FY 2004 Report to Congress on 

Implementation of 

The E-Government Act of 2002 

March 1, 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Introduction........................................................................................................................ .3 

Section I: Compliance with Specific Goals and Provisions of the Act............................... 6 

Section II: Highlights of Individual Agency Internal E-Government Activities.............. 20 

Section III: Operations of the E-Government Fund.......................................................... 41 

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INTRODUCTION 

This is the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) second progress report on 

implementing the Electronic Government Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-347) as called for 

by section 3606 of title 44, United States Code. 

The United States Government is one of the world’s largest producers, users and 

acquirers of data, information, and supporting technology systems. In FY 2006 the 

President is proposing to spend about $65 billion annually on information technology. 

Charged with great responsibilities by its citizens and ably served by the Federal 

workforce, the Federal government should also be the world’s leader in managing 

information and technology to achieve the greatest gains of productivity, service, and 

results. 

Over the past year, the Federal government continued delivering results by adopting and 

expanding electronic government principles and practices to better manage information 

technology. In addition, agencies are providing timely and accurate information and 

services to citizens and government decision makers. 

The President’s Management Agenda initiative to Expand E-Government has already 

produced significant results for the taxpayer. The departments and agencies continue to 

build upon earlier successes to achieve even greater savings, better results, and improved 

customer service levels. As this report reflects, E-Government is a program founded on

innovation and driven by the entrepreneurial energy of government agencies and 

industry. But, innovation alone does not guarantee success. We are striving for concrete, 

measurable results. Since last year we: 

• Strengthened the security of government facilities and information technology 

systems. For example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, at the 

direction of the President, is developing a standard for Federal employee 

identification. Also, between September 2003 and September 2004, the percentage of 

secure agency systems has risen from 62 percent to 77 percent. For more information 

regarding the security of Federal information technology, see OMB’s report on 

implementing the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (Title III of 

Public Law 107-347) located on OMB’s website (www.whitehouse.gov/omb). 

 

• Increased privacy protections for individuals by improving agency privacy impact 

assessment activities. 

• Expanded the public’s access to agency information and services by enhancing 

FirstGov.gov and launching FirstGov en Español (espanol.gov) to provide vital 

government information and services for Spanish speaking Americans. 

• Improved the public’s ability to participate in the development of government 

regulations, and thereby improve the quality of such regulations, by launching 

www.regulations.gov. 

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• Identified and began correcting weaknesses in the Federal information technology 

workforce by conducting an assessment, disseminating information technology 

project manager guidance, and developing a framework for agencies to use when 

creating information technology workforce training programs. 

• Improved agencies’ management of their information technology portfolios by 

ensuring they consistently measure the cost, schedule, and performance variance of 

project performance compared to initial expectations. As of September 30, 2004, 

nine agencies are planning and managing major investments to within 10 percent of 

planned project cost, schedule and performance goals. 

• Increased the use of the Federal Enterprise Architecture and evaluated agencies’ 

enterprise architectures to help identify specific relationships between effective use of 

information and program performance and to help improve agency information 

technology investments to better achieve mission objectives. 

• Developed five lines of business (i.e., financial management, human resources, case 

management, grants, and health) to further reduce unnecessary duplication in 

common government processes, avoid future costs, and increase service levels. 

• Developed through the SmartBuy (Software Managed and Acquired on the Right 

Terms) initiative, four government-wide software purchasing agreements to leverage

the Federal government’s purchasing power and reduce redundant agency purchasing. 

• Moved each of the 24 Presidential E-Government initiatives (described in more detail 

at www.egov.gov) beyond their major development milestones, greatly increased 

their use, and continued delivering improved service to citizens, businesses, and 

government agencies. 

• Ensured agency progress in implementing their own internal E-Government 

initiatives and increased their focus on developing performance metrics to clearly 

measure cost savings and service improvements in program delivery. Highlights of 

agency internal activities are presented in section two of this report and more detailed 

information is located on each agency’s website. 

Over the next year we will continue to use the President’s Management Agenda 

scorecard to drive increased performance and results in the areas mentioned above while 

consolidating and reducing resources required to sustain the Federal government’s 

information technology investments. 

Looking further down the road, we will expand our use of electronic government 

principles to enhance the budget formulation process and institutionalize budget 

performance integration. The “budget of the future” would employ standards and 

technologies for electronic information exchange and the integration of budget and 

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financial information throughout all phases of the annual budget formulation and 

execution cycle. This will: 

• Improve agency efficiency and effectiveness and facilitate collaboration among 

the agencies, OMB, and Congress; 

• Enhance our ability to align outcomes with costs to highlight performance and 

promote applying scarce resources to high performing programs; and 

• Provide better analytical capabilities to support the budget formulation process 

and provide more information to the public. 

Thus the “budget of the future” will directly contribute to improved mission performance 

and results. 

 

About this Report

This E-Government Act progress report comprises three sections: 

• Section I: Compliance with Specific Goals and Provisions of the Act 

• Section II: Highlights of Individual Agency Internal E-Government Activities 

• Section III: Operations of the E-Government Fund 

The report is based on information gathered by OMB throughout the past year, including 

agencies’ annual E-Government Act reports and, as appropriate, agency FY 2006 budget 

materials. Section II highlights agency-specific E-Government activities. The goals, 

progress to date, performance metrics, and migration milestones of the 24 Presidential EGovernment initiatives can be found in Chapter 9, Table 9-3, FY 2006 

Budget of the U.S. Government, Analytical Perspectives (see 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/pdf/ap_cd_rom/9_3.pdf). 

The Act requires other specific reports from OMB and certain agencies, e.g., OMB’s 

report on community technology centers and public libraries, and the General Services 

Administration’s report on disparities in the public’s access to the Internet. These reports 

will be transmitted separately and within the time frames prescribed by the Act. 

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SECTION I: COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFIC GOALS AND PROVISIONS OF 

THE ACT 

This section of the report addresses specific sections of the Act requiring implementation 

or reporting by OMB or the agencies. 

Compatibility of Executive Agency Methods for Use and Acceptance of Electronic 

Signatures -- Section 203 

Section 203 of the Act requires agency methods for use and acceptance of electronic 

signatures to be compatible with the relevant policies and procedures issued by the 

Director of OMB. Over the past year, OMB and NIST have provided updated guidance 

to assist agencies in using electronic signatures. This guidance builds on earlier guidance 

on the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (Title XVII of Public Law 105-277), the 

Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (Public Law 106-229), and 

E-Authentication. 

The E-Authentication Initiative will provide a common authentication infrastructure for 

electronic government. The foundation of the initiative, the technical approach, was 

released in June 2004 and is now being tested at several agencies (see 

http://www.cio.gov/eauthentication for more information). 

In December 2004, OMB issued Memorandum M-05-05 Electronic Signatures: How to 

Mitigate the Risk of Commercial Managed Services, to guide agency acquisition of

commercial services for electronic signatures for Federal employees (see 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-05.pdf). 

In August 2004, the President issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, 

establishing a policy for a common identification standard for Federal employees and 

contractors. The Directive requires agencies to issue Federal employees and contractors 

secure and interoperable identification for access to buildings and IT systems. In January 

2005, OMB held a public meeting to discuss privacy and security issues related to the 

Directive and seek input on the implementation guidance OMB will release in FY 2005 

(see http://www.csrc.nist.gov/piv-project). 

Federal Internet Portal -- Section 204

Section 204 of the Act requires OMB, GSA, and other agencies to maintain and promote 

an integrated Internet-based system providing the public with access to government 

information and services. FirstGov.gov is the Executive branch’s official Internet portal 

and serves as the public domain directory of Federal agency public websites – two 

specific requirements of the Act. FirstGov.gov meets statutory requirements, greatly 

simplifies the public’s access to government information, and enables timely use of

government services. 

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In FY 2004, FirstGov.gov greatly expanded its role to provide the public with a front 

door to easy-to-understand government information and services. Public use of 

FirstGov.gov continues to grow, and in FY 2004 more than 78 million visitors (an 

increase of 24 percent over FY 2003) viewed over 203 million pages on the FirstGov.gov 

website. The table below illustrates growth in FirstGov.gov usage. 

Increases in FirstGov.gov Usage

FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 

FirstGov.gov Site Visitors 33 million 63 million 78 million 

FirstGov.gov Page Views 91 million 176 million 203 million 

Subscribers to FirstGov.gov 

e-newsletter 

28,532 45,075 65,946

Source: GSA FirstGov, 2004

During FY 2004, FirstGov.gov launched the Federal government’s official Spanish 

language web portal, FirstGov en Español (see http://www.espanol.gov). FirstGov en 

Español includes over 900 external links to 60 federal agencies and sub-agencies, States, 

the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, providing access to the 

government’s more than 125,000 Spanish-language web pages. 

In 2004, FirstGov received national recognition for citizen service from organizations 

such as Brown University, WABC TV New York, Forbes.com, and PC Magazine and 

was featured in a Public Broadcasting Service Visionaries documentary. 

Accessibility, Accountability, and Transparency to the Development and 

Issuance of Agency Regulations -- Section 206 

Section 206 of the Act enhances public participation in and improves the Federal 

government’s development and issuance of regulations through the use of information 

technology. This section calls for agencies to accept electronically comments submitted 

on proposed regulations and to make electronic dockets (the full set of material related to 

a regulation) publicly available online. When completed, the E-Rulemaking initiative 

will provide comprehensive central access to and assist the public in finding and 

commenting on proposed Federal regulations (see http://www.regulations.gov). 

Two agencies began using this electronic docket system in October 2004 and others will 

do so throughout 2005. Since launching in January 2003, regulations.gov increased 

public participation in the Federal regulatory development process. To promote greater 

public use, the initiative managers convened a series of public forums across the country 

to solicit input and help improve the electronic docketing system. 

Accessibility, Usability, and Preservation of Government Information -- Section 207 

Section 207 of the Act aims to improve the way Federal government information is 

organized, preserved, and made accessible to the public. 

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To accomplish these goals, the Act requires OMB to establish an interagency committee 

to recommend to OMB policies for agency public websites and indexing and categorizing 

government information. The committee is to recommend to OMB and the Archivist 

policies and procedures for applying the Federal Records Act to electronic records and 

government information on the Internet. Based on the committee’s recommendations, 

OMB and the Archivist are to issue policies as necessary. 

OMB must also work with the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop and 

maintain a government-wide repository and website of research and development funded 

by the Federal government. 

Interagency Committee on Government Information Working Groups.

OMB established the Interagency Committee on Government Information in June 2003. 

It comprises representatives from over twenty-five Federal agencies in both the Executive 

and Legislative Branches and is organized into four working groups. 

Interagency 

Committee on

Government 

Information 

Executive 

Committee 

Categorization of 

Information 

Electronic 

Records Policy

E-Government 

Access Working 

Group 

Web Content 

Management 

Working Group Working Group Working Group 

As required by the Act, each of the working groups delivered policy recommendations to 

OMB. Based in part on working group recommendations, in December 2004, OMB 

issued policies for managing Federal agency public websites (see 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-04.pdf). OMB is reviewing the 

recommendations and will use the recommendations from the other working groups to

determine the extent to which new policies are needed concerning the adoption of 

standards for categorizing and indexing government information. As necessary, OMB 

will issue those policies by December 2005 as required by the Act. 

A brief description of each working group and their activities follows. Final work 

products and more information about the committee may be found at: 

http://www.cio.gov/documents/ICGI.html. 

1. Categorization of Information. This working group, led by the United States 

Geological Survey, developed a series of recommendations which may enhance 

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accessibility to government information and services through improved categorization 

and searching. OMB is reviewing these recommendations and will issue policies as 

necessary by December 17, 2005. 

2. Electronic Records Policy. This working group led by the National Archives and 

Records Administration, identified a number of barriers which may impede effective 

electronic records management. The working group made recommendations to the 

Archivist and OMB outlining a strategy to overcome those barriers. The Archivist and 

OMB are reviewing these recommendations and will issue policy as necessary by 

December 17, 2005. 

3. E-Government Access. This working group co-chaired by the General Services 

Administration and the Government Printing Office, completed a study of disparities in 

Internet access pursuant to section 215 of the E-Government Act (see: 

http://www.estrategy.gov/drilldown.cfm?action=it_legis). The report identified a number 

of different types of disparities (e.g., between different age groups and among people 

with different educational backgrounds) and how these disparities in access might affect 

the implementation of online government services. The study also identified a wide 

variety of existing Federal programs and activities aimed at maintaining timely and 

equitable access to government information and services. 

4. Web Content. This working group led by the General Services Administration, 

provided to OMB recommendations to assist in developing policies for Federal agency 

public websites. OMB issued policy on December 17, 2004, describing the efficient, 

effective, and appropriately consistent use of Federal agency public websites as important 

to promote a more citizen-centered government. The guidance: 

• Reminds agencies to establish inventories of the types of information available on 

their website as well as priorities and schedules for doing so; 

• Reminds agencies to communicate with the public and with State and local 

governments to ensure agency information dissemination products meet their 

respective needs. In their annual E-Government Act reports to OMB, agencies 

described their process for communicating with the public and for determining 

which information will be made available on their website. This helps promote 

more effective agency information dissemination management. 

• Suggests agencies use best practice recommendations published by the 

Interagency Committee on Government Information to assist implementing 

OMB’s policies. The best practices may be found at http://www.webcontent.gov. 

Information Regarding Federally Funded Research and Development.

 

The Federal government funds two primary research and development information 

repositories: RaDiUS (https://radius.rand.org) and Science.gov. RaDiUS provides the 

public and agencies with information about federally funded research and development 

activities and opportunities. Science.gov provides links to science websites and scientific 

databases so citizens can access the results of Federal research. These two repositories 

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contain integrated information about research and development required by Section 207 

of the Act. 

Privacy Impact Assessment Analysis and Privacy Provision Status -- Section 208 

This section of the Act requires agencies to conduct Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) 

for information systems and post machine-readable web privacy policies. 

Agency Status on Privacy Impact Assessments. A PIA is an analysis of an agency’s 

handling of personally identifiable information describing for a specific system how the 

agency ensures compliance with law and policy. Agencies have been conducting PIAs 

pursuant to this requirement since the third quarter of FY 2003, submitting them to OMB 

in support of their information technology investment requests and making them publicly 

available as required by the Act. Performing a PIA helps an agency: 

• Determine whether the agency’s information handling practices conform to the 

established legal/regulatory/policy privacy framework and make any necessary 

corrections

• Identify risks arising from electronic collection and maintenance of information 

about individuals 

• Identify protections or alternative processes needed to mitigate the risks identified

Throughout the past year, agencies demonstrated a greater understanding of the PIA 

requirement and instituted processes for promoting greater coordination between those 

who operate and supervise systems and experts in information technology, security, and 

privacy law and policy. 

Over the coming year, OMB will work with the agencies to clarify and streamline their 

PIAs and focus on the specific data elements enumerated in the Act and in OMB’s 

implementing guidance (see OMB Memorandum 03-22, “Guidance for Implementing the 

Privacy Provisions of the E-Government Act of 2002,” September 2003, at: 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/M03-22.html). These data elements include 

the kind, origin, purpose, use and disclosure of the information, how consent applies to 

the collection, how the information system is secured, whether the information is subject 

to the Privacy Act, and what alterations to the system or business process the analysis 

demands. 

On February 11, 2005, OMB issued guidance requesting each executive Department and 

agency to identify to OMB the senior official who has the overall agency-wide 

responsibility for information privacy issues. This senior agency official has overall 

responsibility and accountability for ensuring the agency's implementation of information 

privacy protections, including the agency's full compliance with federal laws, regulations, 

and policies relating to information privacy, such as the Privacy Act, the E-Government

Act, and others. The Administration is committed to protecting the information privacy 

rights of Americans and to ensuring Departments and agencies continue to have effective 

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information privacy management programs in place to carry out this important 

responsibility. 

 

Agency Status on Persistent Tracking Technology. Persistent tracking technology refers 

to technologies (such as persistent cookies, web bugs, web beacons) permitting tracking, 

monitoring, or surveillance of a website visitor’s activity beyond the immediate web 

session. Longstanding OMB policy prohibits the use of persistent tracking except for a 

compelling agency purpose and when authorized by the agency head or designee (see M00-13, June 22, 2000). 

OMB requires agencies to review annually and report their use of persistent tracking 

technology. Of the 67 departments and agencies from whom OMB expected reports, 59 

have responded at this time. Of the 59 responding agencies, only seven are using 

persistent tracking technology. OMB is following up with those agencies who have not 

yet reported.

In all cases where agencies use persistent tracking, such use has been appropriately 

approved by the head of the agency, head of subordinate agency or CIO reporting directly 

to the agency head. As required by the Act, agencies provided to OMB the specific 

language used or citation to the required privacy policy informing the public about the 

application of tracking technology. 

Machine readable privacy policies. Machine readable privacy policies are translated into 

a standard computer language readable by a web browser. Where a privacy policy is so 

translated, a visitor can set his web browser for a summary of the agency’s information 

handling practices and determine whether to interact with the site. 

Agencies have made good progress in this area. In the year covered by the previous 

E-Government Act report, only two agencies had implemented this requirement. In the 

year covered by this report, 26 agencies have implemented machine readable policies. 

OMB will continue to work with the remaining agencies on this issue. 

Workforce Development -- Section 209 

The purpose of this section of the Act is to improve the skills of the Federal workforce in 

using information technology to deliver government information and services. The Act 

requires the Federal government to develop, establish, and implement: 

• Policies to promote workforce development 

• Uniform agency workforce assessments and gap analysis

• Information technology training programs

• Government information technology performance standards

• An information technology exchange program

Policies to Promote Workforce Development. Qualified Federal information technology 

project managers are essential to ensure projects are meeting cost, schedule, and 

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performance expectations to deliver efficient and effective services to citizens. Last year, 

OMB worked with the Chief Information Officers (CIO’s) Council to create Federal 

information technology project manager guidance. This guidance was issued to the 

agencies by the E-Government Administrator in July 2004 (see 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/fy04/m04-19.pdf). 

The guidance required agencies to: 

• Submit implementation plans to OMB 

• Designate the project manager level necessary for each information technology 

investment, and 

• Describe in each investment request the project manager’s qualifications and the 

validation against the guidance 

Based on agency reporting, as of September 2004, about 75 percent of the government’s 

information technology project managers have qualifications validated against the criteria 

in the guidance, and plans are in place across government to ensure remaining project 

managers are trained and validated. 

 

Standardized Agency Workforce Assessments. Section 209(b) calls for OMB, GSA, the 

CIO Council, and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to analyze the information 

technology and information resources management workforce needs of the Federal 

government through collecting and assessing information from the agencies. To 

accomplish this, in 2004 OPM and the CIO Council conducted the second governmentwide information technology workforce assessment. The assessment identified five 

critical information technology jobs -- IT Project Management, IT Security/Information 

Assurance, Customer Support, System Analysis, and Applications Software 

Management. 

Agencies received the results of the assessment and are now working with OPM and the 

CIO Council to measure the gap between current workforce capabilities and future needs 

and to develop plans to meet their needs. After a preliminary review, the majority of

agencies believe they can address these needs through training and not additional Federal 

employee resources. 

Managing Governmentwide Information Technology Training Program. Section 209(b) 

also requires an assessment of the Federal government’s current information technology 

training capabilities to ensure they meet current and projected needs. In July 2004, OPM 

published its Report to Congress on the “Establishment of a Government Information 

Technology Training Program” 

(see http://opm.gov/hrd/lead/pubs/ittpreport_07-04/ittpreportJuly2004.pdf). 

OPM used the Clinger-Cohen Act Divisions D and E of Public Law 104-106 core 

competencies for the development of the report. The adequacy of existing governmentwide information technology training programs was reviewed and assessed. As required 

by the Act, this analysis establishes a baseline for OPM’s tracking of information 

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technology and information resources management training availability and adequacy 

across government. 

OPM recommended a government-wide information technology training framework 

using the IT Workforce Development Roadmap (a self-assessment skills toolkit) (see 

http://itroadmap.golearn.gov). The framework supports the OPM requirement to assist 

agencies in establishing and operating information technology training programs 

consistent with requirements in 209(b). Agency use of this framework enables the 

workforce to assess their needs and to obtain necessary skills to improve their ability to 

achieve mission objectives and program goals. The information technology training 

framework fosters the development of highly skilled information technology workers to 

better deliver essential information and services to the American people. On January 31, 

2005, OPM issued “Information Technology (IT) Training Program Guidance.” This 

memorandum provides guidance to assist agencies in meeting these responsibilities, in 

accordance with the general framework.

Government Information Technology Performance Standards. Section 209(b) also 

requires OPM to issue policies to promote the use and development of performance 

standards for training and uniform implementation of this subsection by Federal agencies. 

OPM developed guidance in coordination with the CIO Council prior to its January 31, 

2005 publication to Chief Human Capital Officers. 

Implementation of the Information Technology Exchange Program. Another requirement 

of Section 209(b) is the publication of regulations for the Information Technology 

Exchange Program and reporting to Congress agencies’ use of the exchange programs. 

On January 15, 2004, OPM published proposed regulations to implement an Information 

Technology Exchange Program. OPM has completed analysis of comments received 

from the public on the proposed program regulations and plans to publish the final 

regulations in the Federal Register in early 2005.

The Program’s semi-annual status report to Congress highlight: 

 

 • Publication of the proposed program regulations (January 15, 2004), which 

received favorable comments overall; 

• Implementation plans will: 

− Be coordinated with the CIO Council and with private information 

technology industry associations, and 

− Include posting of a question and answer sheet about program 

implementation when regulations are finalized; 

 • Links between the program as a training and development opportunity within the 

government-wide framework published in the OPM report, “Establishment of a 

Government-wide IT Training Program.” 

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Agency Implementation of Section 209. Agencies were asked to report to OMB on their 

use of training plans and their integration of information technology plans into their 

overall human capital planning and training programs. Based on agency responses, 

agencies are making progress to meet their Section 209 responsibilities. Agency 

responses indicate: 

• coordination and cooperation between Chief Human Capital Officers and Chief 

Information Officers to better use information technology project management 

skills across organizations and initiatives. 

• inclusion of the government-wide Information Technology Workforce Capability 

Assessment Survey data to agencies’ succession planning. 

• reference to OPM’s report, “Establishment of a Government-wide IT Training 

Program,” as the basis for selecting training to fill current workforce gaps, 

especially in the information technology project management arena. 

 

• recognition of human capital planning efforts as a way to ensure the Federal 

government has sufficient highly qualified information technology professionals 

to deliver services to citizens, businesses, and government entities effectively and 

in direct alignment with the agency mission. 

Integrating Reporting and Pilot Projects – Section 212 

OMB seeks to improve the exchange and use of data between multiple information 

technology systems, a concept termed “interoperability.” Section 212 has as its purposes 

enhancing interoperability; assisting the public in electronically submitting electronic 

information to agencies; and enabling people to integrate information from different 

agencies. Each of these purposes is being addresses through the development and 

implementation of the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) program. 

The major elements developed to date as part of the FEA are: 

 

• A series of reference models providing a common framework (available at 

www.egov.gov), 

• A policy requiring agencies to link investment with the reference models to help 

identify commonality, 

• An Enterprise Architecture assessment model and process to help agencies improve 

the quality of their Enterprise Architectures. 

Agencies are now using the FEA and its five supporting reference models (Business, 

Performance, Service, Technical and Data) to develop their budgets and set strategic 

goals. The FEA is also becoming the “common language” when disparate agencies 

partner to develop common processes. 

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In 2004, OMB assessed each agency’s Enterprise Architecture using the Enterprise 

Architecture assessment model. The results of OMB’s assessments were provided to 

each agency to serve as a baseline from which OMB will measure agency progress in 

2005 and beyond. OMB officials visited each agency to discuss the results of their 

assessment and how each agency can also use the model to measure their progress against 

OMB’s rating. 

Using the FEA, OMB identified five common functions used in most agencies. By 

consolidating these functions, known as lines of business, the Federal government can 

improve services and deliver substantial savings. The line of business initiatives could

save $5 billion across the Federal government over the next 10 years. 

In February 2004, OMB launched the first set of lines of business: 

• Financial management 

• Human resources management 

• Grants management 

• Case management

• Federal health architecture 

Interagency task forces identified common solutions for each line of business and 

submitted a business case to OMB. Each business case was reviewed and the results 

allowed OMB to identify candidates for shared service centers or centers of excellence. 

These centers will provide government-wide services in the areas of human resources and 

financial management thereby improving government efficiency through consolidated 

operations while improving system interoperability and streamlining data collection. 

Agencies will begin moving to the new centers in late FY 2005 and FY 2006. 

Community Technology Centers and Online Tutorial – Section 213 

This section of the Act requires OMB to conduct a study and submit a report to Congress 

by April 17, 2005 evaluating the best practices of community technology centers who 

have received Federal funds and to identify methods for such centers, public libraries, 

and other institutions to expand computer and Internet access to the public. OMB is 

leading this effort with the Department of Education, the Institute of Museum and Library 

Sciences, the General Services Administration, and other relevant agencies, with 

appropriate cooperation from the legislative branch’s Government Printing Office. 

The Interagency Committee on Government Information is developing an online tutorial 

pursuant to section 213 of the E-Government Act and the Act does not establish a 

deadline for completion. The tutorial will aid users in accessing government information 

and will place it on the Federal Internet portal (Firstgov.gov) and other Federal agency 

public websites as appropriate. 

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Use of Information Technology to Enhance Crisis Management – Section 214 

Section 214(b) of the Act requires the Administrator of the Office of E-Government and 

Information Technology, in consultation with the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency to ensure a study is conducted, and report on the findings and recommendations, 

on using information technology to enhance crisis preparedness, response, and 

consequence management of natural and manmade disasters. Specifically, the study 

should address the following two items: 

• A research and implementation strategy for effective use of information 

technology in crisis response and consequence management, including the more 

effective use of technologies, management of information technology research 

initiatives, and incorporation of research advances into the information and 

communications systems of Federal, State, and local agencies responsible for 

crisis preparedness, response, and consequence management; and 

• Opportunities for research and development on enhanced technologies into areas 

of potential improvement as determined during the course of the study. 

While an initial study on the use of information technology to enhance crisis 

preparedness, response, and consequence management of natural and manmade disasters 

was completed in early 2003, it did not include a research and implementation strategy 

and future opportunities for research and development. Therefore, a new study designed 

to address the requirements in the Act was initiated in February 2005. Phases of the 

study are: 

• Phase I will be completed by September 30, 2005, and will examine opportunities 

for more effective use of technologies, including management of information 

technology research and development opportunities, and explore options for 

managing this research and transitioning results into operational systems. 

• Phase II will be completed by April 30, 2006, and will address the development of

research and provide an implementation roadmap with associated findings and 

recommendations. At the end of this phase, OMB will submit a report to the 

Committee on Government Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 

Government Reform of the House of Representatives. 

The Act also charges the Administrator of the Office of E-Government and Information 

Technology to report to Congress on other activities furthering the goal of maximizing 

the utility of information technology in disaster management. In 2001, the President 

launched two critical government-wide initiatives to directly improve the ability of our 

nation’s first responders to communicate and share information at all levels of 

government. These initiatives, Disaster Management and SAFECOM, have been 

working to leverage information technology and develop standards to improve 

information sharing and communications for the nation’s public safety community. Both 

of these initiatives are led by the Department of Homeland Security, are supported by 

other Federal agencies with responsibilities in this area, and partnered with state, local, 

and tribal organizations. 

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Disaster Management Initiative

The Disaster Management initiative provides three critical services to first responders and 

citizens: 

• One-stop access through the disasterhelp.gov portal for all Federal disaster 

management-related information, services, and planning and response tools 

making it easier to find disaster assistance information; 

• Standards to share emergency response information across disparate third party 

software packages and between organizations, regardless of the source or type of 

information; and 

• An interoperable disaster management tool to assist first responders in preparing 

for and responding to a disaster. This tool promotes information sharing among 

the public safety community and between local, state, and Federal governments. 

As the diagram below highlights, there are currently over 1,031 user groups in 50 states 

and Washington, DC, using this tool and it has been used to respond to over 40 realworld incidents, including Hurricane Isabel in September 2003 and the California 

wildfires. There are also over 34,000 registered users of the disasterhelp.gov portal who 

look to the portal not only to get the latest updates on incidents across the nation, but also 

for authoritative sources of disaster preparation, mitigation, and recovery information. 

1

Where is DMIS used?

= Currently executing state-wide roll-out

= States with 10+ User Groups

As of 12/07/04:

- Total: 1031 User groups

- 115 State/Regional User groups

(Coverage: 50 States)

- 33 DHS & FEMA User groups

(Coverage: 8 FEMA Regional Offices)

- Total: 146 Federal & National User groups

(Coverage: 21 Federal Agencies & Tribal)

- 22 NGO User Groups

- 52 Vendors Participating in Interoperability

41

86

98

19

21

15

50 34 46

32 35

55

2

3

18

9

5

7 36

13

11 10

19

10 11

9 19

15

7

1

4

8

2

2

5

9

5

20

29

38

11

14

25

5

8

18

3

76

4

1 - American Samoa (AS)

5

1

17
SAFECOM Initiative

The other initiative, SAFECOM, partners with Federal agencies, state and local, public 

safety organizations, and industry to improve interoperable wireless communication and 

information sharing across all levels of government so public safety officials can 

communicate and share information as they respond to emergencies. The three objectives 

of this initiative are to: 

• Develop standards to promote wireless interoperability; 

• Develop a national architecture to assist in the progression towards wireless 

interoperability; and 

• Coordinate the Federal government’s wireless interoperability investments. 

SAFECOM is working with existing federal communications initiatives and key public 

safety stakeholders to address the need to develop better technologies and processes for 

the cross-jurisdictional and cross-disciplinary coordination of existing systems and future 

networks. The scope of this community is broad. The customer base includes over 

50,000 local and state public safety agencies and organizations. Federal customers 

include over 100 agencies engaged in public safety disciplines such as law enforcement, 

firefighting, public health, and disaster recovery. 

To ensure more consistent Federal support, SAFECOM developed grant guidance for 

public safety interoperability equipment grants to local, tribal, and State organizations. 

This guidance has been incorporated into existing grant requirements within DHS and 

DOJ agencies. Additionally, SAFECOM worked with the public safety community to 

complete a common statement of requirements. From this baseline, further prioritization 

for standards development as well as progress toward a national architecture will 

continue. 

Conclusion 

This report describes a number of FY 2004 activities to expand electronic government 

and also meet the specific requirements of the E-Government Act. 

We led many initiatives to encourage contractor and government innovation and 

excellence when developing and enhancing E-Government services and processes. For 

example, OMB launched the lines of business initiative. For these common business 

solutions, OMB established inter-agency taskforces to develop common approaches and 

target architectures for service delivery in the areas of financial management, human 

resources management and grants management. 

To identify innovative approaches and effective practices, the Administrator of the Office 

of E-Government and Information Technology and GSA held a Government-Industry 

Day convening interested parties in industry. Following the Government-Industry Day, 

GSA released requests for information to gather more detail on proposed innovations. 

The line of business task forces reviewed and analyzed each response helping frame their 

18
proposed approaches in each of the three areas. The requests for information are 

available at www.Fedbizopps.gov. 

In addition to the line of business activities, in FY 2004 several other E-Government 

initiatives issued requests for information to also identify innovative approaches. For 

instance, the Case Management line of business hosted a “Government Industry Day” 

and asked industry for product and process descriptions to help the Departments of 

Justice, Homeland Security, and other investigative agencies to merge existing systems 

into a single case management architecture for use throughout the Federal government. 

Additionally, the Health Information Technology initiative led by the Department of 

Health and Human Services issued a request for information to inform policy discussions 

about possible methods to promote cross-government and private sector interoperability. 

Greater interoperability will improve the exchange of health information during 

deployment and operations of health information systems. As a result, an interoperable 

health information technology infrastructure will improve the quality and efficiency of 

health care. 

Finally, the Business Gateway initiative issued a request for information to encourage 

innovative ways for government-wide forms processing. The request asked for 

information regarding industry’s capability and interest in implementing publicly 

accessible, online forms processing to permit greater electronic interaction with the 

government. 

Recognizing the value of private sector capabilities, OMB established “Vendor Day,” a 

monthly all-day information exchange between interested vendors and OMB officials. 

This day allows the private sector to present innovative approaches to improve the use 

and delivery of information and services throughout the government and to the public. 

To further identify unique and effective approaches to electronic information and service 

delivery and information technology management, OMB participated in several 

international conferences related to E-Government including the North American Day, 

the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation High Level Symposium on E-Government, and 

the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development 4th Symposium on EGovernment. Through our participation in these conferences, OMB gained experience 

and insight into the international community’s implementation of E-Government. 

As described throughout this report, the Federal government made significant progress in 

implementing the requirements of the E-Government Act and moved far beyond those 

specific requirements. Innovation is integral to and demonstrated throughout the 

Administration’s E-Government program in a cost-effective manner. 

19
SECTION II: HIGHLIGHTS OF INDIVIDUAL AGENCY INTERNAL 

E-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES 

This section of the report summarizes and highlights agency specific E-Government 

activities. More detailed information is located on each agency’s website. 

Department of Commerce: http://www.commerce.gov

Each day an average of six million citizens visit the Department of Commerce (DoC) 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) main National Weather 

Service website (http://weather.gov, and also www.nws.noaa.gov) and supporting 

websites. These sites allow users to find their local forecast by city and state. During a 

45-day period starting in August 2004, National Weather Service websites, including the 

website of the National Hurricane Center (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov), received more than 

1.5 billion hits as Hurricanes Charlie, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne came ashore in the 

southern states. As a result, DoC moved from 70th to 15th in the world on the entire 

Internet for the month of September 2004 for unique visitors on the web. 

During 2004, the National Weather Service surveyed more than 12,000 citizens about 

their use and satisfaction of the weather.gov web portal site. More than 75 percent of 

survey respondents reported an overall satisfaction level of seven or higher on a scale of 

10, with 10 being highest. A large number of Federal, State, and local government 

partners use data from the website. One such example is the map displaying active 

watch/warnings in daily briefings to the Director of Federal Emergency Management 

Agency. Weather.gov supports a number of National Weather Service Government 

Performance and Results Act goals as a dissemination platform for watches, warnings, 

and alerts. Citizen phone calls into local National Weather Service offices have been 

reduced by approximately half since NOAA began putting weather information on the 

Internet. This equates to a cost avoidance of about $3 million per year. Additionally, the 

reduced workload at the local offices allows forecasters to focus better on forecasting.

All Commerce operating units make information available in hard copy format, over the 

telephone, by facsimile, and by CD-ROM for customers who may not have access to the 

Internet. Specifically, NOAA makes its observations, forecasts, and warnings available 

through NOAA Weather Radio and through a wide range of communication channels to 

the media in real time. 

 

Department of Defense: http://www.dod.gov

The Department of Defense (DoD) is an active member of the multi-agency team

responsible for executing complex, government-wide licenses for software. The EGovernment initiative, SmartBUY, is based in part on DOD’s success with its Enterprise 

Software Initiative which has yielded over $2 billion in cost avoidance for the 

Department since 1998. 

20
The Interim Voting Assistance System, a voluntary program implemented in September 

2004, allowed eligible absentee voters to request and receive their absentee ballots via the 

Internet from the www.myballot.mil website. In 2004, 108 counties in nine states 

participated and by the end of the election, 30 counties in those states had actually 

received ballot requests, processed the requests and delivered ballots to uniformed and 

overseas absentee voters. The email option was especially beneficial to those citizens in 

remote areas who could not rely on the mail service to receive and vote absentee ballots 

by close of polls on Election Day. 

Under the Federal Voting Assistance Program, the Department, seven volunteer states 

and 50 counties developed a web-based registration and voting system for use in the 2004 

elections. The Program also enhanced its website resources for uniformed and overseas 

citizens and the states. The website contains information on all voting assistance 

programs (e.g., Get-Out-the-Vote Campaign, the Ombudsman Service, the Electronic 

Transmission Service, and the State Legislative Initiatives Program), and all voting 

assistance forms and publications can be viewed on or downloaded from the website. 

The voting assistance program’s website had 1,943,105 accesses for the five-week period 

ending October 31, 2004, and a total of 7,772,628 accesses since November 2003. 

Finally, the voting assistance program inaugurated an E-Learning initiative which 

provides Voting Assistance Officers with a complete online training package for Military 

and civilian Federal employees similar to the voting assistance program workshops 

provided world-wide. 

Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov

The Department of Education (ED) continues to offer and enhance the “FAFSA on the 

WEB” (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid on the Web), which offers 

electronic financial aid applications to the public. Cost savings have been identified in 

such areas as reduced paper processing, reduced printing and mailing costs, and lower 

software development and maintenance costs to the web products. As a result, Federal 

Student Aid-wide savings for these items amounted to over $23 million for FY 2003 as 

compared to FY 2002. In addition, Federal Student Aid constituencies can access any

one of several websites developed and maintained to receive real-time information on 

issues impacting student aid. 

Partners with the Federal Student Aid initiative involve the State and local education 

agencies, and includes colleges, universities, and other post-secondary institutions. The 

Department continues to focus online services to customers, expanding public access to 

grants, loans, and research information through improvements in electronic transactions. 

As part of ED’s strategic objectives, burden hours associated with information collections 

are tracked. 

 

100 percent of the Department's Title IV loan programs provide online capability. Not 

only are eligibility applications for Federal Student Aid available online, students and 

parents can also complete and sign loan applications and promissory notes online. 

21
Financial aid information and application services are not diminished for the public who 

do not have access to the Internet. The student aid awareness division is devoted to 

activities specifically designed to increase participation in the financial aid programs by 

low-income individuals and those most likely not to have Internet access. Publications

about the financial aid programs and paper applications continue to be developed and 

made available each year. Agencies, organizations, high schools, and higher education 

institutions order financial aid publications and applications for their constituents by 

contacting the EdPubs center. In the current cycle, approximately three million paper 

applications will be processed. 

Department of Energy: http://www.energy.gov

The Department of Energy's (DoE) Integrated Management Navigation System (IMANAGE) Standard Accounting and Reporting System and Standard Budget System

will offer the Department a modern, comprehensive and responsive financial 

management system to electronically integrate budget formulation, budget execution, 

financial accounting, financial reporting, cost accounting, and performance measurement. 

These systems, along with the I-MANAGE Data Warehouse, will provide critical 

strategic support for the DoE mission as the solution for financial, operational and 

reporting requirements to enhance accountability and improve decision-making. 

The Department's legacy systems are outdated and require specialized programming

efforts in order to meet budgeting and financial reporting requirements. These systems 

have varied formats, are disparate, paper intensive, and not accessible to all stakeholders 

who require the information. Replacing the paper-based reporting functions and manual 

processes will result in reduced costs and more efficient operations. The Department 

plans to eliminate all non-integrated, redundant Program Office budget and financial 

systems by the end of FY 2006. 

Implementation of the I-MANAGE investments will occur over a 10 year life cycle 

and provide significant benefits. Benefits include savings associated with Federal and 

contractor processes, reduced operating and maintenance costs as redundant systems are 

eliminated, avoidance of future system maintenance and upgrade costs with the 

elimination of the redundant systems and access to corporate financial information for 

better decision-making. 

Department of Homeland Security: http://www.dhs.gov

The US Coast Guard (USCG) continues to work closely with the National Association of

State Boating Law Administrators in enhancing and implementing a system to manage 

accident report data electronically. Such applications as The Boating Accident Report

Database (BARD) System, designed to afford all states and territories the opportunity to 

automate the collection, management, and analysis of recreational boating accident

information, reflect the Department’s commitment to data sharing. The latest version of

BARD (BARD-Web) at https://bard.cns-inc.com/ provides all 56 reporting jurisdictions 

22
with an Internet application to input accident report data, perform queries, and generate 

statistical reports. The vision for BARD-Web is an information system used by accident 

investigators to input data at the scene of an accident where data is quickly disseminated 

and used by state agency personnel to improve the safety and security of our nation's 

recreational boaters. 

Two E-Government initiatives at the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) are the

Performance Measurement Information System (PMIS) and the Performance Information 

Management System (PIMS). Both systems are deployed enterprise-wide at all 

federalized airports as well as headquarters locations. Capabilities delivered through 

these applications include: 

• A flexible and responsive platform to capture and report TSA performance data in 

a timely manner from across the organization, with necessary security and data 

quality controls. 

• The delivery of integrated performance data to decision makers at multiple levels 

within the organization. 

• The expansion of the public’s access to agency information through the provision 

of collected data (e.g. wait times). 

The Performance Measurement Information System (PMIS) and the Performance 

Information Management System (PIMS) facilitate integration of information and 

information sharing across the TSA, and allow for flexible, near real time collection of

data. The performance data is delivered to decision makers at various levels as well as the 

traveling public, resulting in higher customer satisfaction. 

Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.hhs.gov

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment and Scholarship Programs

are administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to 

provide scholarships and the repayment of student loans in exchange for health care 

services in underserved communities. During FY 2004, HRSA made steady progress in 

development to enable electronic support for the NHSC Loan Repayment and 

Scholarship programs through a web-based transaction system. 

In FY 2003, 98 percent of the 7,821 applications received for the Nursing Loan 

Repayment System were submitted on the web with an increase of nine percent in FY

2004. Similar results are expected as the other NHSC components are available online. 

The ability to apply for these programs through the web remains a high priority for 

HRSA, and is vital to increase access to these programs. 

The NHSC program contributes to HRSA’s ability to meet strategic goals of improving 

access to health care by increasing number of applications and the number of available 

sites. FY 2005 benefits, from HRSA’s E-Gov efforts with the NHSC programs include 

the following: 

23
• Increased public exposure with web access provides exposure to a greater pool of 

applicants and ensures a full complement of funded positions can be filled each 

year. 

• Simplified application process with user-friendly web interfaces results in a 

reduction of time and effort needed by applicants to apply. 

• Shortened cycle time and internal review with automated support for the 

selection and review process allows HRSA staff to handle a greater number of 

applications in a reduced time frame. 

• Improved customer relationships with increased support for online administrative 

interactions between scholars and loan re-payers, health center grantees, and 

HRSA. 

• Improved ability to match deployment of the National Health Service Corps with 

available opportunities and needs. 

Continued automation of NHSC programs will include tracking scholarship and loan

repayment applicants/awardees, scholarship benefits, designated communities, health 

care delivery sites, service commitment, paying for or reimbursing expenses associated 

with a clinician’s education in exchange for service, and identifying eligible sites within 

Health Profession Shortage Areas. Anticipated improvements via electronic data 

collection and information integration will allow HRSA to meet the President’s FiveYear Growth Initiative targets of broadening access to health care services for the 

underserved by an additional 1,200 new and expanding sites and serving 6.1 million more 

patients by 2006. 

Department of Housing and Urban Development: http://www.hud.gov

The Federal Housing Administration Connection (FHAC) is an Internet-based system

which allows Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-approved lenders to have real-time 

access to several FHA systems over the Department of Housing and Urban 

Development’s (HUD) Internet for the purpose of originating and servicing FHA loans. 

FHAC processed 1.4 million FHA loans last year with a total value of over $180 billion. 

There are currently 9,000 lenders and 90,000 Federal Housing Administration 

Connection users. The system is used by other agencies to access: 

• Credit Alert Interactive Voice Response System (CAIVRS) - CAIVRS is

accessed for Federal debt related credit checks; and 

• Pay.gov - This year, HUD also implemented lender recertification payments 

using Pay.gov’s electronic payment system, as a speedier and more efficient 

method of collecting fees at the Office of Lender Approval. Pay.gov reduces 

processing costs for HUD, because the Department of Treasury (Treasury) 

provides these transaction services free of charge. HUD anticipates saving one 

dollar for every form and collection authorization received in electronic format. 

CAIVRS is a HUD-initiated Federal government interagency shared database used to 

alert participating Federal lending agencies when an applicant for credit benefits has a 

Federal lien judgment or a Federal loan which is currently in default or foreclosure. 

24
CAIVRS reduces, by almost 100 percent, the risk of endorsing a mortgage for FHA 

insurance without knowledge of previous delinquencies or defaults in Federal programs. 

Since 1987, over 61 million borrowers have been pre-screened through CAIVRS. As a 

direct result of CAIVRS participation, HUD alone has avoided over $98.7 billion in 

potential claims and over $35.6 billion in potential losses. 

HUD serves millions of low- and moderate-income households, and thus is sensitive to 

the challenges of access to technology. All information is available in various accessible 

formats, including paper documentations which can be requested through various 

telephone/TTY (text telephone) systems. Additionally, HUD has placed 106 touchscreen kiosks in public places throughout the country to provide basic information about 

HUD programs and services to citizens. HUD's outreach efforts are further supplemented 

through events (e.g., local homeownership fairs) sponsored by HUD business partners 

who disseminate HUD program information. Also, HUD offers free access through HUD 

Answer Machines to its Internet website – the Homes and Communities page – from each 

of its 81 offices across the country. 

Department of the Interior: http://www.doi.gov

The Financial and Business Management System (FBMS) is a major enterprise 

management initiative to integrate financial and business systems and modernize 

administrative processes throughout the Department. FBMS will provide access to 

common financial, grants, acquisition, property, budgetary and business data; provide 

improved transactional processing; and provide a single method to upgrade and/or 

replace older Interior systems. This solution also provides better external financial 

transparency and improved security and controls over financial management and property 

systems. 

 

Once fully implemented within the Department, all components of the FBMS may be

used to support cost-effective, efficient cross-servicing of other Federal agencies. FBMS 

development is being coordinated with the Office of Management and Budget Lines of 

Business initiatives, as well as with the Integrated Acquisition Environment, E-Travel, 

Grants.gov, and E-Authentication E-Government initiatives. 

 

FBMS will reduce costs and/or improve efficiencies in at least the following areas: 

• Improved efficiency of operations due to automating manual processes and using 

faster applications will allow FBMS users to do their jobs in less time; 

• Cost avoidance from decreased time to accumulate Enterprise Management 

Information System information from integrated databases will be a fundamental 

part of the FBMS; 

• Decreased maintenance costs as a result of retiring legacy and redundant systems 

(at least five departmental and 30 bureau legacy systems will be retired); 

• Standardized processes to provide better services to managers handling financial 

and related transactions; 

25
• Improved timeliness and accuracy of information available to Interior employees 

to minimize the need to maintain separate records and reduced confusion caused 

by conflicting data or information; 

• Automatic and ad-hoc reporting to improve the data available to analyze 

operations and improve decision support; 

• Reduced cost of moving data between systems and extensive reconciliation 

efforts; and 

• Improved security of systems through security awareness and new technology 

reducing the risk of misuse of data and systems thus costing the government 

substantial time and resources to continue operations. 

 

The initiative reflects cost avoidance factors through labor (resulting from improved 

efficiency of operations, allowing FBMS users to do their jobs in less time), with 

projected savings of $210,000 in FY 2006, increasing to $14.7 million in 2011; decreased 

maintenance costs (reducing baseline operations by retiring legacy systems) amounting to 

approximately $365 million over the lifecycle; and experience with development and 

support of enterprise systems with commercial-off-the-shelf products. 

Interior maintains an ongoing dialogue with partners and stakeholders on a variety of 

opportunities to use technology to improve its services and to find operational 

efficiencies. The Department’s bureaus and offices meet regularly with stakeholders on 

programmatic issues, and also seek specific feedback on how to use technology and EGovernment approaches to improve the Department’s operations and delivery of services. 

Department of Justice: http://www.usdoj.gov

The Department of Justice’s (DoJ) Joint Automated Booking System (JABS) is an 

information sharing initiative to strengthen law enforcement and homeland security 

activities. The initiative automates the booking process and provides a mechanism to 

rapidly and positively identify an individual based on a fingerprint submission to the 

Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System

(IAFIS). The JABS Program is not restricted to DoJ users, and includes other user 

groups from within the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Defense, and Health 

and Human Services. 

The JABS Program interfaces with three boards to maintain a continuous dialog with the 

system’s user communities. The program has completed its initial design and 

development phase and is nearing completion of full deployment. JABS transactions 

(bookings) totaled 948,054 in FY 2004 and are estimated to reach 1.5 million in FY 2005. 

Implementation of the JABS System has resulted in significant savings to the 

government. In June 2004, JABS added an Inter-Agency booking service to provide 

automated submission of booking packages for Federal law enforcement agencies 

bringing their suspects in for booking. This initiative expanded JABS services to 

agencies in 11 Federal departments outside of DoJ (Departments of Homeland Security, 

Agriculture, Education, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, 

26
Housing and Urban Development, and the General Services Administration), as well as

the U.S. Postal Service. These agencies can now utilize JABS without having to actually 

deploy an automated booking station in their offices, in turn saving money. This 

$292,000 investment has returned an estimated savings of $8 million dollars in bookings 

system costs (400 locations have used this functionality, eliminating a $20,000 system

cost at each location). Participating agencies use the secure JABS-IAFIS network 

interface instead of building their own network interface. The participants can also use 

the IAFIS-compliant JABS booking station software available and provided at no cost to 

the agency. Bookings processed by the computer based JABS System are input to the 

FBI’s IAFIS without manual intervention; whereas paper based bookings require some 

manual handling and loss of timeliness. 

Department of Labor: http://www.dol.gov

The Department of Labor’s (DoL) Safety and Health Information Management System 

(SHIMS) is improving service to Federal employees with a faster transmission of 

workers’ compensation claims to the Employment Standards Administration’s Office of 

Workers’ Compensation Programs for processing and the ability to allow the claim to be 

processed in an expedited manner. Previously, claim forms were manually written and 

mailed which took several days and a response took two weeks. Now the claim is 

submitted electronically within 24 hours and a response on receipt of the claim from the 

Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs is within 48 hours. This allows the claimant 

to begin referencing their claim within two days of filing. 

Fourteen Federal agencies have agreed to implement SHIMS software with six agencies 

moving to DOL SHIMS hosting services beginning in January 2005. DoL’s sustained 

performance in attaining Federal goals on timeliness is a major factor in Agencies 

seeking to partner for use of SHIMS. DoL is in communication with 25 external agencies 

on SHIMS development and implementation through one-on-one presentations and 

quarterly meetings. DoL will also meet with agencies who signed a Memorandum of 

Understanding for hosting, and is in constant communications on needs and actions for 

implementation. 

Cost savings can be attributed to the implementation of the SHIMS in DoL. The system

was fully implemented in FY 2003 and since then DoL has demonstrated a reduction in 

workers’ compensation costs through quicker processing of claims and the ability to use 

the system to identify persons able to return to work and develop light duty positions for 

them. As a result of this effort DoL reduced worker compensation costs in FY 20004 by 

$3.2 million, representing a 13% decline. 

Department of Transportation: http://www.dot.gov

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Motor Carrier Management 

Information System provides businesses with an online, efficient method to apply for 

operating authority and register for an U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) Number. 

The system improves the sharing of commercial motor carrier information among the

27
levels of government, as Federal, State, and local agencies all access the system for their 

safety, enforcement, licensing, and insurance needs. 

Prior to October 2003, Cargo Tank Manufacturers could not register online. Now over 

4,000 Cargo Tank Manufacturers have registered online. The database contains 20 

million inspections; 400,000 crash records; 200,000 compliance reviews; 700,000 motor 

carriers, 10,000 shippers and cargo tank manufacturers. The goal is to increase 

commercial motor carrier safety crash data maintained by States by five percent over the 

previous year. 

This investment reduces costs and improves efficiencies in various ways: 

• Information for all interstate carriers is stored in one central database. 

• Safety data for motor carriers are used to target enforcement activities. 

• For other stakeholders, like insurance companies, shippers, and the public,

having operating authority and safety data for motor carriers provides an efficient 

way to assess a motor carrier’s safety. 

DoT offers several methods available to individuals without access to the Internet. For 

example, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration maintains a tollfree Auto Safety Hotline where users can report safety defects. The Federal Aviation 

Administration maintains a toll-free consumer hotline. DoT supports safety outreach

programs via roadside billboards on highways and via television commercials. Finally, 

the Federal Railroad Administration programs provide client software to railroads and 

states to assist them in their Federal record keeping. This software is provided at no 

charge and data is exchanged electronically. 

Department of the Treasury: http://www.treas.gov

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers a suite of web-based e-services to eligible tax 

professionals and payers, allowing them to conduct business with the IRS over the 

Internet. These and other products are available at the IRS’ website www.irs.gov:

• E-services Registration: One-time automated online registration for all tax 

professionals who wish to use e-services products. 

• Online e-file Provider Application: This new form integrates previous forms into 

a single application to be an authorized provider of any of the IRS’ individual or 

business e-file programs. This form allows the application to be maintained and 

updated, and sends an acknowledgement of completion via email. New 

delegation of authority feature allows principals or officials of an authorized efile provider to delegate authority to use e-services to their employees. 

• Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Matching: TIN Matching is a pre-filing 

service offered to payers and authorized agents who submit any of six 

information returns subject to backup withholding. To determine whether 

backup withhold is required, TIN Matching allows authorized payers to perform

28
bulk matching of payee TIN and name combinations against IRS records prior to 

submitting an information return. 

In its first year of operation, more than 36,000 individual users registered to utilize IRS eservices. Current statistics show a growth of 25 percent over usage figures from last 

year, and the number of users is quickly approaching 50,000. 

In its first year of operation, e-services automated approximately 10 percent of the more

than 70,000 Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) requests received by the IRS. 

More than 17 million TIN matching requests have also been fulfilled. In the first few 

months of deployment, almost 2,000 e-file provider applications were received 

electronically, together with over 4,000 automated power of attorney requests and 20,000 

transcript requests. By utilizing e-services, taxpayers saved an estimated $55 million by 

reducing the need to correct processing errors on paper tax returns. Treasury realized an 

estimated $291 million from e-services due to additional tax collected by the IRS as a 

result of matching Form 1099 reported income. Additional savings will be realized for 

taxpayers and the IRS as participation, processing times, and overall system performance 

continue to improve. 

The IRS maintains open lines of communications with parties and stakeholders having an 

interest in electronic tax administration. The IRS established several executive advisory 

boards and industry associations with industry representation (e.g., Electronic Tax 

Administration Advisory Committee, Council for Electronic Revenue Communication 

Advancement, Federation of Tax Administrators). The IRS also hosts a yearly 

conference with tax industry software developers to discuss potential areas of technology 

improvement. IRS National Account Managers maintain an ongoing dialogue with 

various industry segments and State government tax agencies. 

E-services is an additional channel for conducting business with the IRS. All e-services 

transactions can also be accomplished through paper submission or via the telephone to 

ensure ongoing availability of services and information to those without Internet access. 

Department of State: http://www.state.gov

The eAllowances initiative directly supports the Department of State’s (State) strategic 

objective to strengthen diplomatic and program capabilities with a goal of management 

and organizational excellence. 

When fully operational, the system will compile statistics on overseas living costs, 

education, hardship differentials, and danger pay and support the computation of 

allowances to compensate U.S. government civilian and contractor personnel assigned 

abroad. 

The Department provides the resulting allowances data to 36 other U.S. government 

agencies, U.S. citizens, and private industry. The impact extends to 475,000 uniformed

service members, 120,000 employees of contractors to the Federal government, and a 

29
significant number of employees who travel abroad and are reimbursed according to U.S. 

government guidelines. The alternative of piecemeal data collection and analysis of 

allowances data by U.S. citizens and private industry would be cost-prohibitive. 

The change from the manual system to the proposed electronic business process will 

improve performance in several ways: 

• Reduce work hours spent on manual calculations and result in fewer errors; 

• Reduce training time for post personnel to complete the allowance surveys 

overseas and improves the turn-around time to update and publish per diem rates; 

• Integrate the financial management systems to deliver allowance data to the State 

financial centers and to other agencies; 

• Aggregate electronic data rather than single typed and printed reports; and

• Reduce redundant data. 

Performance measures for FY 2005: 

• Reduce Per Diem training time for new staff from 60 to 30 days. 

• Increase surveys completed using eAllowances system from zero to 70 percent. 

• Reduce survey errors by up to 70 percent related to electronic entry of responses. 

Over a ten year life cycle, the new system is projected to conservatively produce 

$9,658,583 in discounted present value benefits. These benefits are primarily attributable 

to productivity improvements. 

The Department has ensured the general information published on its principal Internet 

website (www.state.gov) is available in print form upon request. There are several public 

access points in the Department not Internet related: 

• Public Diplomacy has Information Resource Centers at posts in more than 140 

countries where people can come in or call and get information (some also offer 

Internet access). The Smith-Mundt Act prohibits domestic distribution of some

of the Department’s publications. 

• Speaker programs help communicate with key foreign audiences - such as the 

media, government officials, opinion leaders, non-governmental organizations, 

and industry heads at overseas posts.

Consular information and services can be accessed via consular offices, passport agencies 

and a phone number (1-877-4USAPPT) on their brochures. 

Department of Veterans Affairs: http://www.va.gov

In FY 2004, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) maintained more than 2.6 million 

graves and nearly 7,200 developed acres, and launched a web-based Nationwide 

Gravesite Locator system on April 8, 2004. This system supports the ability to search 

some three million interment records contained in the Burial Operations Support System

30
database (National and State Veterans cemeteries, as well as Arlington National 

Cemetery), and provide query results. 

This innovation will make it easier for anyone with Internet access to search for the 

gravesite locations of deceased family members and friends, and to conduct genealogical 

research. The nationwide grave locator contains more than three million records of

veterans and dependents buried in VA’s 120 cemeteries since the Civil War. Most of the 

120 VA’s national cemeteries may be searched for burial locations. Arlington National 

Cemetery records are also available for interments occurring after 1999. As more records 

are added to the database, more burial information will become available to the grave

locator system. Some State veteran cemetery interments can also be searched. 

Veterans and their family members without access to the Internet can access similar 

interment information by visiting the National Cemetery or supported State Veterans 

Cemetery where the veteran or family member is interred. If interment is in a National 

Cemetery already supported by the web-based (Intranet) kiosk Grave Locator System, a 

visitor can query this system for specific interment information. If these options are not 

available, a veteran or family member can call or submit a written request to National 

Cemetery Administration for interment information. 

VA contract management operations are primarily manual and paper-based procedures. 

They are labor intensive, inefficient, and expensive to operate. An effort is underway to 

automate this process. Manual processing prevails in every facet of VA contract 

management operations. The Electronic Contract Management System has been 

successfully prototyped by VA. This prototyping effort demonstrated system capabilities 

proposed to operate in conjunction with any VA enterprise financial and logistics system. 

The proposed system can also be interfaced with the Veterans Health Information 

Systems and Technology Architecture, and the Integrated Funds Distribution, Control 

Point Activity, Accounting and Procurement system. 

The Electronic Contract Management System is sufficiently robust and scalable to serve 

as the enterprise-wide solution. The benefits of enterprise Electronic Contract 

Management System implementation include: improved processing of contract actions 

and ability to communicate with customers and suppliers electronically; elevating the 

level of service and performance; electronic capability for entering data once and reusing 

it; reducing time for processing contract actions significantly; and improved capability 

for converting proposed single source orders to large competitive purchases resulting in 

additional savings. Further, with the availability of system-wide contract data, contract 

administration and capability for consolidating orders will be substantially improved. 

Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov

The National Environmental Information Exchange Network is an innovative model for 

exchanging environmental, health, and natural resource information among partner 

organizations. Over the next three to five years, the Exchange Network will increase

efficiency, improve the quality of environmental data, provide the Environmental 

31
Protection Agency (EPA), agencies, and the public with ready access to this data, and

increase their ability to employ this information to protect public health and the 

environment. 

The Network uses the Internet to tie together Federal, State and Tribal environmental 

databases in real time. Faster, easier and more automated data sharing and integration

saves money and improves data quality, timeliness, and accessibility. For example, 

wastewater discharging facilities in Michigan used to submit many thousands of 

Discharge Monitoring Reports which had to be entered manually into the state system

and then again into an EPA system. With the Exchange Network, industry in Michigan 

can now easily enter and transmit the reports electronically and have them automatically 

loaded into the state’s database and then into EPA’s. The information gets to the proper 

individuals faster, and, according to the state, Michigan tax payers will ultimately save

upwards of $500,000 a year in reduced staff time. In another case, construction 

companies are required to file a Stormwater Notice of Intent before they begin 

construction projects. Using electronic submissions through the Exchange Network, the 

program has eliminated the 33 days of processing time for these forms and error rates 

have gone from 80 percent to virtually zero. 

The Network is developed, owned and operated by EPA and the States together. This 

new approach means better coordinated environmental analysis, data gathering, and data 

sharing and compliance activities. Every state and 35 tribes are involved at some level in 

the Network. 

General Services Administration: http://www.gsa.gov

The General Services Administration’s (GSA) GSA Advantage! provides an online 

purchasing and acquisition research system to support the acquisition needs of Federal 

agencies. Federal agency customers can buy over eight million commercial products on 

GSA Advantage! and over 2,000 orders are placed every work day. For large volume 

commodity purchases and complex service needs, customers can post requests for quotes 

and receive bids from the more than 12,000 companies holding GSA multiple awards 

schedules. 

GSA Advantage! achieves improved performance by tracking the following key 

performance measures: 

• Best Value for the Customer - GSA Advantage! enables customer agencies to 

make "best value" procurement decisions in one place, faster and at less expense, 

saving the taxpayer money and providing more access to Federal contracting 

opportunities for small businesses. 

• Operate Efficiently and Effectively - GSA Advantage! enables easy 

customization, integration, and maintenance. 

• Government Responsibility - GSA Advantage! allows customers to select 

vendors to meet their own socio-economic goals. 

32
The Gartner Group reports administrative costs range from $100 to $250 per manual 

purchase order compared to as little $10 for electronic purchase orders, for a net savings 

of $90 to $240 per transaction. These savings will increase as usage increases. Private 

sector studies have shown significant real savings to online shoppers based on the ability 

to do comparison pricing of the same or similar products. Estimates range from 12 

percent to 18 percent. 

Most of GSA’s efforts have been to extend services available by mail, in-person, or

phone, and make them available on the Internet. Generally, GSA has not eliminated 

these channels of service delivery, but augmented them with web-based technology. 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration: http://www.nasa.gov

An important E-Government activity at the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration’s (NASA) is the ongoing development of the agency web portal. 

NASA’s web portal has several unique features contributing to its effectiveness as a 

medium for communicating the Agency’s mission and the activities to the public and has 

improved the overall quality of NASA information. Pages within the portal provide an 

identifiable NASA ‘look and feel’ letting users know they are visiting an official source 

of information. Improvements in internal processes associated with website management 

have resulted in a reduction in the amount of redundant and outdated content on NASA’s 

main web pages. The portal allows citizens and researches easy access to NASA 

information and publications. 

NASA’s public websites are highly utilized. From 2002 to 2004, base level traffic to the 

main NASA website increased threefold. Between February and May 2003, the portal 

received over 748 million hits from more than 6.5 million unique visitors. In addition,

the site handled one of the biggest events in the history of the Internet, the Mars 

Exploration Rover landings, without any technical issues, serving up nearly 400 million 

web pages in January 2004. As of December 1, 2004, the portal had received over 16.84 

billion hits, including 1.66 billion page views and 143 million sessions. NASA is 

currently one of the top 10 U.S. government websites due to fast performance, as ranked 

by the Keynote Government Internet Performance Index (KG40). More importantly, 

customer satisfaction ratings for the portal have reached new highs. 

NASA has shared the success of the NASA web portal with interested parties from the 

Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Knowledge Management Working 

Group, and has presented lessons learned in portal implementation at E-Government 

conferences attended by other Federal government representatives. Also, NASA has 

worked closely with staff from the General Services Administration’s FirstGov.gov to 

ensure NASA’s web portal resources are linked to FirstGov.gov. 

NASA is committed to providing Agency information and services to all citizens, 

including those without access to the Internet. NASA participates in the Federal Library 

Depository Program, which brings key scientific, technical, and other publications to

states and regions for use by the public. In addition, NASA provides information, 

33
materials, and services to the Nation’s education community through a multi-faced 

dissemination network. NASA’s Central Operation of Resources for Educators provides 

distribution of NASA’s educational materials, and NASA’s Educator Resource Center 

Network provides expertise and facilities to help educators utilize NASA-related science, 

mathematics, technology, and geography instructional products in all formats. Finally,

NASA Television provides real-time coverage of Agency activities and missions, 

including instructional programming targeted for classroom use. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission: http://www.nrc.gov

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) operates the Licensing Support Network 

(LSN), a portal by which parties to high-level waste repository licensing adjudication 

make all relevant documentary material available. It represents a novel and fundamental 

change to the way document discovery is conducted by making all parties' potentially 

relevant materials accessible well in advance of proceedings, eliminating the time 

consuming process of document discovery. 

In congressional testimony in early 1999, nuclear industry officials indicated the cost of 

adding on-site waste storage capacity at individual reactors in lieu of the Yucca 

Mountain, Nevada repository being ready to receive waste shipments was $4.3 billion 

over an eight year period in additional costs to the ratepayers (roughly $537 million per 

year in constant dollars). LSN is vital to the agency in helping to meet the Congressional 

goal for the hearing process to be completed in three years, thereby affording savings to 

industry and, ultimately, the public who pay for these storage costs in the form of higher 

utility prices. LSN is also expected to help reduce the time required to adjudicate and 

make a determination on the issuance of a construction authorization for Yucca Mountain 

by 50 percent or more compared to the previous most complex and politically charged 

reactor licensing proceeding (this system performance metric cannot be accurately 

measured until the license application is submitted and reviewed by the NRC). 

National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov

National Science Foundation’s (NSF) new Electronic Jacket pathfinder, closely 

integrated with FastLane and Grants.gov, is a proof-of-concept for total electronic 

proposal processing at NSF. NSF is working toward eliminating the need to process, 

print, and store paper copies of proposal processing files for approximately 70 percent of 

the proposals received by NSF, which will result in significant efficiency and 

productivity savings. 

The success of the electronic proposal and review process at NSF is significant and the 

trends are positive since FY 2000. Since FY 2000, even though the number of proposals 

processed by NSF has increased 48 percent, the percentage of applicants who were 

informed of NSF's funding decision within six months rose from 54 percent in FY 2000 

to 77 percent in FY 2004. The agency’s paper-based work processes have evolved to 

capitalize on technology-enabled ways of doing business, allowing the agency to serve as 

34
an effective and capable steward of the taxpayer's resources. As a result of the 

technology innovations implemented by NSF, in FY 2004, NSF processed more than: 

• 43,500 Electronic Proposals (over 99.9 percent of all proposals) 

• 195,000 Electronic Reviews 

• 9,000 Graduate Research Fellowships 

• 25,000 Electronic Grantee Progress Reports 

• 10,000 Electronic Post-Award Actions 

• 14,000 Electronic Cash Requests 

• $3.5 billion Distribution of Funds 

In the past panelists reviewed paper proposals. In the electronic environment panelists 

review proposals online or they can request a printed copy via NSF’s electronic Print on 

Demand feature or a CD via the CD on Demand feature. The number of participating 

programs in Print on Demand this year is 622, a 14 percent increase from FY 2003. 

While the number of programs participating in Print on Demand increased from FY 2003 

to FY 2004, the Print on Demand requests have stayed level indicating a trend to more 

online review of proposals. 

CD on Demand grew substantially this year. The number of programs participating in 

CD on Demand grew from 104 to 408 and the total number of CD's created rose from

317 in FY 2003 to 1,469 in FY 2004. There was a six percent decrease in the number of 

copies made on the FastLane proposal copiers (8,790,064 copies in FY 2003 versus 

8,270,639 copies in FY 2004). This represents a 55 percent decrease in copies over a 

four-year period. 

The effectiveness of electronic dissemination and website downloads is reflected in the 

decrease in cost. There has been a 22 percent decrease in the metered mail cost in the

NSF Mail Center ($171,906 in FY 2003 and $134,867 in FY 2004). This represents a 

decrease of over 70 percent from FY 2001. The number of customer visits to NSF’s 

website, or user sessions, increased dramatically in 2004 to 7,548,134. This represents an 

87 percent increase since FY 2001. This year NSF recorded 29,738,798 web pages 

requested; 2,275,675 document downloads and 109,986 Grant Proposal Guide 

downloads. The general trend as more users retrieve e-publications from the website, is 

annual printing and postage costs have decreased. In lieu of print, CD on Demand has 

grown substantially and NSF program participation in Print on Demand has grown. 

Several options are available for customers whose access to the Internet is limited but 

who wish to obtain information about NSF: 

• NSF Information Center: General inquiries about NSF can be directed to the NSF 

Information Center at 703-292-5111 or info@nsf.gov. (TDD: 703-292-5090; 

FIRS: 800-877-8339). 

• NSF Publications: NSF maintains a supply of paper publications which 

customers may request by phone at (703) 292-7827 or by mail NSF Publications, 

Suite P-60, Arlington, VA 22230. 

35
Office of Personnel Management: http://www.opm.gov

The Retirement Systems Modernization initiative will transform OPM operations by 

moving from a labor intensive, paper-based system to a system with automated electronic 

data capture of agency employee data, electronic case management, and web-based selfservice applications for employees, annuitants, and retirement program administrators. 

 

When fully implemented, the Retirement Systems Modernization initiative will provide: 

• A single, integrated data repository accessible to the Office of Personnel 

Management (OPM) and agency personnel across all retirement program core 

processes. 

• Standardized applications for coverage and eligibility determinations and benefits 

calculation tailored to customer needs, integrated with the database, and 

accessible to Federal agencies and members. 

• A unified system of benefits administration to support annuity payments, data 

validation, and financial auditing processes. 

• Automated data capture interfaces for agency withholding data and other critical 

information for retirement program administration. 

• Electronic case management and workload planning systems to enhance labor 

efficiency and data access, promote proactive planning, and improve customer 

service. 

• Web accessible self-service applications for the administration of retirement 

program members and appropriate, on-demand changes to employee and 

annuitant records. 

• A comprehensive Customer Contact Center to support customer needs and selfservice. 

• Employee and counselor training programs to ensure consistent interpretation of 

rules and regulations, ensure responsiveness to new legislation, and to mitigate 

the increased workload and decreased numbers of Agency retirement counselors. 

 

Planned Performance Improvement Goals for the RSM initiative include: 

• Improve Civil Service Retirement System Annuity claims processing accuracy by 

2.5 percent to 96 percent. 

• Maintain a Federal Employees' Retirement System Annuity claims processing 

accuracy of at least 94 percent. 

• Improve Retirement (Annuity & Survivor) claims productivity – reduce unit cost 

by $19.53 to $89.00. 

• Improve Agency Benefits Officers knowledge of benefit programs through use of 

benefits tools. 

• Improve Agency Benefits Officers satisfaction rating from 71 percent to 75 

percent. 

 

Implementation of the RSM initiative will show the following benefits. 

36
• Improved Claims Processing and Record keeping: The total number of claims

processors/record-keeping specialists is expected to drop from about 532 full 

time employees to about 340 full time employees after RSM is implemented. 

• Increased automatic adjudication of all retirement claims: The licensed 

technology solution will be integrated with program-wide member data to 

automatically adjudicate 70 percent of all retirement claims. 

• Increased Self Service Options: RSM, through a licensed technology solution, 

will also provide greater self-service options for participants, thereby reducing 

OPM’s workload and improving customer satisfaction by increasing one’s ability 

to become actively involved in administering one’s retirement benefits. 

• Reduced Reliance on Paper Data: RSM provides for the conversion into 

electronic data of prior history paper records, (personnel folders), located at the 

ROC. The use of this electronic data by RSM systems will reduce claims

processing and paper storage and transportation costs. 

 

Many OPM customers do not have access to the Internet and OPM therefore has 

developed and maintained several alternative methods to ensure information and products 

are available to the public. These alternatives include multiple call centers, Interactive 

Voice Response systems, brochures, forms, and direct mail. 

Small Business Administration: http://www.sba.gov

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) created E-tran, a system allowing 

participating lenders to submit loans to the agency with little or no additional effort. 

With the introduction of E-tran, lenders are able to have direct loan submission and 

immediate response from the agency, thus reducing the 24-hour response time by the 

agency. In addition to this Internet technology, loan applications will still be accepted via 

Facsimile or mail. 

 

The SBA created E-tran to allow lenders of any size to take advantage of the efficiencies 

of electronic application submission. With full implementation of E-tran, the agency will 

increase efficiency and decrease cost. 

 

The E-tran application provides the agency with high quality, timely data to support the 

management and oversight of its portfolio. Primary lenders have claimed E-tran based

processing has decreased processing time by more than 2 full days. As the use of the 

application expands, SBA will begin to quantify the internal cost savings and avoidance. 

Social Security Administration: http://www.socialsecurity.gov

In 1997, the Social Security Administration (SSA) processed nearly 60 million paper 

wage reports (Form W-2), nearly 162 million W-2s from diskettes and tapes and only 6.5 

million electronic wage reports. By 2004, the number of paper W-2s decreased to 48 

million, diskettes and tapes reduced to 43 million W-2s while the number of electronic

37
reports increased to 139 million. Electronic wage reporting enables SSA and the nation’s 

employers to process W-2s more quickly and less expensively. 

SSA meets regularly with employers and others to discuss ways to use technology to 

enhance services. For example, SSA now provides a W-2 form on the web (W2Online) 

for small businesses. Employers can use this free service to create up to 20 W-2s for 

their employees without having to purchase additional software or forms. SSA received 

more than a quarter million W-2s via W2Online in 2004. SSA also sponsors the Annual 

National Payroll Reporting Forum to discuss issues with the payroll and software service 

communities. 

To promote greater use of electronic wage reporting, SSA partners with the Internal 

Revenue Service (IRS). SSA participates in the IRS Tax Forums and jointly authors the 

quarterly SSA/IRS Reporter, which is sent to more than six million employers. 

SSA has met or exceeded every electronic wage reporting goal. For example, the 

Agency’s goal for 2004 was to have 55 percent of all W-2s filed through electronic wage 

reporting. The goal was exceeded -- 60 percent of all W-2s were processed through 

electronic reporting. 

Electronic wage reporting reduces costs for both SSA and the nation’s employers. In 

estimating the cost savings to the government, SSA considered specific costs related to 

processing and posting of original paper Forms W-2. In 2004, electronically processed 

Forms W-2 cost the agency $0.002 per form, compared to $0.297 for each paper form. 

Similarly, by using electronic wage reporting, employers avoid the cost of physical 

media, software, and postage. While SSA has not attempted to quantify the savings 

realized by employers, SSA believes it to be significant enough to encourage conversion 

from paper to electronic filing. Employers still have the option to send W-2s on 

diskettes, tapes, and cartridges; for fewer than 250 filings, they may send paper W-2s. 

US Agency for International Development: http://www.usaid.gov

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) deployed Phoenix 

Overseas Deployment, a web-hosted American Management Systems’ “Momentum”

accounting commercial-off-the-shelf package shared with the Department of State 

(State), to five pilot missions during the Summer of 2004. Two of the goals of the pilot 

were to demonstrate how Phoenix will function overseas using existing USAID 

telecommunications infrastructure and how it would address mission-specific business 

processes. 

USAID holds leadership roles and has fully participating members on the workgroups of 

USAID/Department of State Joint Management Council. Both State and USAID use this 

forum to formally devise policy solutions to a myriad of shared management challenges 

with the aim of greater efficiency and effectiveness in achieving USAID’s unique but 

parallel missions. 

38
USAID’s Legislative and Public Affairs office publishes in cooperation with the 

Agency’s printing office many reports are available electronically on the website. For 

example, USAID’s annual Performance and Accountability Report is available in a 

softbound printed copy as well as on the website electronically. Overall, the agency 

follows the provisions of the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, but tries to have 

some printed versions available for those stakeholders without computer access. This

and other agency information can be accessed on the web at www.usaid.gov. 

US Department of Agriculture: http://www.usda.gov

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a reorganized website presenting 

the Department's information and services by topic rather than on an organizational basis. 

The redesigned USDA.gov went live in January and uses the Agency’s newly established 

USDA Web Standards and Style Guide. Based on the Agency’s customer-centered 

priority of delivering USDA information and services, the new USDA.gov presented its 

content in easy-to-navigate and understandable pages. In September, USDA.gov was 

enhanced once again and now uses the new enterprise portal and includes improved 

design and navigation as well as a customizable My USDA. To date, there have been 

nearly 4,900 registered My USDA users with 2,500 users having formally customized 

their own sites. Near-term, the site will make use of enterprise web content management 

technologies. 

Developed by webmasters across the Department, the USDA Standards and Style Guide, 

and a new Departmental regulation published in 2004 have been central to improving 

USDA’s sites and applications. Throughout the year, other agencies and web-based 

applications implemented the new “look and feel” including: 

• The Food Safety and Inspection Service 

• Office of Communications 

• Office of the Chief Information Officer 

• Office of General Counsel 

• AgLearn 

• USDA E-Authentication Service 

• USDA Customer Statement 

• Nutrition.gov (a multi-Federal agency site) 

• The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – National Animal Identification 

System

These efforts – web style guide and standards, USDA.gov, and the taxonomy – are part of 

a broader eDeployment business case with an estimated return on investment of 147

percent. Significant time savings for employees and for customers will result from

decreased time searching for information. There is also cost avoidance from use of 

enterprise portal, content management, and document management tools as well as from

the maintenance and upkeep of sites. 

39
USDA.gov makes online access to USDA information and services easy for many of the 

Agency’s customers and partners. However, USDA knows all its customers and partners 

do not have Internet access although the numbers are significantly growing each year. 

These customers can call, write, fax, or visit agency offices and centers. Toll-free phone 

numbers are available from USDA agencies and co-location of different USDA offices in 

the same building or center further assist with access to USDA. Additionally, many 

libraries and information centers include USDA handouts and related information as part 

of their publications offered to the public. 

40
SECTION III: OPERATIONS OF THE E-GOVERNMENT FUND 

Section 3604 of title 44 of the U.S. Code, as enacted by the Act, requires a description of

all projects receiving monies from the E-Government Fund as well as the results achieved 

for these funded projects. 

GSA manages the E-Government Fund to support projects approved by OMB. Projects 

qualifying for funding include those making Federal information and services more 

readily available to the public, e.g., applying for benefits, receiving services, pursuing 

business opportunities, submitting information, and conducting other transactions. These 

projects also enable Federal agencies to share information and conduct transactions with 

one another, and with State and local governments. 

The following table describes the projects for which funding was approved by OMB in 

FY 2004 and a description of the results achieved. Funding for the three initiatives 

totaled $3,000,000. 

 

FY 2004 E-Government Fund Initiatives 

Agency Initiative Funding Description and Results 

SBA Business

Gateway 

$1,000,000 The funds expended have resulted in: 

• Establishment of a formal program management

office 

• Launch of the redesigned “business.gov” website in 

September 2004 

• Developed an e-forms catalog for business and 

citizen forms 

• Release of an RFI for forms processing engines 

• Release of an RFP for an alternatives analysis of 

forms processing engines 

OMB Marketing

and 

Utilization, 

and Internal 

Validation 

and 

Verification 

$1,250,000 Funds were used to engage contractor support to work 

with selected initiatives and develop marketing plans to 

increase utilization and adoption. The marketing plans 

and strategies address measurable results (i.e., how will 

successful implementation of plans and utilization of 

the initiatives be measured) and will be implemented 

by the initiatives throughout FY 2005 and FY 2006. 

Ten initiatives were selected for work under this 

marketing and utilization contract: 

• Recreation One-Stop 

• E-Authentication 

• International Trade Process Streamlining 

(Export.gov) 

41
FY 2004 E-Government Fund Initiatives 

Agency Initiative Funding Description and Results 

• GovBenefits 

• E-Rulemaking 

• Disaster Management 

• Grants.gov 

• Recruitment One-Stop 

• Integrated Acquisition Environment 

• E-Loans 

To date, all strategic plans have been received and are 

currently under review by OMB. 

Funds are also being used to obtain contract support to 

perform the following activities: 

• Develop Independent Validation and Verification 

(IV&V) methodology 

• Prepare project plan 

• Conduct IV&V testing 

• Perform gap analysis of goals and objectives of 

initiatives 

• Develop recommendations for resolving identified 

gaps 

To date, funds expended have supported the 

development and issuance of a solicitation for contract 

support. The award was made in December 2004. 

The Presidential E-Government Initiatives were 

selected on the basis of value to citizens, potential 

improvement in agency efficiency, and the likelihood 

of deploying within 18 to 24 months. As the majority 

of the initiatives near completion, it is essential to 

assess progress against those goals and to provide 

recommendations for the next phase of these initiatives. 

The IV&V exercise will explore the following topics to 

determine status and gaps: 

• How successful has the initiative been in achieving 

its initial vision? 

• What progress has been made in terms of value 

delivered to the citizen, improvement in agency 

efficiency, and improvement of government 

42
FY 2004 E-Government Fund Initiatives 

Agency Initiative Funding Description and Results 

responsiveness to citizens?

• How effective has the initiative program

management been at dealing with challenges?

• How effective has the initiative been in gaining 

adoption commitments and driving usage? 

• What can be done by the initiative to overcome 

these challenges to adoption and usage?

OMB Lines of

Business 

Taskforces 

$750,000 The funds were used to provide contractor support to 

assist taskforces for the Financial Management Line of 

Business (LoB), the Human Resources LoB, and the 

Grants Management LoB in the development of 

common solutions, target architectures, and business 

cases. 

The contractor support also assisted the taskforces in 

developing questions for industry to solicit quality and 

insightful responses to inform the development of the 

common solutions and business cases. A RFI was 

issued to industry in the third quarter of FY 2004, and 

over 100 responses were received. 

Common solutions and target architectures were 

developed in quarter four of FY 2004 while business 

cases were submitted to OMB during the FY 2006 

budget process. 

OMB evaluated agency requests to provide 

government-wide, shared-services to support Financial 

Management and Human Resources LoBs. OMB 

granted selected agencies permission to enter into

competitions to operate as a Shared-Service Center 

(SSC)/Center of Excellence (COE) for the Financial 

Management and Human Resources LoBs. Agency 

migrations to SSCs/COEs are expected to commence in 

late FY 2005/early FY 2006. More information can be 

found in the President’s FY 2006 Budget of the U.S. 

Government, Analytical Perspectives: (see: 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/pdf/sp

ec.pdf). 

43