary role of OCIO

• Implement an appropriate funding model for shared services that promotes financial 

transparency so that customers understand the costs associated with the products/services they 

consume, and understand the cost levers available to them (e.g., accept a higher level of service 

for a higher cost to meet special business needs)

• Introduce a “product-centric” model that integrates multiple disciplines and ensures 

accountability for the products/services offered to the customers. This model would include 

future product strategy, service level options, product refresh plans, etc.

• Separate the product/service planning and development functions (plan/build) from the 

operations functions to allow each to excel in their own individual disciplines and ensure that 

strategic, tactical, and operational imperatives are met

The product and service model defines roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities for operating the 

shared services at the Department. Some of the management issues include:

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• When should the Department come to OCIO for a service and when should the service be 

contracted-out?

• What is the role of OCIO in satisfying office-specific business needs and how does that role differ 

if the need is enterprise-wide?

• How can OCIO maintain its fiduciary role when another organization or entity delivers the 

shared service?

• How will the Department decide whether a shared service is to be provided by OCIO or another 

organization (e.g., Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Institute of Education Sciences)?

• What is the governance model that will address investment priorities, funding mechanisms, 

portfolio effectiveness, service levels for shared services, and adherence/compliance actions?

• Are there service-specific governance models that are required, i.e., shared applications require 

shared support functions and shared governance?

• What are the appropriate organizational and contractual vehicles that are required to deliver 

shared services?

Specific steps to move toward the shared services operating model include addressing the following:

• Understand and document the needs of the customers for specific products and services that 

can best be developed, delivered, and supported centrally

• Support the goals of Federal IT reform initiatives, such as Federal Information Technology 

Shared Services Strategy, the .GOV Reform Effort to Improve Federal Websites, and the Federal 

Mobility Strategy, using shared IT resources to the maximum extent possible

• Offer these shared products and services to the customer efficiently and at an appropriate level 

of service and cost

• Install product and service monitoring functions to adjust the product and service mix (i.e., 

specific products, services, new service levels, etc.) to reflect changes in the business needs and 

the demand for these products and services

• Define and adopt a sound management model that allows the organization to effectively 

address the strategic, tactical, operational, and governance issues simultaneously

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4.2.1 CIO’s Innovation Agenda

The CIO’s Innovation Agenda identifies new technologies and services to generate cutting-edge business 

growth and advantage. The new technologies should be flexible and responsive to support ED’s business 

operations with IT infrastructure, while offering new opportunities for growth.

The current focus of the CIO’s Innovation Agenda is Access Anywhere Computing, which will integrate 

mobile computing into the Department’s computing environment.

4.2.1.1 Access Anywhere Computing

The Department will make it easier for staff to work effectively inside and outside the office by making 

applications and data available on multiple platforms that are secure and accessible from anywhere, 

improving employee performance. By enabling employees to use their own devices to access data and 

allowing employees to collaborate together, the Department can improve employee efficiency and 

productivity. In addition, by allowing employees to use their own devices, the Department can reduce 

costs by freeing up agency IT resources, and by decreasing in-office space usage and overheads. 

4.2.1.2 OCIO Support Services

To support the CIO’s innovation agenda, OCIO offers the Department’s business customers the following 

three technology support services:

• IT Governance and Planning Services

• IT Project Management Services

• End-user IT Support Services

IT Governance and Planning Services help program offices align their business priorities with enabling IT 

capabilities that support accomplishing the mission of both the Principal Offices and the Department.

These services could include: 

• Governance services that validate the requirements, design, implementation and performance 

for IT projects and/or the application of Common Enabling Services (CES) (e.g., workflow and 

collaboration tools) that solve specific business needs

• Program office IT planning services in support of multi-year IT investment and project plans that 

provide the maximum benefits of available IT resources to the office

o These services could include future state IT visions for POCs, future state concepts of 

operation that identify the role of technical capabilities in supporting the business unit 

mission, and the development of transition strategies and project portfolios that leverage 

existing and new IT components

IT Project Management Services include a full range of services for applying technical capabilities to 

solve office business needs. These services are envisioned to involve custom application development 

services, package installation and deployment services, or individual subject matter expertise to support 

program office development teams (e.g., project management, acquisition guidance/support). These 

services could include:

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• Applications development, enhancement and deployment services (e.g., web applications and 

decision support applications development)

• Commercial off the shelf (COTS) software package identification, selection, installation, and 

support

• IT solutions project management and acquisition support services

The selection and deployment of these services will require OCIO to engage in the following activities to 

provide IT solution development and deployment services:

• Develop detailed plans and product recommendations for various types of CES’s

• Support program offices to define relevant knowledge work requirements that will be optimally 

fulfilled by the CES

• Acquisition, deployment, and operations of COTS products on the infrastructure to provide CES

• Develop common enterprise-wide solutions or custom-developed solutions for individual 

program offices

• Ongoing training, configuration support, help desk and related customer service top program 

office users to maintain or adjust usage of CES

End-user Support Services: The future direction for IT at the Department is heavily focused on data 

access and analytical activities in support of the Department’s mission. With the exception of small 

pockets within certain organizations, the Department has little expertise in supporting its end users in 

these areas. As the Department moves toward the application of enterprise data stores, enhanced 

analytical tools for end users, and the rollout of common enabling infrastructure tools to its knowledge 

workers, these same knowledge workers will require support to effectively apply these new capabilities 

to their day-to-day efforts. A set of shared services will be provided to deliver this support to the end 

users and could include the following:

• End user data access, query and reporting support services, including Executive Dashboard 

support services, to ensure the users understand the data available to them, how to access that 

data, and how best to manipulate the data in performing sophisticated analyses

• Technology/solutions training and support services for end users so the users can effectively use 

the new capabilities and derive value from these investments

Enterprise application operations and end user support services (e.g., IES Support) involve the basic 

support for shared applications – efficiently delivered as a shared service. Applications that are shared 

across an organization require support that is also shared.

4.2.2 Common Enabling Services (CES)

OCIO regularly receives requests for new services that will improve the Department’s business 

performance. Program offices, business units, and staff commonly requested the following technologies:

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Table7: Common Enabling Services

Requested Service Definition

Collaboration Management Allow people to work together more efficiently by enabling greater information sharing

Data Analytics The science of systematically applying proven qualitative and quantitative tools and 

methodologies to examine raw data for facts and relationships that lead to statistically 

sound, data-driven decisions. The Department wants to create a comprehensive Data 

Analytics program that includes Visualization, Data Governance, and Data Management.

Data Management Usage, processing, and general administration of unstructured information

Electronic Document/Record/ 

Content Management

Control the capture and maintenance of the Department’s documents and files

Mobility Tools Tools that enable mobile computing

Report Management Support the organization of data into useful information 

Security and privacy Tools that support confidentiality, integrity, and availability

Work Management Allow the monitoring of activities within a business process

OCIO prioritizes its technology efforts by the most requested services from across the Department. Most 

of the Department’s business units have requested collaboration management and electronic 

document/record/content management as enterprise services. 

The Department funded an enterprise implementation of SharePoint to provide collaboration services.

OCIO will continue to expand the use of the collaboration platform during FY 2014 – 2017.

Data Analytics is the science of systematically applying proven qualitative and quantitative tools and 

methodologies to examine raw data for facts and relationships that lead to statistically sound, datadriven decisions. The Department wants to create a comprehensive Data Analytics program that 

includes Visualization, Data Governance, and Data Management.

Collaboration management tools will allow Department employees to integrate and work together on a 

unified platform. A unified collaborative platform is the most effective way to connect people, 

processes, and information across the Department and will enable stakeholders to quickly adapt, scale 

and extend the platform in response to shifting business needs. 

An electronic document/record/content management solution will allow the Department to control 

the capture and maintenance of an organization’s documents and files. The availability of an electronic 

records management tool will provide quick and reliable information for decision making by developing 

standardized processes for classifying, storing, securing, archiving, and disposing of records.

The OCIO plans to provide SharePoint, Microsoft Office Productivity Suite, and HP TRIM as the 

collaboration management and electronic document/record/content management solutions to create 

the foundation for an enhanced enterprise technology platform.Using the proposed platform, the 

Department will be able to utilize the various technology services that are provided to create other 

automated business support applications. In FY-13, the Department implemented E-foldering in its G-5 

system using HP Trim. Currently, E-Foldering is available to all grants programs. During FY14-FY17 we 

will expand this capability to the Contracting and Purchasing system (CPSS II).

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The following proposed enterprise technology platform diagram illustrates the future vision of the

enhanced enterprise technology platform followed by a table that links each requested enhanced 

service to the proposed technology that meets that need.

Figure 3: Proposed Enterprise Technology Platform

Table 8: Proposed Technology Solutions

Proposed Solution Requested Service 

Microsoft Office Work Management, Mobility Tools, Survey Design Tools 

Microsoft SQL Server Data Management, Report Management 

Microsoft SharePoint Collaboration Management, Document/Record/Content Management, 

Survey Management, Portal Management 

Microsoft OS Software Security and Privacy, Mobility Tools 

Microsoft Exchange, Outlook Work Management, Knowledge Management, Data Management, 

Collaboration Management 

Microsoft InfoPath Report Management, Work Management, Knowledge Management, Data

Management, Document/Record/Content Management 

HP TRIM Document and Records Management 

4.2.3 Commodity IT and Shared Services

4.2.3.1 Maturing the IT portfolio

As part of the EA Roadmap, the Department has sought to optimize its IT infrastructure while operating 

an IT service management framework (primarily based on ITIL standards). The need for consolidation 

and use of shared services is identified through the segment modernization planning process. 

Modernization planning is an ongoing process, which uses performance objectives and business needs 

to determine if new investments or existing services should be utilized to meet the Department’s 

business needs. During annual segment modernization planning, the segment owners review their line 

of business (LoB). 

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During annual segment modernization planning, each segment determines its required capabilities 

(currently met and unmet by existing investments) to achieve the segment’s performance goals. The 

EAPO groups these needed capabilities into 18 common services. Additional details are provided in the

Enterprise Modernization Roadmap.

4.2.3.2 Use of savings resulting from consolidations of Commodity IT

To date, the Department has successfully consolidated many enterprise services through the EDUCATE 

and Virtual Data Center (VDC) investments for (a) IT infrastructure; (b) Enterprise IT Systems; and (c) 

Business Systems. Moving forward, the Department has identified the following three major areas for 

consolidation:

• Financial Management systems

• Web Hosting, Infrastructure, and Content Management (Enterprise IT Systems)

• Grants-Related Federal Financial Assistance (Business Systems, for details, see the Commodity IT 

Consolidation Plan, an appendix of the Enterprise Modernization Roadmap)

The Department plans to use the savings obtained from using commodity IT to invest in performanceenhancing innovations within the Department. 

4.2.3.3 Maximizing use of inter- and intra-agency shared services

Growing mission requirements in an environment of declining resources drives the Department to find 

innovative solutions to meet its needs. Shared IT services enable the Department to improve services 

and reduce overall costs, especially in areas of commodity IT, such as human resources, financial 

management, infrastructure, and business systems. 

The Department aligns itself with the Federal Information Technology Shared Services Strategy, also 

known as the shared-first approach. The shared-first approach aims to:

• Improve return on investment across the Department’s entire IT portfolio through the 

coordinated use of portfolio reviews and commodity IT system and services consolidation

• Close productivity gaps by implementing integrated governance processes and innovative IT 

service solutions

• Increase communications with stakeholders as shared service managing partners, customers, 

and providers in the full lifecycle of IT shared service activities

Each system developed within the Department is reviewed by the Investment Review Board (IRB) for 

adherence to our IT value management and IT investment strategy. It is also reviewed by the Enterprise 

Architecture Review Board (EARB) for conformance with EA to ensure compliance with our technical 

standards, reduce the potential of acquiring duplicative investments and driving business value for IT 

investments.

As one of the smallest Cabinet-level agencies, the Department has historically operated an intra-agency 

shared IT services model for IT infrastructure, email services, office automation, networking, 

telecommunications and multimedia. Throughout its history, the Department has also leveraged the 

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products and services hosted by other agencies in lieu of maintaining Department systems for these 

services to drive cost efficiencies at the Department and Federal level. Most recently in October 2012, 

the Department moved from its internally hosted and developed “information collection” system to the 

Health and Human Services (HHS) http://www.paperworkreduction.gov portal for these services.

4.2.3.4 Continuity of operation for mission critical applications

Each system developed within the Department is reviewed by the EARB for adherence to numerous 

requirements, including continuity of operation and disaster recovery capabilities, consistent with 

documented Lifecycle Management Methodologies in Department directives and other Federal and 

Department regulations. In addition, the FISMA security authorization process evaluates systems as low, 

medium or high with respect to confidentiality, integrity and availability. Based on that analysis, 

applicable NIST Special Publication 800-53 controls will be required to provide a level of continuity of 

government operations.

4.2.4 Cloud Computing

The purpose of the Federal Cloud First policy is to move toward a more reliable, efficient, and innovative 

government. OCIO’s cloud computing implementation will continue to modernize the Department’s IT 

infrastructure with greater efficiency and improved virtualized technologies to support the 

Department’s business performance.

During the FY 2014 - FY2017 IRM Strategic Plan, OCIO plans to provide the following cloud computing 

services:

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): The Department will provide fundamental computing resources such 

as processing, storage and networks so that Department users can deploy and run software, operating 

systems and applications. IaaS will increase utilization of existing investments, reduce infrastructure 

investments and decrease IT expenses.

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): The Department will provide an integrated platform based computing 

solution on the cloud consisting of specific operating systems, applications software and development 

tools; that will be available via the Web. PaaS will improve the management and procurement of IT 

systems development capabilities.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): The Department will migrate some of its desktop software applications 

and data to the cloud infrastructure. The software is accessible from various client devices through a 

thin client interface, such as a Web browser. SaaS will improve the management, cost, and accessibility 

of software applications.

Additional migration of technology services to the cloud will be evaluated on an ongoing basis. These 

three cloud services will provide the Department’s program offices and end-users with ubiquitous, 

convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources that can 

be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.

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Table 9: Future Cloud Services

Service Service 

Model

Deployment 

Model

Consolidated Web Hosting

The Department is implementing a Web Consolidation policy that establishes a standard 

consolidated web hosting platform. This platform will be used to support the Department’s 

information dissemination initiatives and require that website owners use the consolidated web 

hosting platform. The directive aims to consolidate the Departments information dissemination 

websites onto a common platform. This consolidation will ensure consistent branding and levels 

of security across all Department websites. 

Iaas/

PaaS

Public Cloud

Enterprise Email in the Cloud

The Department, in an effort to support the Access Anywhere initiative, has begun implementing 

Email in the Cloud. Currently, the staff of OCIO is migrated to the Cloud and the Department will

migrate the remainder of the Department by FY17.

SaaS Public Cloud

Collaboration Services (SharePoint)

The Department plans on expanding its use of SharePoint and other collaboration tools.

SaaS Public Cloud

IES Consolidated Platform

IES is expanding their data center consolidation to the Cloud by moving the following items to 

the cloud by FY17: the Middle Grades Longitudinal Study (MGLS), Peer Review Information 

Management Online (PRIMO) system, the Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs), and will be 

implementing Sharepoint 2013 that will be used to house multiple sharepoint applications.

SaaS Public Cloud

Office 365

The Department will move its Office Productivity tools into the Cloud. This will help the 

Department further conform to the Access Anywhere initiative.

IaaS Public Cloud

4.2.5 Data Analytics Strategy Initiatives

A major focus of the CIO’s innovation agenda is to develop and implement a data analytics strategy for 

the Department of Education. The CIO believes implementing this strategy will help create a data-driven 

culture that views Department data as a valuable asset that is used to make informed business 

decisions. The CIO expects that by implementing the data analytics strategy, the workforce efficiency, 

decision making, waste reduction and organizational productivity will improve.

4.2.5.1 Data Analytics at Department of Education

Data analytics is the science of systematically applying proven qualitative and quantitative tools and 

methodologies to examine raw data for facts and relationships that lead to statistically sound, datadriven decisions.

OCIO intends to implement data analytics in the Department. Data analytics will enable the

Department’s staff to improve business performance through the discovery of patterns, trends and facts 

in the data used to make effective business decisions that produces positive results. The data analytics 

process involves a series of steps that integrates, prepares, and transforms data into a structured format 

which can be used for data analysis and visualization.

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4.2.5.2 Creating a Data-Driven Culture at the Department of Education

The CIO believes that, in order to build a data-driven organization that looks at data as an organizational 

asset to make informed decisions, there must be an internal cultural transformation within the 

Department. This organization-wide transformation will require the Department to review its processes, 

data governance, tools, people, and services holistically from a data and information perspective.

The four major areas identified by OCIO are:

1. Data Governance

2. People

3. Policies and Processes

4. Technology

4.2.5.3. Efforts at the Department to Establish a Data-Driven Culture 

The Department is engaged in number of efforts to implement a data-driven culture within the 

organization.

4.2.5.3.1. Survey of Data Analytics Capabilities:

A survey of the 2015 Segment Modernization plans for the Department’s business segments shows that 

many segments are currently using and have plans to expand their use of data analytics capabilities. This 

indicates there is a need for more data analytics capabilities in the Department going forward. 

The following are some of the segments that are currently using data analytics capabilities within the 

Department:

Table10: Current Data Analytics Capability

Segment Capability

Evaluation Data Analysis, Visualization & Statistics

Compliance Data Analysis, Visualization & Statistics

IT Management Data Analysis, Visualization & Statistics

Loans Data Analysis, Visualization & Statistics

Research Data Analysis, Visualization & Statistics

Financial Management Data Analysis, Visualization

4.2.5.3.2. Establish a Data Strategy Team (DST):

The DST was created by the Deputy Secretary to improve the coordination and approach to the 

collection, use and release of data. The DST consists of representatives from throughout the 

Department and is co-chaired by the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics 

(NCES), the Chief of Staff of the Office of Planning, Education and Policy Development (OPEPD), and the 

Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) with support from OCIO.

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The DST is responsible for the development, implementation, and coordination of data governance 

policy across all principle offices within Department. 

4.2.5.3.3. Establish a Department of Education Data Governance Framework (ED-DGF)

The purpose of the Department of Education Data Governance Framework (ED-DGF) is to establish 

Department-wide roles and processes for managing data. The ED-DGF documents the Department’s 

current data governance capabilities and addresses ways in which the current Data Governance 

structure can be adapted to better meet the Department’s needs like the e-Information Collection 

Request datasets and datasets disclosed or released by the Department.

4.2.5.4. Data Analytics Technology

The CIO believes that to implement Data Analytics technologies in the organization, the technologies 

must be accessible, flexible, extensible, and integrated. Training on Data Analytics technologies must be 

provided to the Department staff to ensure they have the skill to leverage the use of these technologies 

to develop actionable insights from the data within the organization. 

4.2.5.4.1. Data Analytics as a Service 

To implement Data Analytics as a Service, as a first step, OCIO conducted a survey of the 2015 

modernization plans of the business segments and has identified the following segments that are in 

need of “Data Analytics” capability:

Table 11: Segments requiring Data Analytics

Segment Needed Capability

Evaluation Statistical and Enterprise Analysis Tools 

(Expand RMS beyond risk analysis)

Financial Management Statistical and Enterprise Analysis Tools

Grants Management BI, Statistical and Enterprise Analysis Tools

Human Capital Management Statistical and Enterprise Analysis Tools

Information Dissemination Data Analytics and Visualization Tools

IT Management Data Analysis and Visualization 

Loans Statistical and Enterprise Analysis Tools

Through the development of an enterprise-wide shared service platform, OCIO can provide data 

analytics capabilities as a shared services offering to Department’s business segments. The segments 

can use, re-use, and combine the services to achieve a high level of data analysis capability and increase 

the Department’s capacity while reducing the cost of ownership. 

4.2.5.4.2. Future State- Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) for Data Analytics as a Service

To implement a Data Analytics as a Service capability, the Department must implement a flexible, 

scalable SOA to provide Data Analytics as a Service to its stakeholders. 

SOA facilitates a loosely coupled, integrated, centralized, real-time, and open access to the

organization’s data and IT capabilities. Using an SOA, OCIO will be able to deliver data analytics services 

to the lines of businesses with increased agility, speed, and cost effectiveness. 

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4.2.5.4.3. Benefits of Implementing Data Analytics as a Strategy

The CIO understands that by adopting a flexible IT architecture design, OCIO can position itself as the 

organization that provides commonly used IT services such as Data as a Service to the business 

segments that require them. 

The Department will implement a shared data analytics capability, based on SOA to transform the 

Department into a data-centeric organization. By implementing this strategy, the Department will 

effectively utilize its data, technology and human resources to improve its performance using data 

analysis, and create a strong data culture that values and manages data as an organizational asset to 

make business decisions. 

*SLAs are contractual agreements between the provider and the customer that defines what constitutes as an acceptable 

service

4.2.6 Cybersecurity Initiatives 

OCIO’s proposed enhanced enterprise platform will also accommodate the implementation of the 

following government-wide technology initiatives:

• Homeland Security Presidential Directive – 12 (HSPD-12)

• Trusted Internet Connection (TIC)

• Continuous Monitoring (CM)

The Federal government’s technology initiatives are intended to lead government innovation while 

increasing business efficiency and fiscal responsibility. 

4.2.6.1 HSPD-12

The Federal government established the 2004 mandate for HSPD-12 - Policies for a Common 

Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors requiring a government-wide standard 

for secure and reliable forms of identification. 

To meet the physical and logical access requirements of HSPD-12, the Department’s top HSPD-12 

agenda items are identity management, access control, and two-factor authentication. The 

Department’s goals in the integration of HSPD-12 are to reduce identity fraud, protect personal privacy, 

enhance security and increase efficiency. 

4.2.6.2 TIC

The TIC initiative aims to optimize and standardize the security of the Federal government’s network 

connections. The Department’s TIC implementation will improve the Department’s security posture and 

incident response capabilities.

The Department received its Authority to Operate (ATO) as a Trusted Internet Connection Access 

Provider (TICAP) in January 2010. Most of the technology required has already been implemented in 

accordance with TIC 2.0. The technologies behind this capability provide improved situational awareness 

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and risk reduction to potential hacker, malware, malicious behavior, and data loss, as well as potential 

outages and negative public exposures caused by individuals, crime syndicates or state sponsored 

“hacker cells.” The fulfillment of this requirement can be seen through blocking of Internet sites that are 

not in alignment with Department policies and existing rules of behavior, as well as protection from 

viruses and worms. Through proper handling of inbound and outbound email and implementing

quarantine and junk mail filters, the Department minimizes other potential security issues via spear 

phishing attacks and the importing of malicious files.

The Department’s current TIC efforts include activities to reduce and consolidate its external network 

connections, and enhance its external network monitoring capabilities. Forthcoming initiatives related 

to TIC are: secure email gateways, wireless networks, mobile computing and teleworking.

Continuous monitoring is provided directly via US CERT for the agency’s Internet and external 

connections. This continuous monitoring provides critical situational awareness, oversight and 

coordination among all Federal agencies when dealing with attacks that directly target them.

The reduction and consolidation of Internet and external connections provides a smaller risk footprint to 

manage and oversee, as well as minimization of exposure risks.

The Department has also updated and deployed network and system warning banners to allow for 

improved prosecution of violators.

4.2.6.3 CM

OMB Memorandum M-11-33, FY 2011 Reporting Instructions for the FISMA and Agency Privacy 

Management, requires that all agencies develop a CM program. The Department’s CM program is based 

on a phased-in maturity model approach. The phases align with the Continuous Monitoring Maturity 

Model found in the Continuous Monitoring and Risk Scoring (CM/RS) Concept of Operations (CONOPS) 

for Supporting Cyber Security Operations, as developed by the DHS Federal Network Security Branch. 

The Department is currently assessed to be at Maturity Level II with the implementation of some 

automated scanning tools and SCAP-compliant products. The Department intends to transition from 

Maturity Level II to Maturity Level V by FY 2017.

As part of the Department’s ongoing transition to Maturity Level V, the Department is also maturing its 

enterprise-level Security Operations Center (EDSOC) to be the central point for operational 

IA/Cybersecurity situational awareness and reporting. The EDSOC will enable continuous and 

independent monitoring of the Department’s cyber environment ensuring the protection and availability 

of IT assets and information. This effort will create an enterprise security operational capability to close 

the gaps and increase the ability of the Department to rapidly identify, respond to, mitigate, and 

proactively address vulnerabilities, incidents, and emerging threats. The scope also includes the buildout of a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) at Potomac Center Plaza (PCP) for near,

real-time access to classified information allowing the Department to detect, respond to, and mitigate 

threats and intrusions in a timely fashion.

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4.2.7 IPv6

The Department has achieved its goal in transitioning to an IPv6 capable environment by achieving 

objectives perscribed by OMB in their 2012 and 2014 memos. As a result of these actions, IPv6 has 

provided enhanced technology services that improve the Department’s business performance and

operational efficiency. IPv6 enables the Department to support continued growth in users, devices and 

services that require internet-based functionality.

4.2.8. Electronic Stewardship

The purpose of the electronic stewardship program is to support the Federal leadership goals for 

economic, energy and environmental leadership as outlined in Executive Order 13514. Specific goals and 

activities supporting the agency’s Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan include:

• 2014-2017: The Department continues to operate and maintain Energy Star and EPEAT Gold and 

Silver equipment, maintains power management settings, duplex printing and environmentally 

preferred purchasing of electronic equipment, and serves as a Federal champion for electronic 

stewardship. Additionally, the Federal Electronics Challenge has been replaced by the Federal 

Green Challenge, and the Department is evaluating its involvement.

5 Goal Three: Information and Technology 

Management

The IRM Strategic Plan’s information and technology management goal is to ensure effectiveness of the 

Department’s IT portfolio by fostering innovation, increasing IT portfolio value and enhancing cyber 

security.

5.1 IT Governance Structure

The stakeholders in the Department’s IT governance structure determine IT management policies and 

plans directly impacting the Department’s information resources management process.

The Department’s IT governance process is codified in Departmental Directive OCIO 1-106, Lifecycle 

Management (LCM) Framework. The LCM Framework provides the foundation for the implementation 

of standards, processes and procedures used in developing and managing technology. The Department’s 

IT governance process ensures alignment of current and future IT initiatives to its strategic business 

objectives, as outlined in the FY 2014-2018 Department Strategic Plan.

The Department’s IT governance process applies to major program/mission critical investments and 

non-major program/mission support investments that are included in the Department IT portfolio. The 

IT governance process ensures that the Department’s IT portfolio is managed in a manner that is 

consistent with agency policy and OMB requirements. The IT governance process is managed through 

organizational entities – review boards and subordinate working groups shown the following figure.

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Figure 4: The Governance Process at the Department

5.1.1 Enterprise Architecture Program Office (EAPO)

The EA Program Office is an essential component of the Department’s IT governance process. The EA 

Program Office provides governance services, produces guidance and influences policies that directly 

impact information resources management.

The EA Program Office facilitates one governance process, the Enterprise Architecture Review Board.

• Enterprise Architecture Review Board (EARB): Provides support to PIRWG and EA Program 

Office by maintaining the Department’s technical standards, ensuring standards compliance 

and interoperability, facilitating component reuse and validating solution architecture 

compliance with Department security standards

5.1.2 Investment and Acquisition Management Team (IAMT)

The Investment and Acquisition Management Team (IAMT) is an essential member of the Department’s 

IT governance process. The IAMT ensures that all Department of Education IT acquisitions are reviewed 

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and accounted for in the Department’s capital planning and investment IT portfolio. The IAMT supports 

the Department’s information resources capital planning and investment control (CPIC) processes along 

with Department-wide bodies such as the IRB and the PIRWG to ensure continuity in the selection, 

monitoring, and evaluation of the Department’s IT investments.

5.2 Key Department Contributors to the IRM Governance 

Process

The following Department programs are key contributors to the effective management of IT resources 

across the Department.

5.2.1 IT Acquisition (Procurement)

The Department’s Contracts and Acquisition Management (CAM) team proactively leads the acquisition 

process, planning, negotiating, awarding and administering of contracts, including contracts for IT 

investments. CAM activities ensure the Department’s procuring and contracting are completed in 

accordance with established Department and federal acquisition policies and procedures. CAM also 

provides a procurement career management program to ensure there is an adequate and professional 

acquisition work force at the Department. The Performance and Logistics Group, within CAM, provides 

technology, systems, acquisition policy and logistical support to Department groups.

5.2.2 Regulatory Information Management

Privacy, Information and Records Management Services (PIRMS) is the Department’s organization 

responsible for providing policies, standards, and procedures that ensure the Department’s activities 

comply with the Federal information management requirements.

5.2.3 Information Assurance Services (IAS)

Information Assurance Services (IAS) oversees the Department's IT security program and ensures the 

confidentiality/privacy, integrity, and availability of the Department's information and information 

resources. IAS ensures that the Department is fully compliant with FISMA and all related statutes and 

directives. The organization provides standardized security services and solutions in areas such as risk 

management, access controls, identity and access management, authentication, encryption solutions,

public key infrastructure technology and certification and accreditation. The Department’s Security 

Operations Center (EDSOC) enables continuous and independent monitoring of the Department’s cyber 

environment ensuring the protection and availability of IT assets and information. This effort creates an 

enterprise security operational capability to close the gaps and increase the ability of the Department to 

rapidly identify, respond to, mitigate, and proactively address vulnerabilities, incidents, and emerging 

threats.

5.2.4 Information Technology Services (ITS)

Information Technology Services (ITS) supports all enterprise-wide initiatives that reside on the agency’s 

network (EDUCATE) to include network security, network and telecommunications design and 

operations, end user services, production server hosting services and the agency’s intranet and Internet 

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services. Additionally, ITS maintains and operates the Department’s primary data center and disaster 

recovery facility. As assigned, ITS develops and maintains common business solutions that are required 

by multiple program offices. The ITS team manages or provides oversight for all enterprise-wide IT.

5.2.5 Accessibility

5.2.5.1 Creating a diverse work environment for individuals of all abilities

A key aspect of creating a diverse environment where individuals of all abilities can work, interact, and 

develop into leaders involves meeting the statutory requirements of Sections 504 and 508 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These sections of the Rehabilitation Act protect and enhance the civil rights 

of individuals with disabilities throughout the country and ensure equality of opportunity, comparable 

access and improved quality of life for these individuals. 

Creating a diverse work environment for individuals of all abilities involves the maintenance of a highly 

qualified, productive staff that has the necessary tools to perform work functions at its disposal. To 

ensure that staff with disabilities or impairments have the technology that provides them equal 

opportunities to perform alongside their non-disabled colleagues, OCIO conducts needs assessments

and provides subsequent recommendations to EDUCATE. The recommendations of OCIO are aimed at 

providing adequate IT-related, "reasonable accommodations" to those employees who have functional 

limitations that warrant the application of assistive technology solutions. Such solutions, which include 

special keyboards for individuals with repetitive strain injuries, screen readers and magnifiers for the 

visually impaired, video phones for the deaf and hard of hearing, etc., mitigate the specific functional 

limitations of those individuals, thereby increasing job performance and enhancing involvement in all 

aspects of work life.

To make certain that all disabled employees and customers have full and complete access to the 

Department’s information and systems, OCIO reviews whether web pages are sufficiently labeled, 

multimedia is adequately captioned, software controls are accessible with both the keyboard and the 

mouse, and documents are properly tagged, with good, readable-embedded text.

5.2.5.2 Building workforce skills to support and enforce Section 508 requirements

The Assistive Technology Team has held numerous training sessions for Department staff on a variety of 

topics, including the Section 508 standards, the document accessibility initiative, and accessible web 

design. The team has also conducted needs assessment awareness days, to familiarize staff members 

with their rights to receive assistive technology to assist in reducing or eliminating functional limitations 

they experience in the workplace. 

Training on how to incorporate accessible document design into the day-to-day work process is 

currently being provided through the Training and Development Center, TDC on a regular basis to all 

Department staff. This is making a significant difference as POCS produce an increasing number of 

accessible documents.

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