Meet the CIOs: Interior

Interior: Robert Lamb

ROBERT LAMB
Interior Department
1849 C St. N.W. #5123
Washington, D.C. 20240
Phone: 202-208-7966
Fax: 202-208-7574
E-mail: rlamb@ios.doi.gov

Career Highlights:

1993-Present: Director of fiscal resources
1977-93: Various Interior Department positions, including budget director
1971-77: Posts at Health, Education and Welfare, including budget analyst

IT Budget (fiscal years):
1996: $512 million
1997: $513 million
1998: $515 million (est.)

Priority Projects:

• Automated Land and Mineral Record System/Modernization Project - moving administrative and management systems at the Bureau of Land Management to newer hardware and software.
• Federal Payroll/Personnel System - replacing systems with application developed by Denver Administrative Service Center.
• Office of the Special Trustee System - replacing Individual Indian Monies system with commercial master trust and beneficiary accounting, investment and reporting system.

Biggest Challenges:

"Obviously, we must ensure that our systems are ready to operate into the next century so we have established a workgroup to devise common solutions for the Year 2000 problem. Also, we are close to deploying several large systems and the convergence of all components always presents challenges at implementation time. Additionally, because of long development times involved in system-development efforts, we are regularly balancing the need to add functionality in response to changing requirements as we evaluate new technology that holds promise for better solutions."

Hottest Technologies:

"The Internet and related technologies like Web browsers provide us a quick and cost-effective solution for information delivery to our customers. Groupware and newer products of this type will provide us with easier methods for collaborative decision-making. And cellular service is becoming more affordable and may offer alternatives to some land-based mobile radio services. The digital implementation of Personal Communications Services will provide highly reliable and secure voice and data communications."