The Development of a Communications Network Program
Between the
Federal Government and the American Public
In his November 4, l993 progress report, "Technology for Economic
Growth," President Clinton stated that information technology will be
used to dramatically improve the way the Federal Government serves the
people. In particular, government intends to use technology to improve
the quality and timeliness of service, to provide new ways for the
public to communicate with their government, and to make government
information available to the public in an equitable manner.
Earlier in a press release on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA),
the President stated that the FOIA is a vital part of the participatory
system of government. He further stated that the statute is based on
the fundamental principle that an informed citizenry is essential to the
democratic process, and that the more the American people know about
their government, the better they will be governed. Mr. Clinton
concluded by strongly encouraging the use of electronic information
systems to enhance public access to government information.
These statements are consistent with the White House Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-130 document, which promotes
the application of information technology to improve the use and
dissemination of government information by federal agencies. The
statements are also in accord with Vice President Gore's Report of the
National Performance Review (NPR), which recommends the use of
information technology to improve customer service, to integrate service
kiosks, and to implement a government-wide electronic bulletin board
system.
Similarly, in a recent report, "Making Government Work: Electronic
Delivery of Federal Services", the U.S. Congress Office of Technology
Assessment, (OTA) states: "If "electronic service to citizens" is to
succeed, grassroots citizen involvement will be needed and must be part
of Federal electronic delivery projects. A mandatory set-aside from
project or agency budgets may be needed to assure adequate resources for
citizen participation." The report documents the powerful forces which
have accelerated the movement toward electronic delivery at Federal,
State, and local levels of government;
intensified demands for a more responsive, more productive, less costly
government; relentless fiscal pressures at all levels of government;
increasing recognition that service delivery is a core business of
government; declining cost-performance ratios and growing
user-friendliness of information technology; - and the increasing use
and acceptance of information technology.
In a similar effort of openness, the construction of an advanced
National Information Infrastructure (NII), a seamless web of
communications networks, computers, databases, and consumer electronics
is in motion, including the establishment of a much needed group,
Americans Communicating Electronically (ACE).
ACE membership is diverse and represents private and public
organizations and individuals who wish to promote interactive
communications among federal, state, and local governments, private
businesses, public libraries, and schools, rural cooperatives, public
and private universities, community-based arts and theater groups,
voluntary associations, job training services, and health care
organizations.
To support the development of interactive communications between
governments and communities, ACE is recommending that all federal and
agencies establish information access programs to help create and foster
an "interactive citizen-government communications system." ACE does not
recommend a new layer of bureaucracy. ACE is, however, urging federal
agencies to fully adhere to the OMB A-130 circular by using existing
funds and resources, and to respond to the public's willingness and
ability to use information technology with new directions and a
commitment to openness in government.
GOALS OF THE INFORMATION ACCESS PROGRAMS
The goals of the information access programs are to encourage
interactive communications between, members of the public and their
government, and to broaden public participation in the development of
government communications policy. Citizens will have access to a wide
range of public databases containing electronically stored information
from participating agencies accessible through an electronic gateway.
NATIONAL ADVANCES IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
The nation's advances in computer science and technology are vital for
future prosperity, national and economic security, industrial
production, and scientific advancement. However, further research and
development, expanded educational programs, improved computer research
networks, and more effective technology transfer from government to the
American people are necessary for the United States to reap fully the
benefits of high-performance computing.
All Americans have a stake in the construction of an advanced National
Information Infrastructure (NII), a seamless web of communications
networks, computers, databases, and consumer electronics that will allow
citizens to access information and services through their personal
computers and other communications devices. The development of the NII
can help unleash an information revolution that will change forever the
way people live, work, and interact with each other. With the
principles and objectives of the NII in mind, federal agencies should
promote technological innovation, initiate research programs, and make
grants to help develop the software applications needed to access public
information.
To fulfill the NII vision of making the vast quantity of government
information available to the American people, it is imperative that a
coordinating body be established to secure a balanced public-private
partnership and effective agency information management. The
coordinating body, in cooperation with the federal government membership
of the NII Task Force, which is comprised of high-level representatives
of federal agencies that play a major role in the development and
application of information technologies, will encourage the computing
community to be responsible for the development of networking
technologies.
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION LOCATOR SYSTEM
ACE recommends the development of a strategic plan to promote the
establishment of a standard Government Information Locator System, as a
component of the NII to help the public access a wide range of
databases, inventories of publications, library services/systems,
databases, bulletin boards, multi media systems, clearinghouses, and
hotlines.
DELIVERY OF SERVICES
President Clinton's progress report also contained a reference to
delivery of services: "We will make it possible for people to
communicate with a federal agency using electronic as well as
coventional mail. Automated terminals may be placed in public locations
such as shopping centers or post offices that could provide in-hours
access to a variety of government services."
ACE as a coordinating body, would promote the development of
interactive citizen participation centers and kiosks where citizens can
access information to communicate, receive services, and send
information and comments back to federal departments and agencies.
These initiatives would revitalize local economies, form partnerships,
mobilize state and local government resources, increase public
voluntarism, and greatly improve citizen communications with the White
House, Congress and federal agencies. The initial development of the
centers and kiosks could be accomplished by utilizing federal government
information centers e.g., the 115 Small Business Administration offices,
3,000 Cooperative Extension Offices and libraries operated by the
Department of Agriculture, 1300 Social Security offices, and the
numerous Data Center Programs supported by the Department of Commerce,
Bureau of the Census.
COMMUNITY-BASED CITIZEN DEVELOPMENT/FREE CIVIC COMMUNITY NETWORKS
With the participation and support of federal departments and agency
information access programs, the coordinating body would support
community-based citizen development of free civic/community networks
with a focus on creating broad-based community participation and
opportunities. In time, this could lead to the innovative development
of nation-wide community computer systems and use of the national
communication technology for economic development opportunities.
Citizens would learn new issues, gain a sense of accomplishment, and
build new relationships. In addition, the coordinating body would
foster and promote understanding of the social benefits to be gained
from community-based interactive communication applications.
COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT COOPERATION
Community and government cooperation is critical to the success and
balance of this major undertaking. The participation and contribution
of federal staff resources would ensure a more useful information flow
with greater ease to providers of free community networks, citizens,
information architects, community activists, public policy analysts,
facilitators, and administrators through computer-mediated communication
such as e-mail, bulletin boards, and electronic conferencing. Finally,
the coordinating body would be responsible for conducting periodic
studies to gauge the information needs of the public and compiling an
annual report of the findings and goals of the organization.
_____________________________________________
References:
Technology for Economic Growth: The President's Progress Report,
Executive Office of the President, the White House, (Washington, D.C.)
November, l993
The National Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Action, U.S.
Department of Commerce (Washington, D.C.) September, 1993
Creating a Government that Works Better and Costs Less, The Report of
the National Performance Review, Office of the Vice President,
(Washington, D.C.) September, 1993
Helping People and Communities in the Information Age: The Morino
Institute, The Morino Foundation: (Great Falls, Virginia) September,
1993
A National Strategy for Civic Networking: A Vision of Change; The Center
for Civic Networking: October, 1993 (Charlestown, Massachusetts)
Community Computing and the National Public Telecomputing Network;
August, 1993 Dr. Thomas M. Grundner, President: The National Public
Telecomputing Network, (Cleveland, Ohio)
Federal Information Resources Management (Circular A-130) Revision
Notice: Office of Management and Budget, (OMB), Office of the
President,: (Washington, D.C.) July, 1993
Making Government Work: Electronic Delivery of Federal Services; U.S.
Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, (Washington, D.C.) September,
1993,
ACE Vision Statement: Americans Communicating Electronically,
Washington, D.C. September, 1993
____________________________________________
To obtain a copy of the references noted above please use the following
e-mail addresses:
Technology for Economic Growth Access GOPHER ZEUS.ESUSDA.GOV
NII Agenda NII@ACE.ESUSDA.GOV
NPR NPR@ACE.ESUSDA.GOV
OMB A-130 GOPHER ZEUS.ESUSDA.GOV
National PublicTelecomputing Network TMG@NPTN.ORG
The Morino Foundation MMORINO@MORINO.ORG
The Ctr for Civic Networking MFIDELMAN@WORLD.STD.COM
Office of Technology Assessment ELECDELIVERY@OTA.GOV
ACE Vision Statement INFO@ACE.ESUSDA.GOV
Please send all critiques, suggestions and recommendations to:
Ted Blake, U.S. House of Representatives, House Information Systems,
Ford HOB, Room 643, Washington, D.C. 20515,
Voice Mail: 202.225.9276
Fax: 202.226.3482
e-mail: tblake@hr.house.gov
Subject: VIEWPOINT Version:11
November 22, 1993
_______________________________
ABOUT AMERICANS COMMUNICATING ELECTRONICALLY
(ACE)
ACE is a team of volunteers both private and public citizens dedicated
to open access to information and learning from every home, and
community across the nation. ACE understands the power of information
and the need to distribute this power in a manner which strengthens our
democracy. Therefore, ACE is commited to the provision of
internetworked access to U.S. Government information centers for all
Americans in public libraries, neighborhood electronic kiosks, shopping
centers, and rural cooperatives.
Who Are ACE Members
The pioneering members of ACE included the White House, Department of
Agriculture, U.S. House of Representatives, National Archives,
Department of Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Environmental
Protection Agency, U.S. Senate, Government Printing Office, General
Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services,
Interior, Justice, Labor, Transportation, National Science Foundation,
Small Business Administration, numerous associations, community-based
public groups, universities and colleges.
What Kind of Information is Available from ACE
The ACE experiment is coming online in stages. During stage one,
selected agencies in the Departments listed above will participate. A
single electronic mail address will be used to receive incoming messages
from citizens. These messages will be forwarded electronically to the
appropriate ACE agency contact for action. Citizens will receive
responses either electronically or through conventional means within "48
hours" of their request.
During stage two, a directory of U.S. Government agencies and online
databases which can be accessed directly by electronic mail will be
accessible by citizens. Also available online, will be frequently asked
questions, policy and issue papers, and speeches. Citizens will be able
to browse at leisure.
Future stages will build upon learning experiences. Final plans to
pilot test "Interactive Citizen Participation Centers" are currently
underway in local communities where citizens can electronically access
U.S. Government information when they shop or visit local libraries.
To Join ACE
To join ACE, send an electronic mail message to: letters@ace.esusda.gov