CHARTER 

of the 

TASK FORCE ON IDENTITY MANAGEMENT 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON BIOMETRICS 

AND IDENTITY MANAGEMENT 

COMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY 

NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL 

A. Official Designation 

The Task Force on Identity Management (TF) is hereby established by action of the Subcommittee on Biometrics 

and Identity Management (Subcommittee) of the Committee on Technology (COT) in the National Science and 

Technology Council (NSTC). 

B. Background 

In recent years, electronic identities have proliferated rapidly, playing a key role in commerce, security, and many 

other aspects of today's highly connected, mobile world. This change has been accompanied by an increased need to 

ensure high-confidence identification of specific individuals, giving rise to the confluence of biometrics and 

“identity management” (IdM). 

Numerous identity management technologies, standards and related plans are being developed independently at the 

application and sector-specific levels (such as telecommunications, border security, financial services, identity theft, 

etc.). While these all positively contribute to advancing IdM, the technology and its potential benefits will be 

limited without cross-sector and cross-application coordination and a common technological foundation. At the 

Federal level, needs and uses vary significantly, and a one-size-fits-all technical IdM architecture cannot satisfy all 

agency constraints and requirements. However, there are clear commonalities that would benefit from a coordinated 

Federal effort, enhance agencies’ abilities to meet mission needs, ensure privacy protection, and enable individuals 

to exercise their identities securely. In recognition of these challenges, the Subcommittee's mission was expanded in 

2007 to include coordination of Federal IdM activities. 

C. Purpose and Scope 

The purpose of the TF is to assess the status of and challenges related to IdM technologies, and develop 

recommendations regarding Federal government’s science and technology needs in this area. 

For the purposes of this Task Force, “Identity Management” means “The combination of technical systems, rules 

and procedures that define the ownership, utilization, and safeguard of personal identity information. The primary 

goal of the Identity Management process is to assign attributes to a digital identity, and to connect that identity to an 

individual.” 

D. Tasks 

The TF serves as part of the internal deliberative process of the NSTC. Reporting to and directed by the 

Subcommittee, the TF shall: 

• Inventory and Baseline IdM Activities, Applications, and Challenges 

o Gather existing IdM-related information (such as documented needs, business cases, definitions, 

standards, plans, etc.) from programs/sectors of interest 

o Review disparate IdM taxonomies across the federal government, and establish a common, crosssector, taxonomy for standard usage 

o Inventory ongoing and upcoming Federal IdM programs to establish a current baseline of 

activities and needs, within the context of the common taxonomy described above; 

o Perform an initial review of federal, national, and international IdM standards activities, including 

intra-governmental coordination between the various centers of standards management and 

authority; 

• Identify activities that warrant Federal coordination 

o Identify critical IdM issues that require immediate attention and action; 
o Identify issues that require long-term coordination, for example: 

 RDT&E (technology-specific, and in general) 

 Standards Development and Adoption 

 International and public-sector liaison 

 Outreach/Communications 

• Develop recommendations for Subcommittee consideration 

o Recommend changes to the Subcommittee's organizational structure to support necessary IdM 

tasks; 

o Propose a plan for the Subcommittee's subsequent IdM work. 

o Identify necessary tasks that are beyond the subcommittee’s purview, and the groups best suited to 

address them 

E. Membership 

The co-chairs of the Subcommittee, working with the Subcommittee’s existing Department Leads, will identify 

participants in the TF. The following NSTC departments and agencies shall be represented on the TF: 

Department of Commerce 

Department of Defense 

Department of Energy 

Department of Health and Human Services 

Department of Homeland Security 

Department of Justice 

Department of State 

Department of Transportation 

Department of Treasury 

Department of Veterans Affairs 

General Services Administration 

National Science Foundation 

Federal Trade Commission 

The following organizations in the Executive Office of the President may also be represented on the Subcommittee: 

Office of Management and Budget 

Office of Science and Technology Policy 

The Subcommittee co-chairs may, from time to time, designate additional representation from other Executive 

organizations, departments and agencies. 

The TF, upon receiving approval from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, may utilize the Science and 

Technology Policy Institute to provide assistance in meeting these tasks. 

F. Private Sector Interface 

The TF may seek advice from members of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and will 

recommend to the Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy the nature of additional private sector advice 

needed to accomplish its mission. The TF may also interact with and receive ad hoc advice from various privatesector groups as consistent with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. 

G. Termination Date 

Unless renewed by the Subcommittee co-chairs prior to its expiration, the TF shall terminate on July 1, 2008. 

H. Determination 

I hereby determine that the formation of the Task Force on Identity Management is in the public interest in 

connection with the performance of duties imposed on the Executive Branch by law, and that such duties can best be 

performed through the advice and counsel of such a group.