Paperwork reduction act reauthorization and government information management issues

Replacing the ineffective Federal Reports Act of 1942, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (PRA) was enacted largely to relieve the public of the mounting information collection and reporting requirements of the federal government. It also promoted coordinated information management activities on a governmentwide basis by the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and prescribed information management responsibilities for the executive agencies. The management focus of the PRA was sharpened with the 1986 amendments which refined the concept of “information resources management” (IRM), defined as “the planning, budgeting, organizing, directing, training, promoting, controlling, and management activities associated with the burden, collection, creation, use, and dissemination of information by agencies, and includes the management of information and related resources such as automatic data processing equipment.” This key term and its subset concepts received further definition and explanation in the PRA of 1995, making IRM a tool for managing the contribution of information activities to program performance, and for managing related resources, such as personnel, equipment, funds, and technology. The PRA currently authorizes appropriations for its administration by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), located within OMB, through FY2001 (44 U.S.C. 3520). Reauthorization of OIRA appropriations provides an opportunity to upgrade the PRA’s provisions and to address prevailing government information management issues.     

OMB Circular No. A-130, the management of federal information resources: Its origins and impact

An OMB circular is a policy directive that tells Federal executive agencies how they shall implement laws or presidential policies. OMB Circular No. A-130, Management of Federal Information Resources, prescribes a general policy framework within the Paperwork Reduction Act for developing uniform and consistent Federal information resources management policies. The need for the policy framework was identified by the Commission on Federal Paperwork, and reaffirmed by the General Accounting Office and the Congress. The Circular enunciates some policies regarding dissemination of information for which Congress has not provided explicit statutory guidance. The Circular is quite general in its policy statements and does not subdistinguish various categories of government information. The principal impact of the Circular will be a continuing emphasis on planning for information resources management.     

The Paperwork Reduction Act: Benefits,costs and directions for reform

Congress passed the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) in 1980. Intended to ensure that the federal government carefully managed information and to reduce the burden of information collection on the American public, it has arguably failed to do either. This article uses a simple analysis of the benefits and costs of the Act to evaluate possible directions for reform. The implementation of the PRA has resulted in the misallocation of government resources. Far too much time is spent at the Office of Management and Budget and at agencies reviewing collections and soliciting input on thousands of information collections that are routine and unchanging. If this time was cut back, both OMB and agencies could devote more time to new information collections that have methodological issues and significant policy impacts. Agencies and OMB could also devote more time to tying information collection to information management as the authors of the PRA initially intended.     

Ways to think about user fees for federal information products

With budget cuts looming, Federal agencies are revisiting user fees for information products. The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 provides for user fees no higher than the cost of information dissemination. Federal agencies are enjoined from making a profit on their information products and permitted only to recover costs. The real question is how much value agencies should add to their information strictly for the public's use. Practical considerations such as the administrative costs of fees and legal authority to receive revenues condition an agency's decision to begin user fees. Various factors such as allowable costs and differential pricing must be considered in computing users' fees. The author suggests an action strategy for agencies contemplating information user fees and concludes that coming budget cuts will lead to increased employment of user fees by Federal agencies.     

The effect of U.S. policies on the economics of libraries

The decline in federal support of educational programs has made it difficult for libraries to apply new technologies to improve practices and services. While federal support has declined in constant dollars, there has been a modest increase in grants from private foundations. Current U.S. policies require federal agencies to recover full costs of rendering services (Circular A-25) and require the transfer of many federal service-oriented activities to the commercial sector (Circular A-76). Additionally, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 is inhibiting the production and dissemination of federal publications. Government pursuit of these policies adds a heavy economic burden to libraries and threatens to reduce access to the scholarly and scientific record.     

Federal information resources management: New challenges for the nineties

Information resources management (IRM), introduced two decades ago in 1974, emerged in the 1980s as a key organizing framework for U.S. Federal information policy and management practices. IRM in the 1990s must deal with a fundamental shift in focus from efficient internal management of paper-based information delivery systems to effective management of a externally targeted, digitally networked, interactive, exchange of information and services with citizens. This changed context will bring both new opportunities and challenges. This article identifies critical success factors that IRM must address and offers recommendations for how best to meet these challenges and opportunities based on discussions with senior IRM leaders.     

信息资源管理研究的多重视角及其共同体的形成（Ⅰ）——政府IRM研究图景

多领域介入和多视角展开是信息资源管理研究的特点之一。政府、企业和情报学界分别代表了其三种主要研究视角。在政府研究领域,美国《文书削减法》及A-130号通报相辅相成,贯穿于美国政府信息资源管理发展之中。政府战略IRM和电子政府是政府IRM演化的两大方向。政府IBM具有三方面的特点。     

论信息资源管理的内涵及其多元性特征

围绕对信息资源管理的不同认识展开论述,从信息资源管理概念内涵的分析入手,剖析其在价值观和管理体系两个方面存在的多元性特征,并以此构建信息资源管理的概念模型,提出信息资源管理学科建设应向多学科综合集成方向发展的思路,阐述其对信息管理学科发展带来的机遇和挑战。     

Policy perspectives on electronic collection and dissemination of information

This article discusses the relationship of OMB Circular No. A-130, the Management of Federal Information Resources, to the Paperwork Reduction Act. Information collection and information dissemination are treated unequally in the Act. OMB's proposed policy guidance on electronic collection enumerated conditions favorable to electronic collection, and criteria for design and development of electronic collection systems. Issues raised by commenters included the response burden for electronic collection, the importance of benefit-cost analysis, and the advisability of waivers. Policy issues to be treated in forthcoming proposed OMB policy guidance on electronic collection include requirement of agency inventories of information dissemination products and services, the meaning of adequate notice prior to initiating or terminating dissemination, and other general guidance.     

The impact of federal IRM on agency missions: Findings,issues, and recommendations

For nearly two decades, the federal government has embraced Information Resources Management (IRM) as a philosophy, policy initiative, and management practice. During this time, IRM has undergone major management transformations within agencies and throughout the IRM policy environment. To date, however, there had been no government-wide assessment of IRM's impact on agency mission attainment, particularly through a strategic planning process. This article presents findings from a government-wide study to, in part, measure the extent to which IRM assists agencies achieve their missions and objectives, identify a general agency strategic planning model, and determine whether agency strategic planning efforts facilitate the alignment of agency business processes and information technology (IT).     

从知识管理角度看科技报告资源建设

知识管理是对信息资源管理方式的改进,也是对提升信息资源价值的重新思考。科技报告作为一种科技信 息资源,是国家开展自主科技创新的基础性战略资源之一。文章主要从信息资源管理向知识管理的转变需求入手,运 用知识管理的思想方法对科技报告及科技报告资源建设工作进行探索分析,提出了促进科技报告工作开展的知识管理 思路。     

复合图书馆信息资源管理研究

复合图书馆是传统图书馆和数字图书馆有机结合的产物。本文针对目前复合图书馆信息资源管理研究滞后于实际发展的情况，从信息资源管理的概念出发，探讨了复合图书馆信息资源管理的主要内容、目标及对策，旨在建立一个完善的复合图书馆的信息资源管理理论体系。     

U.S. federal government CIOs: information technology's new managers— preliminary findings

The Clinger-Cohen Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (Clinger-Cohen Act) had the potential to change the dynamics of how U.S. federal government agencies view and manage their information technology. The mandated provision for chief information officers (CIOs) was intended to provide agencies with information change agents and technology “watchdogs.” To observe how agencies are reacting to employing CIOs, the author conducted field studies via e-mail with eight agencies to discover the successes and the challenges of this new information initiative. The Clinger-Cohen Act mandated four of the agencies contacted and four were non-mandated. The results of this study depict varying levels of agency compliance and commitment to the Clinger-Cohen Act as it relates to the agency CIO position.     

Promoting education for information resources management in the federal government

The recent initiatives from the Clinton administration and Congress to “reinvent government,” to “develop electronic information services,” to “better manage information technology” (IT), and to “improve access to electronic government information,” certainly is welcome. But policymakers need to go beyond the proposals and develop specific program initiatives and implementation strategies if such goals are to be realized. The realization of these goals will require a range of new educational program initiatives to retrain and retool government officials, especially those engaged in information resources management (IRM).If these initiatives to reinvent government are to occur successfully, the administration and Congress must create a major program initiative—with adequate financial support—to revamp the educational programs that support IRM. Simply put, the changes occurring in both information technology and in managing that technology are outpacing many government officials' ability to respond in a planned and coherent fashion. Moreover, the existing infrastructure to develop Federal IRM education and training is fragmented and poorly supported, lacks clear policy direction, and desperately needs updating and reconceptualization.     

“Freedom of information concerns”

With varying degrees of perception and awareness, members of Congress have long had concerns about freedom of information values and the FOI Act. Indeed, congressional diligence and independence has sustained the FOIA and supported its extension and refinement. Among the challenges of late to both these values and the statute are new electronic collection and dissemination of information practices within the Federal agencies and a new OMB circular on information resources management. In both of these developments, practice will have to assure congressional overseers that there is no resulting significant limitation of agency information holdings.     

The impact of polices on government social media usage: Issues, challenges, and recommendations

Government agencies are increasingly using social media to connect with those they serve. These connections have the potential to extend government services, solicit new ideas, and improve decision-making and problem-solving. However, interacting via social media introduces new challenges related to privacy, security, data management, accessibility, social inclusion, governance, and other information policy issues. The rapid adoption of social media by the population and government agencies has outpaced the regulatory framework related to information, although the guiding principles behind many regulations are still relevant. This paper examines the existing regulatory framework and the ways in which it applies to social media use by the U.S. federal government, highlighting opportunities and challenges agencies face in implementing them, as well as possible approaches for addressing these challenges.     

企业信息资源的集成管理

集成管理是企业信息资源管理的主要内容之一 ,其前提是企业历史上形成的相互分离的信息功能的集成 ,其核心是企业内外部各种信息流的集成 ,其实施基础是各种信息手段的集成。     

信息资源管理思想的升华

认为信息资源的界定是研究信息资源管理(IRM)和信息资源管理思想的起点;IRM是对信息资源的管理过程;IRM既是一种思想,也是一种理论,IRM理论是IRM思想的荟萃;IRM管理思想的两大分支为政府IRM思想和企业IRM思想;IRM思想的升华体现在IRM是人类参与的管理过程、是基于IT的管理方法、是集成信息功能的管理体制、是强化战略管理的管理理念。     

基于ISO704:2009的信息资源管理概念体系构建研究

以国际标准化组织2009年发布的术语工作标准ISO704:2009《术语工作的原则和方法》为指导,以其提出的术语间的概念关系为分析框架,研究信息资源管理学科领域内的典型专著,从信息资源管理的对象、方法手段、实现过程及目标等要素出发对信息资源管理术语定义进行分析,同时对专著知识体系进行解构,提出信息资源管理概念体系,并以来自于CSSCI的核心期刊中的核心关键词为对象,进行实证研究,修正并完善信息资源管理概念体系。