[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59200-59203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20328]



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Part IV





Department of Labor





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Delegation of Authority and Assignment of Responsibility for DOL 
Enterprise Communications Initiative; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 11, 2005 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary

[Secretary's Order 2-2005]


Delegation of Authority and Assignment of Responsibility for DOL 
Enterprise Communications Initiative

1. Purpose

    To establish policy and assign responsibilities for the management 
of Department of Labor enterprise communications services, namely, 
Internet and intranet Web sites, telephone contact centers, electronic 
correspondence, translation services, and similar activities.

2. Authority and Relationship to Other Orders

a. Authority

    This Order is issued pursuant to 29 U.S.C. 551 et seq.; 5 U.S.C. 
Sec.  301; sections 5122-5127 of the Clinger-Cohen Act [40 U.S.C. 
11312-17]; and the E-Government Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-347).

b. Relationship to Other Orders

    (1) This Order does not affect the authorities and responsibilities 
assigned by any other Secretary's Order, unless otherwise expressly so 
provided in this or another Order.
    (2) This Order replaces Secretary's Order 2-2003, Management of 
U.S. Department of Labor Web Sites.
    (3) This Order amends Paragraph 4(a)(10) of Secretary's Order 2-
2002, to the extent of any inconsistencies.
    (4) This Order amends Secretary's Order 37-65, to assign 
responsibilities to the Office of Public Affairs for certain Web site 
functions.

3. Background

    In order to better manage its dispersed public Web sites, 
intranets, communications centers, and translation services, the 
Department of Labor has established an Enterprise Communications 
Initiative (ECI). The prime purpose of the ECI is to make more 
effective use of DOL assets, eliminating wasteful duplication and 
reconciling inconsistencies across Department communications channels 
that may confuse or mislead the public whom we serve.
    The ECI will set ``best practice'' standards and guidelines and, 
where feasible, establish centralized facilities--some hardware-based, 
some software-based, some procedural. No agency will be asked to incur 
a degradation of services, whether in functionality, reliability, 
performance, or cost. Conversely, agencies will be expected to 
participate in consolidated services that meet these conditions unless 
they can make a business case that such participation is contrary to 
statute or regulation, or otherwise would have a negative impact on the 
ability of the agency to fulfill its mission and its responsibilities 
to the U.S. taxpayers.
    The ECI's rationalization of infrastructure will be predicated upon 
a careful review and recognition of the core needs of the Department 
and each of its associated agencies. The ECI recognizes that each 
individual agency has its own specific mission, responsibilities, and 
customer base. Consolidation efforts will be most applicable to agency 
functions that overlap or have a high degree of compatibility. 
Consolidation will not lead to a diminution of agency performance or a 
degradation of customer service.
    The ECI will be designed to consolidate those services with clear 
benefit to participating agencies. The benefits will be measurable and 
demonstrable.
    The ECI will be conducted in a spirit of collegial cooperation 
between the Department and its agencies. We will work together to build 
a better, more efficient, more effective communication infrastructure 
that will add value to the Department of Labor and all its agencies. We 
will share best practices, staff expertise, and proven solutions in 
order to provide the best possible service to our customers. We will 
establish consolidated services where they make sense, and respect the 
individual requirements of organizational units when inherent 
differences arise.

4. Scope Statements

    a. Agencies will remain responsible for meeting their program 
needs. New agency-defined ECI information technology solutions will be 
subject to coordination with OPA.
    b. OPA will establish ECI policies, standards, and procedures 
designed to provide an operational and technical framework that 
facilitates the agencies' ability to meet their program missions and 
functions while ensuring Departmental compliance with administrative 
and legislative requirements and mandates.
    c. With the agencies, OPA will explore, promote and implement ECI 
common, cross-agency solutions with demonstrated Departmental economies 
and operational efficiencies that support program agency requirements.
    d. OPA, in consultation with OCIO, will specify a common, 
consolidated hardware and software platform supporting Departmental 
Internet and intranet Web sites. OPA will consider the requirements of 
the agencies in the development of the common platform.
    e. OPA will act as the primary technical resource available to 
agencies in the design, development and deployment of Web and call 
center solutions on a reimbursable basis. However, in the event that 
OPA's unable to meet agency-defined needs in a timely manner, the 
agencies and OPA will jointly determine other support and development 
alternatives including the use of contractor services, as long as DOL 
policies, standards, requirements are met.

5. Definitions

    a. ``Contact Centers'' refers to the DOL National Contact Center 
(DOL-NCC) and all agency call centers that respond to routine customer 
inquiries (Tier I) from the public.
    b. ``Departmental Web Site Information Technology Standards'' 
refers to the policies, processes, and procedures, defined by the 
Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), to meet architectural, 
interoperability, and security requirements.
    c. ``Enterprise Communications Media Channels.'' See ``Enterprise 
Communications Services.''
    d. ''Enterprise Communications Services'' refers to Internet Web 
sites, intranet Web sites, contact centers, e-correspondence, and 
translation services.
    e. ``E-Correspondence'' refers to activities related to managing 
and responding to inquiries received via e-mail from the public.
    f. ``Foreign Language Translation Services'' refers to all 
activities related to managing the translation of any DOL products, 
regardless of format and end use.
    g. ``Information Technology'' refers to any equipment or 
interconnected system or subsystem of equipment that is used in the 
automatic acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, 
control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of 
data or information by the executive agency. It also refers to 
computers, ancillary equipment, software, firmware and similar 
procedures, services (including support services), and related 
resources.
    h. ``Internet Web Sites'' refers to Departmental Web sites that are 
available to the general public, including, upon determination by the 
Deputy Secretary, ``partnered sites,'' or

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sites where DOL shares operations, management, and/or content with 
other government agencies or non-government entities.
    i. ``Intranet Web Sites'' refers to Departmental Web sites that 
provide general access for communicating to DOL employees. Agency-
specific intranet content that supports agency-specific program 
delivery internally are outside the scope of the ECI.
    j. ``Legacy Web Application'' refers to existing Web applications 
that may be operating properly, but might need to be reengineered to 
function optimally or to be in compliance with the approved enterprise 
architecture.
    k. ``New Web Site'' refers to a new presence on the public Web 
sites, a new presence among internal Web sites, or a Web site where DOL 
has shared responsibility. Examples include, but are not limited to, 
sites that represent a new program, statute, Departmental initiative, 
new type of information offered to the public, or new Web sites co-
sponsored by the Department and another entity, public or private.
    l. ``Public Access'' refers to the ability of the public or an 
audience to access Departmental information.
    m. ``Resources'' refers to technical DOL staff, contract staff, 
budget, and technologies including hardware, software, licenses and 
maintenance contracts, and documentation associated with call centers, 
and/or Web activities.
    n. ``Tier I'' refers to contact center staff who handle routine 
customer inquiries. Calls or e-mails requiring additional expertise not 
available in the call center are referred to technical or subject 
matter experts (Tier II).
    o. ``Web Application'' refers to an application designed 
specifically to deliver and receive information via the Web (Internet 
and/or intranet) and its associated protocols (e.g. http, https, etc.) 
as the medium except as defined below (p).
    p. ``Web-enabled Application'' refers to an application that is not 
developed for use as part of a Web site but uses Web-specific protocols 
(e.g., http, https, etc.) out of convenience. Departmental Web-enabled 
applications that support agency-specific program delivery internally 
or to the public are outside the scope of the ECI.

6. Statement of Policy

    Management of Internet and intranet resources, e-correspondence, 
language translation services, and the Tier I contact centers will be 
centralized, under processes consistent with section 3 and section 7, 
to allow the Department to leverage economies of scale, utilize best 
practices, and continue to improve upon the quality of service provided 
to the public. The following policies are established:
    a. Legacy Web applications will continue to function ``as is'' and 
may be integrated over time into the enterprise communications 
architecture, using a phased approach on a schedule to be determined 
jointly by the agency and OPA;
    b. Agencies will have the option to maintain or contract for 
technical staff, services, or equipment or utilize services by OPA to 
develop or support enterprise communications services within the scope 
of this Order, in a manner to be determined jointly by the agency and 
OPA; and
    c. OPA and the agencies will jointly identify and agree on common, 
duplicative, cost-ineffective, or functionally-ineffective enterprise 
communications services and functionality and resources that may be 
more effectively and efficiently consolidated.

7. Delegation of Authority and Assignment of Responsibilities

    a. Deputy Secretary of Labor is delegated authority and assigned 
responsibility to:
    (1) Act as an arbitrator or appoint an arbitrator when an agency 
and the Office of Public Affairs reach an impasse in discussions about 
implementation of the Enterprise Communications Initiative.
    b. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA) is delegated 
authority and assigned responsibility for implementation and management 
of the Enterprise Communications Initiative as outlined below:
    (1) Appoint a DOL Director of Enterprise Communications Services to 
manage Departmental enterprise communications services;
    (2) Manage all consolidated enterprise communications services, 
including contracts for technical development and services as described 
in 6.b.;
    (3) Adhere to DOL information technology management policies, 
including enterprise architecture, security, capital planning, EVMS, 
certification and accreditation, and authority to operate requirements;
    (4) In coordination with the agencies, develop a common look and 
feel, navigation, and branding for all appropriate DOL enterprise 
communications services and ensure all standards are implemented;
    (5) Establish a charter and designate a Chair for the Enterprise 
Communications Services Advisory Council, comprised of senior-level 
representatives from agencies and designated policy-level 
representatives from OPA, OCIO, OASP and SOL, for the purpose of 
working to ensure the success of the ECI, and foster collaborative 
Department-wide use of resources, technologies, and knowledge. This 
committee will disband after ECI implementation begins, at the 
discretion of the ASPA, to be replaced by the Enterprise Communications 
Management Group;
    (6) Establish a charter and designate a Chair for the Enterprise 
Communications Policy Committee that will write and implement policies 
relating to enterprise communications services, and ensure compliance 
with all federal legislative and administrative mandates. Membership 
will be comprised of representatives from agencies;
    (7) Establish a charter and designate a Chair for the Contact 
Center Advisory Committee that will work to ensure the success of the 
ECI, and foster collaborative Department-wide use of resources, 
technologies, and knowledge. Membership will be comprised of 
representatives from agencies;
    (8) Establish a charter and designate a Chair for the Enterprise 
Communications Management Group that will provide guidance to the 
Director of Enterprise Communications Services on enterprise 
communications activities. The Enterprise Communications Management 
Group will be established after the Enterprise Communications Services 
Advisory Council is disbanded. Membership will be comprised of senior 
level representatives from agencies and designated policy-level 
representatives from OPA, OCIO, OASP, and SOL;
    (9) Subject to other required DOL clearance processes, coordinate 
the timely review and approval process of all new Internet and intranet 
Web sites with the affected agency, SOL, OASP and, where appropriate, 
the Deputy Secretary;
    (10) In cooperation with the agencies, develop and establish the 
Departmental content clearance process. OPA will have responsibility to 
manage and oversee the established process, including:
    (a) Appropriate and timely approval or disapproval of content for 
policy consistency, prior to release via Departmental enterprise 
communications media channels; and
    (b) Appropriate coordination with SOL to ensure compliance with 
applicable laws, regulations, and administrative mandates, including 
the Privacy Act, Federal Records Act, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation 
Act, and the E-Government Act.

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    (11) Receive content updates from designated agency content 
managers, timely review submitted information, and publish new and 
updated content. This will be implemented using a phased approach by 
developing SLAs, to be determined jointly by the agency and OPA. OPA 
will consult with the agencies in the evaluation and selection of 
software to be used for DOL-wide content management;
    (12) Coordinate enterprise communications content and services with 
the agencies to ensure content is published in a timely manner, and in 
alignment with the Department's mission and Secretarial goals, and 
meets established SLAs;
    (13) Develop appropriate formal agreements as needed with each 
agency to establish agency and OPA roles and responsibilities;
    (14) Conduct research and development activities related to 
enterprise communications services in coordination with the agencies, 
and select promising candidates for further development;
    (15) Participate in interagency and federal-wide groups, 
committees, and task forces related to enterprise communications 
services, and coordinate all DOL responses, deliverables, and 
activities related to such groups;
    (16) Collaborate with the agencies and use best practices, 
usability testing, and the latest research findings to establish 
policies, standards, processes and procedures to ensure that DOL 
enterprise communications services are managed in accordance with the 
Privacy Act, Federal Records Act, section 508 of the Rehabilitation 
Act, the E-Government Act, and other applicable legislative and 
administrative mandates and guidance to protect the legal rights of, 
and minimize the legal risks to, the Department; and
    (17) Develop Internet and intranet Web applications across all 
enterprise communications media channels according to agreed upon 
agency requirements, except when agency control over the development of 
such applications is established by law, is outside the scope of this 
order, or is authorized jointly by the agency and OPA upon agency 
request.
    c. The Assistant Secretary for Policy (ASP) is delegated authority 
and assigned responsibility to:
    (1) Conduct timely content reviews of proposed new Web sites for 
the purpose of approving or disapproving the proposed sites in 
coordination with the affected agency, OPA, SOL and, where appropriate, 
the Deputy Secretary; and
    (2) Participate in the Enterprise Communications Services Advisory 
Council and the Enterprise Communications Management Group.
    d. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is delegated authority and 
assigned responsibility to:
    (1) In consultation with OPA and SOL as appropriate, provide 
guidance and support, consistent with Secretary's Order 3-2003, for all 
information technology aspects of DOL Internet Web sites and intranet 
Web sites pursuant to the Clinger-Cohen Act, E-Government Act, 
Paperwork Reduction Act, section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, Federal 
Information Security Management Act (FISMA), and other applicable 
statutory and administrative mandates;
    (2) In conjunction with OPA, and according to policy, process 
approved domain name requests; and
    (3) Participate in the Enterprise Communications Services Advisory 
Council and the Enterprise Communications Management Group.
    e. The Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (ASAM) 
is delegated authority and assigned responsibility to:
    (1) Ensure, through the Department's budget review process, that 
the agencies and OPA have appropriate plans and budgetary commitment to 
support the continuing development, implementation, operation, and 
expansion of DOL enterprise communications services;
    (2) Support OPA in consolidation and realignment of agency 
resources (as defined in Section 5, Definitions) where appropriate, in 
support of the ECI; and
    (3) Provide operational and maintenance support to OPA and 
applicable agencies for the hardware and operating systems used to run 
Internet information services, Internet Web sites, and LaborNet, 
including network connectivity and backups.
    f. The Solicitor of Labor (SOL) is delegated authority and assigned 
responsibility to:
    (1) Provide legal advice and services to OPA and all other DOL 
agencies on all matters arising in the administration of this Order;
    (2) Conduct timely content reviews of proposed new Web sites, for 
the purpose of approving or disapproving the proposed sites in 
coordination with the affected agency, OPA, OASP and, where 
appropriate, the Deputy Secretary; and
    (3) Participate in the Enterprise Communications Services Advisory 
Council and the Enterprise Communications Management Group.
    g. DOL Agency Heads are delegated authority and assigned 
responsibility for developing, implementing, improving, and expanding 
their respective agency enterprise communications services in 
accordance with this Order and DOL policy and standards. These 
responsibilities include the following:
    (1) Designate an Agency Content Manager(s) at the production level 
to serve as the point of contact with OPA staff for any enterprise 
communications related issues;
    (2) Nominate appropriate agency staff to serve as members of 
advisory committees. OPA will define appropriate staff levels for each 
committee;
    (3) Define, fund, maintain, and support enterprise communications 
solutions designed to meet their program needs in coordination with OPA 
and departmental requirements;
    (4) If the agency maintains responsibility for their enterprise 
communications services, ensure that all information published via 
enterprise communications services, all e-correspondence coming into 
the Web sites, as well as responses, and all records of business 
transacted in whole or in part via DOL's enterprise communications 
services are managed in accordance with the Federal Records Act, 
Privacy Act, and other applicable legislative and administrative 
mandates and guidance;
    (5) Seek OPA's approval for all proposed new Internet and intranet 
Web sites, which will be evaluated in accordance with the clearance 
process and DOL policies and standards;
    (6) Conduct quarterly certifications of all agency Web and contact 
center content, to ensure the accuracy, timeliness, and authority of 
information disseminated via enterprise communications channels;
    (7) Develop all agency-specific content for enterprise 
communications media channels;
    (8) Establish and enforce an agency content review and clearance 
policy and process;
    (9) Assign appropriate ECI contact(s) to assist OPA with 
implementation of the ECI;
    (10) Ensure that DOL policies, standards, and procedures are 
implemented, as applicable;
    (11) Coordinate with OPA to develop new products to further the 
mission of the agency and the Department; and
    (12) Designate an agency contact responsible for coordination of 
foreign language translation services.

8. Effective Date

    This Order is effective immediately.

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9. Reservation of Authority

    a. The submission of reports and recommendations to the President 
and Congress concerning the administration of statutory or 
administrative provisions is reserved to the Secretary of Labor.
    b. This Secretary's Order does not affect the authorities or 
responsibilities of the Office of Inspector General under the Inspector 
General Act of 1978, as amended, or under Secretary's Order 2-90 
(January 31, 1990).
    c. The Secretary retains all authorities delegated herein.

10. Redelegations and Transfers of Authority

    a. All of the authorities delegated herein may be re-delegated with 
the knowledge and approval of all responsible parties.
    b. The Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs may transfer 
authorities set forth in paragraph 6.b. to other agency heads, as 
appropriate.

11. Grandfather Clause

    a. Existing Departmental enterprise communications services shall 
continue in effect until agencies are transitioned into ECI.

    Dated: September 30, 2005.
Elaine L. Chao,
Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 05-20328 Filed 10-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-23-P