r/EPA
            United States
            Environmental Protection
            Agency
             Office of Water
             (WH-556F)
EPA 500/9-90-001A
June 1990
Office Of Water
Information Resources
Management
Annual Report (In Brief)
Fiscal Years 1989-90
          Water
          Programs
  Data for
  Decision
  Making
                Information Resources
                   Management:
                  Tools For Making
               Water Program Decisions

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                       IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments	FY 1989 - 1990



                       Table  of Contents
                     Page   Title
                        1    INTRODUCTION







                        3    IRM PLANNING







                        5    INFORMATION ACCESS AND USEFULNESS



                               Data Standardization and System Integration



                               Hardware and Software Enhancements







                        9    STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS



                               Training and Outreach



                               Joint and Interagency Projects







                        14   OFFICE AUTOMATION







                        17   LOOKING AHEAD







                        18   ACRONYMS




                                  U.S. Knv.ii -,71; --.- ' ••
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                          IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
                                         FY 1989 - 1990
                          Introduction
          This Report
      Highlights IRM
    Activities Taking
  Place in FY 1989-9O
As the challenge to restore and maintain
our nation's water quality becomes more
complex,  it is increasingly important that
we  effectively manage  more environmental

data  than ever before.

Technological advances like personal computers and geographic
information systems help us to accomplish this objective.
These advances also help us  to solve problems more effectively
by facilitating partnerships comprised of: Federal, State, local,
and tribal governments; the private sector; and the public.

The collection and use of environmental information  is  the
basis for critical program decisions and the evaluation  of the
effectiveness of our environmental programs.  Success depends
on the quality, completeness, and  timeliness of information in
the information management systems of our water programs
and the ease of obtaining information from these systems.  The
Agency's Water Program is committed  to providing the
necessary information to its managers to ensure that decisions
are based on the best possible information and that adequate
information exists to measure program effectiveness.

Each year the Water Program initiates  many information
resources management (IRM) activities to  strengthen its
program management capabilities.  This first annual IRM report
highlights activities initiated and either completed or in
progress by the Water Program in FY 1989-90. The Report
targets Headquarters' accomplishments and initiatives
primarily in the areas of information access and utilization.
Future reports will update Headquarters activities initiated in
FY 1990; address quality assurance  and  data collection efforts
aimed at maximizing the integrity  of water program
information, such as monitoring protocols and Information
Collection Request (ICR) development; discuss  Regional
activities in more detail; and measure the Program's progress in
meeting its IRM goals.
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                         IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
                                           FY 1989 - 1990
                         Introduction
  The Report Takes
 Both a Broad View
     (Volume I) and
       Detailed Look
         (Volume II)
       IRM Planning
Information Access
    and Usefulness
      Strengthening
       Partnerships

  Office Automation
The Annual Report is organized into two volumes. Volume I,
the Annual Report in Brief, provides a broad overview of the
Water Program's IRM goals and highlights major activities
undertaken to support these goals.  Volume II contains more
detailed descriptions both of the activities introduced in
Volume I and other important initiatives.

Additionally, it includes program contacts for each project.
Both volumes are organized around four key water program
goals:

Identify the information needed to make well-informed decisions
and evaluate environmental program effectiveness.

Improve access to data for water-related decisions and
overcome obstacles preventing the use of information in
program decision making  and implementation.

Work with the public and private sectors to create information
networks that support cross-program and cross-media solutions.

Increase the use of office automation technology to improve
staff productivity and facilitate information exchange among
water programs.
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                            IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
                                            FY 1989 - 1990
                            IRM  Planning
                  Goal:
PROGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS

Accomplishments

•  UIC Assessment

•  Agency-Wide Drinking
   Water Information
   Study

•  Data Sharing/Systems
   Compatibility Study

Initiatives:

•  Sludge Feasibility
  Study

•  OW Systems
  Modernization
Identify the information needed to make well-informed decisions
and evaluate environmental program effectiveness.

An important Water Program goal is to make IRM planning an
integral component in the strategic planning for each
individual water program and for the water program as a
whole.  Integrating IRM planning into the Water Program's
strategic planning activities ensures that it is collecting
appropriate data to support its critical program decisions and
evaluate environmental program effectiveness in meeting
environmental  goals.

Through effective IRM planning, water programs are striving
to:

•   Increase the recognition of the importance and value of
    different types of information to decision making;

•   Ensure that programs assess their information needs prior
    to initiating or significantly enhancing systems;

•   Promote coordination within and outside the Agency to:

        Share information to capitalize on previous
        investments;

        Guarantee timely and useful feedback during system
        development;  and

        Maximize the usefulness of the  data collected;

•   Eliminate duplication and gaps in data collected; and

•   Select appropriate  technology to ensure effective use of
    resources.

During the past two years, the Water Program has placed
increasing emphasis on ensuring that individual programs
use a systematic approach to assess information collection and
management needs before systems are developed or enhanced.
This approach helps participants to systematically assess their
needs for information  management systems, define system
requirements, identify and evaluate options for implementing
the systems, select the best option, plan  for system
implementation, and test and implement the system.
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                          IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
                                           FY 1989 - 1990
                          IRM Planning
        Underground
    Injection Control
    Program Mission
  Needs Assessment
         Agency-Wide
      Drinking Water
   Information Study
    Data Sharing and
             Systems
  Compatibility Study
     Sludge Tracking
     Feasibility Study
         OW Systems
       Modernization
             Initiative

  Please see appendix for
       a list of acronyms.
Several projects completed in FY 1989 or currently in progress
illustrate this commitment to utilize systematic approaches for
IRM Planning.

Purpose: Assess the adequacy of information collected and
the usefulness of current information management systems.

Accomplishment:  Initiated development of standard data
set, definitions, linkage of key data elements, and decentralized
data management system to replace costly national system.
(ODW*, FY 1988-89)

Purpose:  Evaluate the need for and availability of drinking
water information to support decision making throughout EPA.

Accomplishment: Reached consensus on needs and
developed an action plan identifying several outreach
initiatives to publicize the availability of ODW information and
encourage sharing of program information. (OW, ODW, FY
1989-90)

Purpose:  Improve knowledge about  and coordination of
priority Agency water-related data bases.

Accomplishment: Recommended steps to  be taken for each
priority data system to facilitate data sharing and compatibility
with other data systems.  (Steering Committee for Water
Quality Data Systems, FY 1989-90)

Purpose:  Examine approaches for developing an information
tracking system to support sludge program requirements of the
1987 Water Quality Act Amendments.

Accomplishment: Will  develop and choose among
alternatives to meet the requirements for a sludge  tracking
system. (OWEP, FY 1989 - 90)

Purpose: Develop framework for IRM activities in the Water
Program over the next decade.

Accomplishment: Agreed upon the need for and the basic
framework of a long term approach and formed a work group to
develop strategy. (OW, OIRM, FY 1990)
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                         IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments          FY 1989 - 1990

                         Information  Access  and
                         Usefulness
                Goal:    Improve access to data for water-related decisions and
                         overcome obstacles preventing the use of information in
                         program decision making and implementation.

                         The Water Program is moving toward an integrated approach
                         to program management that will have a significant impact on
                         its information management activities.  The intent is to:

                         •   Reduce duplication of information among water programs;
                             and

                         •   Promote joint efforts to  increase program effectiveness in
                             meeting environmental goals.

                         Because today's water programs involve all levels of
                         government, we have placed increasing emphasis on working
                         with Federal, State, local, and tribal programs to manage and
                         protect water resources. Therefore, improving access to
                         information is a major program priority.

                         We are achieving this through:

                         •   Developing standard minimum data sets, common
                             definitions,  consistent collection and monitoring protocols,
                             and promoting data integration; and

                         •   Identifying  and implementing information system
                             enhancements to ensure access by a broader base of users.
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                           IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
                                           FY 1989 - 1990
                           Information Access and Usefulness
PROGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS

Accomplishments

• Ground-Water Minimum
  Data Set

* UIC Minimum Data Set

• 305(b) Reporting
  Waterbody System

Initiatives!

* Ground-Water Indicators

• PCS Locational
  Information

        Ground-Water
   Minimum Data Set
               Project
         Underground
    Injection Control
  (UIC Minimum Data
       Set Workgroup
A.  Data Standardization and Integration

Historically, much of the data the Water Program collected
came from a variety of different sources and was submitted in
varied and often incompatible formats.  Inconsistencies in
definitions and monitoring protocols have made this data of
limited value  in supporting management decision making
outside of the  specific purpose for which it was collected.
Currently, an  important objective of our water programs is
focusing on developing minimum data sets, standard
definitions and formats, and consistent collection and
monitoring protocols to increase the usefulness of the
information to all  users.

The following projects illustrate the Water Program's
commitment to improving access to and broadening its
application of  data.
Purpose: Enable sharing and assessment of ground-water data
that is of known and reliable quality.

Accomplishment: Developed FY 1989 EPA Order on
Ground-Water Minimum Data Set.  This Order requires
collection of the 22 minimum data elements for all EPA funded
ground-water monitoring to ensure Agency-wide consistency.
Will develop definitions of the 22 to further support the
consistency of the data. (OGWP, FY 1989)

Purpose: Ensure data consistency among all State UIC
Programs.

Accomplishment:  Will develop an approved minimum
data set, definitions and formats to ensure national data
consistency, and guidance to support implementation.  (ODW,
FY 1989)
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                           IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
                                           FY 1989 - 1990
                           Information Access and Usefulness
         Indicators  to
    Measure Ground-
       Water Program
             Progress
  Automated §3O5(b)
         Reporting by
         Creating the
   Waterbody System
          Inclusion of
            Locational
  Information in PCS
PROGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS

A ccomplishments

* FRDSII

* PAL

* Access to STORET

Initiatives:

* Reach File
  Enhancements
Purpose: Develop a set of consistent environmental
indicators for measuring program progress and characterizing
and reporting ground-water trends, which will ultimately help
programs to measure ground-water program progress.

Accomplishment: Developed set of indicators which are
being tested in a series of FY 1990 pilot projects. (OGWP, FY
1989-90)

Purpose: Facilitate national consistency of State data collected
for the §305(b) Report.

Accomplishment: Standardized the content and format of
State §305(b) Report submittals and established electronic
submission of Water Quality Assessment data, shortening State
report preparation time, and providing States with analytical
tools to assess their own data. (OWRS, FY 1989)

Purpose: Promote the use of PCS information in spatial
analysis.

Accomplishment: Will provide information to aid with
water quality assessments in specific geographic areas, such as
river reaches; ensure consistency with the Agency Locational
Standard; and increase the ability of other program offices to use
PCS data to cross reference permitting and compliance
information. (OWEP, FY 1989-90)

B.  System Enhancements

One of the key objectives of the water program is to increase
the use of information available from water systems by
simplifying access to them. Furthermore, another Water
Program priority is to make the information within the
systems available to a broader user base throughout and
outside the Agency.

The Water Program has a number of efforts underway to
increase user friendliness and availability of its systems.
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                           IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
                                           FY 1989 - 1990
                           Information Access and Usefulness
    Federal Reporting
 Data System (FRDS}
            II Project
Personal Assistance
            Link (PAL)
           Reach File
      Enhancements
   Access to STORET
Purpose:  Increase the use of FRDS for management decisions
and facilitate data entry by the Regions and States.

Accomplishment:  Incorporated a number of enhancements,
including new functions, such as non-compliance tracking, that
are available to users and will help them manage State-based
programs more effectively; PC- based data entry procedures
facilitate use of the system. (ODW FY 1989)

Purpose:  Increase use of PCS by managers.

Accomplishment: Developed user friendly PC-based
software that allows managers to generate 14 common reports
and increases the use of the system by decision makers. (OWEP,
FY 1989)

Purpose:  Increase use of the reach file in analytical work.

Accomplishment: Will enable users access to a substantially
larger set of hydrographic and water data across the United
States for use in OW program analysis and assessments and
multi-media CIS integration. (OWRS, FY 1989-90)

Purpose:  Make it easier for non-technical users to use and
operate STORET.

Accomplishment:  Implemented menu driven processes and
help features that make it easier for users to analyze and extract
water data from the system, and reduces the cost and time
required to analyze data and produce reports. (OGWP, OIRM,
FY 1989)
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                           IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
                                            FY 1989 - 1990
                            Strengthening Partnerships
                 Goal:

Work with the public and private sectors to create information
networks that support cross-program and cross-media solutions.

Over the past few years, the Water Program has worked
increasingly with Regions, States, local, and tribal governments,
other Federal Agencies, citizen groups, and universities to
fulfill its mission.  The Agency has increased its reliance on
broad-based coalitions and State and local initiatives to protect
water resources and resolve pollution problems. Assisting
partners in using Federally-maintained water information  is
integral to this evolving partnership.  Likewise, we encourage
other programs to share their information as part of the overall
effort to use information effectively.

The Water Program has developed a variety of training and
outreach "tools" to educate and inform our partners about  the
information available to help them implement  their programs.
The Water Program is also seeking the support and assistance of
other public and private sector groups to collect and disseminate
water-related information so that we utilize our collective
resources effectively.

A.  Training and Outreach

A major objective is to increase awareness  of information
available and  how it can be timely and useful in program
implementation.  In FY 1989-90, the Water Program has been
establishing a variety of information networks to provide our
partners with useful and timely information.  These efforts
have included creating training courses and forums, bulletin
boards,  clearinghouses, and information catalogues to
publicize the availability of water information to potential
users. Several efforts in this area are highlighted in this
section.
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                          IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
                                           FY 1989 - 1990
                          Strengthening Partnerships
    Regional Forums
      PCS Managers
             Training
    Public Access to
                  PCS
       OW Electronic
     Bulletin Boards
Purpose: Provide an overview of the information in major
water information systems, describe how to access and use
them, and introduce enhancements.

Accomplishment: Conducted eight of a planned ten forums
(the remainder will be conducted in FY 1990) that reached a
large number of potential users, and initiated a dialog between
Headquarters system managers and Regional, State, and local
staff about their systems and information needs.  (Steering
Committee for Water Quality Data Systems, FY 1989-90)

Purpose:  Increase managers' awareness of what information
is in PCS and its potential use.

Accomplishment: Provides managers with a user-friendly
PC-based course presenting basic training in the use of PCS to
facilitate decision making.  (OWEP, FY 1989-90)

Purpose: Increase public access to PCS.

Accomplishment: Developing methods of distributing PCS
data via the  National Technical Information Service (NTIS) or
an on-line data base to ensure that the public has access to
information in an automated format. (OWEP, FY 1990)

Purpose:  Create a forum for EPA and subscribers to exchange
information by providing a quick and inexpensive mechanism
for its distribution.

Accomplishment: In the process of planning or have
developed several bulletin boards providing timely
information  on  various program issues:

•   Coastal Protection Issues: COASTNET (OMEP, FY 1990)

•   Ground-Water Protection: Public Technology Local
    Exchange (LEX) (OGWP, FY 1990)

•   Regulatory Communication and Knowledge-Based System
    (KBASE) (OWP, FY 1990)

•   Wastewater Treatment Issues Wastewater Treatment
    Information Exchange Bulletin Board (OMPC, FY 1989-90)
    (OMEP, OGWP, OWP, OMPC, FY 1989-90)
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                            IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
                                            FY 1989 - 1990
                            Strengthening Partnerships
 Technology Transfer
 and Clearinghouses
PROGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS

Accomplishments

• GIS

* Toxic Release Inventory

Initiatives:

GIS

Electronic Reporting Pilot

Wetlands Fauna! Lists

LISTS Enhancements
Purpose: Improve public access to water information and
publications through central repositories of information and
publications.

Accomplishment: Established several data bases and
clearinghouses that serve as sources of OW program-related
information:

•   OW Information Resource Center (WPO, FY 1990)

•   Clean Lakes Clearinghouse (OWRS, FY 1989)

•   Environmental Financing Network (EFIN) (OMPC, FY  1990-
    91)

•   Wetlands Data Base (OWP, CENR, CSG, FY 1989)

•   OGWP State Files Database (OGWP, FY 1989)

•   Drinking  Water Hotline (ODW)

•   EPA Library Water Collection (OW, FY 1989-90) (WPO,
    OWRS, OMPC, FY 1989-90)

 B.  Joint Projects

 The scope and direction of the Water Program is shifting to a
 more locally-oriented focus that, due to the complexity of the
 problems localities face, increasingly require integrated
 problem solving and information management.  At the same
 time resources to accomplish this mission remain scarce.
 Therefore, it  has become important to 4300! resources with
 our public and private partners to collect,  store, and
 disseminate water information.  An  advantage of these
 cooperative efforts is that  they encourage  the development of
 mutually compatible information management systems,
 common minimum data sets, standard data definitions, and
 consistent monitoring protocols. The result is higher quality
 information available to support decision  making and  to
 evaluate program effectiveness.  Efforts in this area are
 highlighted in this section.
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                           IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
                                           FY 1989 - 1990
                           Strengthening Partnerships
          Geographic
Information  Systems
                 (GIS)
 Electronic Reporting
                  Pilot
        Toxic Release
            Inventory
     Enhancement of
                 LISTS
Purpose:  Improve management decisions by integrating
different types of data and displaying them spatially.

Accomplishment: Developed local innovative decision
making tools for characterization, protection, and management
of natural resources. Specific projects include:

•   Boston Harbor Monitoring Project (OMEP, Region I, FY 89)

•   GIS as a support tool for decision-making in  the Wellhead
    Protection (WHP) Program (OGWP, Regions I, III, VII, IX, X,
    FY 1990)

•   Trinity River and Dallas/Fort Worth GIS Project (OWP,
    Region VI, FY 1989)

•   Big River GIS Project (OWP, Region I, URI, FY 1989)

Purpose:  Reduce reporting burden on permitted facilities
through the use of electronic submission of Discharge
Monitoring Reports (DMRs) from permitted facilities into PCS,
and provide higher quality data to State and Federal agencies.

Accomplishment: Will develop working prototype that
reduces manual data entry by Tennessee State staff. (Region IV,
TV A, OWEP, FY 1990)

Purpose:  Promote effective use of TRI data by  water program
offices.

Accomplishment: Developed action plans to  use TRI data as
a screening tool in various water programs.  (OWRS, OWEP,
ODW, FY 1989-90)

Purpose:  Improve access to standard analytical methods
commonly used by the Agency.

Accomplishment: Will  implement Cataloging  Steering
Group recommendations to enhance LISTS to satisfy the
Agency's need for a data base  to incorporate standard
analytical methods.  (Cataloging Steering Group,  OWRS, FY
1990)
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                          IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments          FY 1989 - 1990
                          Strengthening Partnerships
    Wetlands Fauna/    Purpose: Enable permit writers to use wetlands faunal lists in
                 Lists    evaluating dredge and fill permits.

                          Accomplishment: Will develop lists that identify the type
                          and likely presence of flora and fauna in wetland communities.
                          CINQ OWP, FY 1990)
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                           IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments           FY 1989 - 1990



                           Office Automation:

                           The State of IRM for Water Programs


                 Goal:    Increase the use of office automation technology to  improve
                           staff productivity and facilitate information exchange among
                           water programs.

                           Information management in the Water Program is
                           continuously changing due to the availability of newer
                           automation tools and the evolving needs of the programs.
                           Over the past two years, the Water Program has experienced a
                           dramatic change in its operating environment.  During FY 1989
                           and 1990, the number of PCs in the Water Program increased
                           from approximately 300 to more than 600.  Approximately 75
                           percent of Office of Water staff have a personal computer work
                           station.

                           These workstations have increased the number of tools
                           available to help  us maintain our productivity and  improve
                           our effectiveness as we meet a changing set of program
                           objectives (e.g., tracking and analyzing work, statistical analyses,
                           desktop publishing, presentation graphics).  Thus far, some
                           manual processes have been replaced by automated  systems.
                           However, we have far to  go before we are using the  personal
                           computer workstation in  a way that dynamically realizes the
                           potential of office automation.

                           To that end, we are beginning to increase efforts in training,
                           staff development, and ongoing needs analyses to capitalize on
                           our investment in technology. This chapter describes the Water
                           Program's automation activities, which include planning and
                           acquisition, training, and office procedures automation.

                           A.  Planning

                           Several Offices within the Water Program are conducting
                           projects to improve their automation  capabilities. The Office of
                           Drinking Water's State Programs Division has formed an office
                           automation workgroup that meets weekly to discuss office
                           automation issues. The workgroup is composed of
                           representatives from each branch  and section  within the
                           division. The group's purpose is to identify and develop
                           strategies for implementing the division's short term and long
                           term automation  needs.  Currently, the workgroup's focus is  on
                           short term needs, such as assessing the division's need for
                           training, setting up a library of training materials, and setting
                           priorities for hardware and software purchases.  In the near
                           future, the focus will  shift to meeting long term goals.

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                           IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments           FY 1989 - 1990



                           Office Automation:

                           The State  of IRM for  Water Programs


                           The Office of Ground-Water  Protection has formed an
                           Information Management Committee consisting of
                           representatives throughout OGWP. The committee's purpose
                           is to discuss issues and problems that have arisen with the
                           office's automation equipment.  The committee sets priorities
                           based on the professional needs of the staff, and then makes
                           recommendations to OGWP  management regarding the types
                           of equipment the office should purchase.

                           The Office of Municipal Pollution Control has begun
                           conversion to a PC Local Area Network (LAN), which will be
                           completed in FY 1990. The LAN will increase productivity and
                           performance by enabling file sharing and will decrease
                           hardware and software costs.

                           B.  Training

                           Currently, most water program staff and managers  do not take
                           full advantage of the PC's capability to provide them with easy
                           access to a large amount of information to support  decision
                           making.  Our goal for FY 1990-91 is to overcome this obstacle by
                           improving the utilization of existing computer resources and by
                           helping to encourage managers and staff to recognize the value
                           of using PCs to save time and effort.

                           To  accomplish this goal, the programs are being encouraged to
                           explore and select approaches tailored to meet their specific
                           needs. For example, the Office of Ground-Water Protection has
                           used on-site WIC Specialists  to  assist with education and
                           training of OGWP staff; responsibilities have included
                           developing brown bag seminars on word processing topics, such
                           as creating tables and outlines,  using fonts, and  using columns.

                           C.  Office Procedures Automation

                           During the past few years, the Water Program's use  of PC-based
                           software for administrative activities has increased.  Programs
                           are beginning to rely on PCs  to  support every day activities, such
                           as budget, tracking, electronic mail, and desktop publishing. For
                           example, most programs now have PC-based correspondence
                           tracking systems, and OWEP uses a dBASE application to track
                           Regional proposals and funding for special projects.

                           Many Water Program staff avoid using EPA's mainframe
                           because they find it difficult to use.  Several offices are

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                          IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments           FY 1989 - 1990

                          Office Automation:
                          The State of IRM for  Water Programs
                          developing "user-friendly front ends" to assist staff in using the
                          mainframe for program and administrative purposes. For
                          instance, to develop its Spotlight Report, OWEP downloads data
                          from the EPA mainframe to a PC, where the data is
                          manipulated, and subsequently uploaded back to the
                          mainframe to generate maps.

                          As automation of office procedures expands, water program
                          offices will work together to develop effective and  tailored
                          training programs and promote technology transfer among the
                          offices through better communication. In the coming year (FY
                          1990-91), the Water Program will place more emphasis on
                          facilitating the development of tailored training programs and
                          effective communication forums to share project results to help
                          eliminate duplication of effort.
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                           IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments           FY 1989 - 1990
                           Looking  Ahead
                           This is the first in a series of tools designed to improve
                           communication about the information the water program
                           manages, how to obtain it, and our efforts to enhance its
                           availability and usefulness.

                           The focus of the next issue of the annual report will be
                           expanded to include discussion on several additional areas. For
                           instance, EPA is placing increasing emphasis on efforts taking
                           advantage of projects in other Federal agencies to acquire
                           information to support Agency decision making. Other areas
                           receiving more attention are quality assurance/quality control
                           issues, which include items  such as monitoring  protocols and
                           data verification, and information collection issues such as ICR
                           development. Finally,  the next issue will highlight our
                           continuing efforts to encourage the increased understanding
                           and use of automation  in the workplace.
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                          IRM Initiatives and Accomplishments
FY 1989 - 1990
                          Acronyms
                          CENR   Center for Environmental and Natural Resources
                          CSG     Council of State Governments
                          DMR    Discharge Monitoring Report
                          CIS     Geographic Information System
                          EFIN    Environmental Financing Network

                          FRDS   Federal Reporting Data  System
                          IBM     Information Resources  Management
                          KBASE  Regulatory Communication/Knowledge-Based System
                          LAN     Local Area Network
                          LEX     Ground-Water Protection: Public Technology Local
                                   Exchange

                          NCC     National Computer Center
                          NPDES  National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
                          NTIS    National Technical Information  Service
                          ODW    Office of Drinking Water
                          OGWP  Office of Ground-Water Protection

                          OIRM   Office of Information Resources  Management
                          OMPC   Office of Municipal Pollution Control
                          OMEP   Office of Marine and  Estuarine Protection
                          OW     Office of Water
                          OIVEP   Office of Water Enforcement and Permits

                          OIVP    Office of Wetlands Protection
                          OWRS   Office of Water Resources and Standards
                          PAL     Personal Assistance Link
                          PC      Personal Computer
                          PCS     Permits Compliance System

                          SAIMS  Source Assessment and Information Management Staff
                          SIRMO  Senior Information Resources Management Officer
                          STORET STOrage and RETrieval Data Base
                          TNC     The Nature Conservancy
                          TRI     Toxic Release Inventory

                          TVA     Tennessee Valley Authority
                          U 1C     Underground Injection Control
                          URI     University of Rhode Island
                          WHP    Wellhead Protection
                          IVIC     Washington Information Center
                          IVPO    Water Policy Office
                          WTIE   Wastewater Treatment  Information Exchange
U.S. EPA/OW
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                              U.S. Government Printing Office

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