The Commerce Department this month again delayed release of its plan to create a paperless environment by 2002. Commerce officials had scheduled a news conference on Dec. 2 to discuss the Digital Department Initiative. But the conference was scratched because neither Secretary William M. Daley nor deputy secretary Robert L. Mallet could attend. Roger Baker, the department's chief information officer, and Karen Hogan, director of the initiative, finished a draft DDI plan in late August. But Daley's and Mallet's schedules have held up release of a final plan, Hogan said.
Commerce now plans to release the final plan before the end of the month.