The Manager's Edge Companion Guide

Making the case for buying big-ticket items in tight budgetary times.

The "Capital Programming Guide"--a supplement to Office of Management and Budget Circular A-11, Part 3: Planning, Budgeting and Acquisition of Capital Assets--can be found on the OMB Web site.

OMB Director Franklin Raines' criteria for evaluating major information system investments are in his Oct. 25, 1996, memorandum at www.itpolicy.gsa.gov/mke/capplan/raines.htm.

"Principles of Budgeting for Capital Asset Acquisition," a fiscal 1998 budget document, is available for $2.75 from the Government Printing Office. Place an order by fax at (202) 512-2250. It's also on the Internet at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/budget/index.html.

To improve planning for information technology assets, the General Accounting Office offers "Assessing Risks and Returns: A Guide for Evaluating Federal Agencies' IT Investment Decision-making," AIMD-10.1.13. February 1997, available on the Web at www.gao.gov/policy/itguide/index.htm.

Capital Planning training is available under contract #CAFP-BPA-97-0048 on the General Services Administration's Federal Supply Schedule GS-35F-4465G. For more information, call (703) 769-5650 or visit www.leadscorp.com.

GSA's office of the chief information officer has produced an "Information Technology Capital Planning Guide," available on the CIO Web page.

GSA has published "An Analytical Framework for Capital Planning and Investment Control for Information Technology." Find it on the Web at www.itpolicy.gsa.gov/mke/caplan1.htm.

GSA's Office of Information Technology Web site called "Capital Planning for Program Effectiveness" offers information about capital planning workshops for IT professionals and more resources: www.itpolicy.gsa.gov/mke/capplan/homepg.htm.

Earned value mavens can delve more deeply into the planning tool on a Defense Department Web site devoted to it: www.acq.osd.mil/pm/.