The Need for Government-Wide Information Capacity

Abstract

Jane Fountain discussed the need for government-wide or federal interagency information capacity. She concluded that the constraints of the Clinger-Cohen Act's reporting mechanisms have caused the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) to lose sight of the big picture—the need for interagency net-working and information technology (IT) oversight. However, there has been considerable behind-the-scenes work by GAO to bring about passage of legislation to increase government-wide information capacity through, for example, the E-Government Act of 2002. The act establishes (a) an Office of Electronic Government within the Office of Management and Budget and (b) data sharing between certain agencies. Much of GAO's work tends not to be reflected in reports on individual agency IT problems. However, GAO has testified of the need for more government-wide focus on IT challenges, lending support to Dr. Fountain's overall point about the need for government-wide information capacity.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Duncan, G. T., Jabine, T. B., & de Wolf, V. A. (Eds.). (1993). Private lives and public policies: Confidentiality and accessibility of government statistics. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences, National Academy Press .

Fountain, J. E. (2001). Building the virtual state: Information technology and institutional change. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution .

General Accounting Office. (1979). After six years, legal obstacles continue to restrict government use of the standard statistical establishment list (GAO/GGD-79-17). Washington, DC .

General Accounting Office. (1998a). The Results Act: Assessment of the government-wide performance plan for Fiscal Year 1999 (GAO/AIMD/GGD-98-159). Washington, DC .

General Accounting Office. (1998b). Statistical agencies: Proposed consolidation and data sharing legislation (GAO/T-GGD-98-91). Washington, DC .

General Accounting Office. (2002). Electronic government: Selection and implementation of the Office of Management and Budget's 24 initiatives (GAO-03-229). Washington, DC .

General Accounting Office. (2003a). Electronic government: Success of the Office of Management and Budget's 25 initiatives depends on effective management and oversight (GAO-03-495T). Washington, DC .

General Accounting Office. (2003b). Information technology: Terrorist watch lists should be consolidated to promote better integration and sharing (GAO-03-322). Washington, DC .

General Accounting Office. (2003c). Management reform: Continuing progress in implementing initiatives in the president's management agenda (GAO-03-556T). Washington, DC .

10.

Gore, A. (1993). From red tape to results: Creating a government that works better and costs less. Washington, DC: National Performance Review .