Technology leaders showcase programs on new Web site
A group of federal technology executives has launched a new Web site showcasing what they say are some of the best-managed programs in government.
Called the Solutions Exchange, the online repository contains 61 profiles of a range of government technology programs that officials believe other agencies could learn from, said David Wennergren, the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Navy and the chairman of the Best Practices Committee on the federal Chief Information Officers Council. Program managers can access the Web site and find contact information for the managers running programs.
The programs run the gamut of management issues, Wennergren said. For instance, included is a tool managers can use to create career development programs and programs related to information security. There is also a program that instructs agencies on how to build an emergency continuity of operations plan in the event of a major emergency, such as a natural disaster or terrorist attack.
The CIO Council asked agency technology heads to submit ideas for the Solutions Exchange, which were chosen by the council's leaders. "There is so much intellectual capital that's being created…we thought it was really important that there's a centralized easy access place that federal agencies could go," Wennergren said.
The Bush administration has tried to get agencies to share programs and ideas, and the new exchange is intended to help government managers find others who are doing similar work, said Carlos Solari, the CIO for the Executive Office of the President. "If it's been done once successfully, the idea is that we can bring it into another agency much faster [with the exchange] than if they started from scratch."
Agency managers won't find thorough reviews of programs or detailed case studies in the exchange, nor will they find any software or materials to download, officials said, although those components are commonplace in many commercial best practices repositories. Rather, the Solutions Exchange will give a 100-word description of each program with contact information at the agency. In some cases, the profile will include the name of the contractor that may have helped implement the program, Solari said.
While contractor names are included, "We will make sure that everything we do follows the procurement rules," said Karen Evans, who oversees federal technology programs for the Office of Management and Budget.
Access to the Solutions Exchange is restricted to users who register and receive a password. Interested persons should contact the CIO Council through the site and request access, Wennergren said.