United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of the Administrator
1601F
EPA270-K-94-002
August 1994
oEPA Using Information Strategically to Protect
Human Health and the Environment
Recommendations for Comprehensive
Information Resources Management
Report of the IBM Strategic Planning Task Force
Environmental Information
and Assessment Committee
National Advisory Council for
Environmental Policy and Technology
> Printed on Recycled Paper
-------
CONTENTS
NOTE TO READER
Executive Summary i
Consolidated Report
Introduction 1
Mission 4
Partnerships 6
Infrastructure 8
Organization 11
Related Initiatives 14
Conclusion 15
Appendices
The National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology
(NACEPT) is a formally chartered Federal advisory committee that is charged
with providing the Administrator of EPA with advice and recommendations
on a broad range of environmental issues. NACEPT has several standing
committees, and one of them - the Environmental Information and
Assessment (EIA) Committee examines issues associated with the
gathering, dissemination, and use of environmentally related data and
information. EPA asked the EIA Committee to form an Information
Resources Management (IRM) Strategic Planning Task Force to provide
recommendations on key elements that EPA should include in an IRM
Strategic Plan for the Agency. This report provides a summary of the IRM
capabilities and issues that the Task Force has identified and believes must be
addressed by the Agency's leadership.
Additional copies of this report are available from the U.S. EPA Public
Information Center, Mail Code 3404, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.,
20460 Phone: (202) 260-2080
TASK FORCE MEMBERS
EPA gratefully acknowledges the work of the members of the NACEPT
Task Force:
Wayne Tamarelli, PhD., Dock Resins Corporation, Chair
Jerry Mechling, PhD., J.F.K. School of Government, Vice Chair
Edward Cole, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
John Dabuliewicz, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
Ann Glumac, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Steve Hanna, PhD., California Environmental Protection Agency
Sylvia Herrera, People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources
Frances Irwin, World Wildlife Fund
Bruce McConnell, Office of Management and Budget
Paul Orum, Working Group on Community-Right-to-Know
Cynthia Rand, Department of Defense
Marc Schurger, Eastman Chemical Company
Mead Treadwell, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Saul Volansky, Hughes Information Technology Company
Sam Wear, Westchester County Planning Department, New York
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The NACEPT Information Resources Management Strategic Planning Task
Force wishes to acknowledge the valuable assistance provided by the
following individuals from EPA who supported the creation of the Task Force
and contributed to its research and work during the development of this report.
Jonathan Cannon
Kathy Aterno
Abby Pirnie
Alvin Pesachowitz
Paul Wohlleben
Mark Joyce
Mark Day
Debbie Ingram
Steve Schilling
David Schwarz
Rachel VanWingen
Pam Shenefiel
-------
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
If EPA does not change its approach to managing information resources, the Agency will fail to
implement its new guiding principles.
EPA's investments in information have mirrored the Agency's traditional focus on single-media programs-
air, water, and wasteproviding an Information Resources Management (IRM) infrastructure that supports
program activities, but is so highly decentralized and narrowly focused that it cannot support the Agency's
overall mission. As EPA's approach to protecting human health and the environment evolves from a media-
based, command and control approach to a more comprehensive cross-media approach, the Agency's
management of information resources must also evolve.
The Task Force makes four recommendations to refocus EPA's information investments. Just as three legs
support a stool, the partnerships, infrastructure, and organization recommendations will support a revitalized
information management mission for EPA. The specific recommendations in each area are outlined below:
PARTNE
Aggressively
Informatio
on Environri
Aggressively
Information^]
Partnersh
Impleme
Stakeholeii
nt.
ief
icer (CIO)
ission
sibilities.
Develop
Implem
Data St
Maintai
Level 5I
Comrri
Define
Require
Identify
Invento
Integra
Plannin
Resolve tfl
Organizat
Strengthen'!
Implementa
Implementing the recommendations in these four areas will enable EPA to develop a comprehensive IRM
program which embraces emerging legislative and executive directives.
-------
INTRODUCTION
The management of EPA's information resources must be aligned to support the mission of the
Agency. EPA is in the midst of a profound shift from a media-by-media approach to a more
comprehensive approach to the mission of protecting human health and the environment. This new
comprehensive approach includes the following
guiding principles:
Ecosystem Protection, ;
Environmental Justice,
Pollution Prevention, :
Strong Science and Data,
Partnerships,
Reinventing EPA Management, and
Environmental Accountability.
Implementing these principles will fundamentally
alter the Agency's piecemeal approach and require
new thinking in many areas, including the ;
management of its information resources. EPA has
begun addressing the realignment of its IRM
Program. - To assist in this process, the Agency
sought the views of external stakeholders.
On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez struck
Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
What followed was the largest oil spill in
U.S. history: over ten million gallons of
crude oil flooded one of the nation's most
sensitive ecosystems.1 EPA's IRM Program
was not prepared to support the multi-media
analyses needed to respond to this situation--
it took EPA three months to compile and
analyze the cross-media data the Agency
needed. Five years later, the Agency still
needs to establish an Agency-wide
architecture for cross-media systems
development.2
The National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT) is a formally
chartered Federal advisory committee that is ;charged with providing the Administrator of EPA with
advice and recommendations on a broad range of environmental issues. NACEPT has several
standing committees, and one of them the Environmental Information and Assessment (EIA)
Committee examines issues associated with the gathering, dissemination, and use of
environmentally related data and information. EPA asked the EIA committee to form an Information
Resources Management (IRM) Strategic Planning Task Force to provide recommendations as to the
key IRM strategic issues and IRM capabilities needed by the Agency. The Task Force was asked to
focus particularly on IRM support of the Agency's strategic vision, integration of information, and
improved working relationships with external partners. This report provides a summary of the IRM
capabilities and issues that the Task Force has identified and believes must be addressed by the
Agency's leadership. ;
As EPA realigns its own strategic directions, the Agency is also challenged by new legislative
mandates and Executive Office directions. These include the Government Performance Results Act
(GPRA), the National Performance Review (NPR), and the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA). The
GPRA requires EPA to establish measurable ;goals and to report its success in achieving these goals.
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: A Report to the President. May 1989, Samuel K. Skinner, Secretary, Department of Transportation;
and William K. Reilly, Administrator, EPA. '.
Computer Systems Integrity: EPA Must Fully Address Longstanding Information Resources Management Problems (E1NMF1-15-
0032-2100641, September 1992). ' . .
-------
The NPR recommendations for EPA reinforce the cross-media orientation and principles such as
ecosystem protection, environmental justice, and pollution prevention. The PPA requires the Agency
to evaluate gaps and duplication with respect to data collected under Federal environmental statutes
(See Appendix A for an abbreviated list of relevant legislation and Executive Office directives).
These and other requirements are moving
EPA towards more comprehensive
approaches to its mission.
To understand how EPA's IRM program
should change to support the Agency's
The Agency's management of its information
resources has followed the single-media approach
to environmental protection. This has resulted in
a lack of coordination and incompatibility among
guiding principles and new challenges, the information systems making comprehensive
_ . _ j j? j.- c analysis of environmental information difficult.
Task Force reviewed information from J
many sources. They received oral and
written testimony (Appendix B contains a
list of external contributors) from many external partners, stakeholders, Co-Implementors (State,
Tribal, and local Governments) and environmental organizations. In addition, the Task Force
reviewed specific IRM reports by internal EPA groups, the Inspector General (IG), and the
Government Accounting Office (GAO) (Appendix C lists the key publications and reports reviewed
by the Task Force). The members of the Task Force also drew upon their extensive experience in
IRM and work with the EPA and other Federal agencies. The Task Force found that the Agency's
management of its information resources has followed the Agency's single-media approach to
environmental protection. This single-media approach has resulted in a lack of coordination and
incompatibility among information systems which makes comprehensive analysis of environmental
information difficult.
Ultimately, EPA's ability to fulfill its mission depends upon how it manages its resources, including
information which is a key resource of the Agency". EPA historically has managed its information
resources based on legislation that centers on single-media programs, such as the Clean Air -Act for
the Office of Air and Radiation and the Clean Water Act for the Office of Water. This heritage has
resulted in a fragmented approach to managing the Agency's information. For example,
Programs do not have sufficient data to measure their progress towards achieving their
programmatic goals, and
EPA has not identified and does not collect adequate data to measure environmental quality or
trends in environmental quality.
This fragmented approach will not support the
requirements of the GPRA, NPR, PPA, or the
Agency's comprehensive approach to environmental
protection. The Task Force concludes that EPA
will fail to implement its guiding principles unless
it moves to a more comprehensive approach to
managing the Agency's information resources.
EPA will fail to implement its new guiding
principles if the Agency does not change
its approach to managing information
resources.
-------
To meet this need, the Task Force makes the following four recommendations:
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
MISSION
PARTNERSHIPS
INFRASTRUCTURE
ORGANIZATION
EPA Must Use Information Strategically
to Achieve the Agency's
Mission.
EPA Must Actively Use Information To
Empower Partners.
i
EPA Must Establish an Integrated Information
Infrastructure to Support a Comprehensive
Approach to Environmental Protection.
EPA Must Establish a More Effective
Organization for Information Resources
Management.
MISSION
A metaphor which captures the essential cpncept of interdependence underlying these
recommendations is a three legged stool. Just as a three legged stool will collapse if any part is
missing, failure to implement any one of these interdependent recommendations will collapse the
whole. ~!
These recommendations define cultural and organizational changes needed to successfully manage
EPA's information resources. When these recommendations are fully implemented, IRM will have a
solid foundation to support the Agency's mission. Failure
to implement these recommendations will undermine the
Agency's ability to meet its legislative mandates and its
new strategic directions.
This Report explains the four recommendations and
identifies actions EPA must take to successfully
implement them. In the Task Force's opinion, full
implementation of these recommendations will position the
Agency to successfully leverage its investment in
information to support EPA's mission to protect human
health and the environment.
-------
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT MISSION
EPA MUST USE INFORMATION STRATEGICALLY TO ACHIEVE
THE AGENCY'S MISSION.
M I S S I O N
The Task Force found that the Agency has not managed its
information resources strategically. First, most IRM
investments were made to support program actions, such as
recording and tracking actions and maintaining compliance
records. Second, investments have followed EPA's single-
media investment strategy and were not designed to support
Agency-wide needs. In general, EPA's investments in
information resources have not been used strategically as an
environmental protection tool.
Information must be viewed and managed as a fundamental,
corporate asset to move beyond the fragmented use of
information resources. The Agency must realize that
information provides the critical link to integrate programs,
empower stakeholders to accurately identify, manage, and
prevent environmental problems, and promote environmental successes. Information is a vital tool
for environmental protection and not a private or single program commodity. To gain the maximum
benefit from EPA's IRM investment, there must be a change in the Agency's culture that causes
organizations and individuals to view information as a resource to be shared and used strategically.
TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, EPA MUST:
Information:
Strategic Use
Use Information
Strategically to
Protect Human
Health and the
Environment.
EPA must use information strategically, rather
than merely treating information as a
byproduct of program efforts or as a program
tracking mechanism. Key opportunities to use
information as a strategic tool include:
- providing people with sound information
to better understand and evaluate
environmental risks and to identify
solutions to environmental problems;
- using information to establish
environmental priorities, identify goals and
environmental indicators, allocate
resources, and measure environmental
results;
employing information-based approaches
to protect the environment along with the
traditional command and control approach;
using information resources to identify
risks and target information collection
investments to the greatest risk reduction
opportunities; and
using information to educate and enlist
business, government, and the public,
especially the residents of affected
communities, to improve environmental
management through efforts such as
pollution prevention.
-------
EPA has many opportunities to protect human
health and the environment through the
strategic use of information. EPA has already
begun significant work in this area. The
Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) and the
development of environmental statistics are
two examples. EPA's effectiveness and the
nation's well-being will be greatly enhanced
by EPA's full adoption of this new method of
using information.
Information: an
Agency Asset
Manage
Information as
an Agency Asset.
To meet the information requirements of
strategies such as ecosystem protection and
pollution prevention, EPA must be able to use
its information across traditional program
boundaries. Today, the data in EPA's
information systems will not support cross-
media use. For example, EPA's information
does not allow EPA to combine data on
ecosystems, industrial sectors, chemicals, and
facilities across programs. Thus Agency and
State efforts in ecosystem protection, multi-
media targeted enforcement, and pollution
prevention are severely hampered. :
Agency managers must ensure that EPA's
information is of recognized value, can be
combined easily, and is supported by
analytical tools. The management of
information resources must support Agency-
wide information needs along with program
needs. EPA's management culture must
change to meet these needs. EPA must
manage information as an Agency asset to
support comprehensive environmental
protection.
Information:
an Essential
Element
Manage
Information as an
Essential Element
of Programs.
Information management issues are often
overlooked in the development of program
plans, resulting in information resource
management efforts that are under-budgeted,
under-managed, behind schedule, and a source
of frustration to both program managers and
secondary users. Management of information
resources must be understood as essential to
all phases of program development. For
example, adequate attention to information
management issues during regulation
development can avert inefficient and
narrowly focused data collection efforts and
system development. Managers must
consistently address information resource
issues in all phases 'of program management:
-------
PARTNERSHIPS
EPA MUST ACTIVELY USE INFORMATION TO EMPOWER PARTNERS.
PARTNERSHIPS
Information is a powerful asset. It is one asset that all
partners can share without depleting the asset. Information
also gains in value as it is used. These attributes make
information a critical asset in partnership building.
The establishment of information-based partnerships is one
key way information can be used strategically to protect
human health and the environment. Environmental issues can
be better defined and more effectively addressed through
partnerships with:
- local, state, tribal, and foreign governments;
other Federal agencies;
- educational, environmental, and community-based
organizations;
- industries; and
- individuals.
EPA must demonstrate a clear commitment to information-based partnerships through policies
promoting dissemination and easy access to the Agency's information. Empowering the public and
establishing information-based partnerships can pay great dividends in efforts to improve the
environment.
TO ACCOMPLISH THIS EPA MUST:
Empower
the Public
Aggressively Provide
Information to the
Public on
Environmental Issues.
EPA must actively disseminate and provide
access to information to enable people to be
partners in EPA's emerging comprehensive
approach to environmental protection,
including environmental justice, pollution
prevention, and ecosystem protection. An
informed public is better able to recognize and
protect itself from environmental risks and
ensure that environmental issues are addressed
equitably. EPA can accomplish these
objectives by:
- providing easy access to standardized and
integrated environmental information;
- disseminating information to enable the
public to be full environmental partners;
and
- developing diverse information
dissemination methods such as hotlines,
public libraries, Internet, facilitated
searches, bulletin boards, on-line access,
and broadcast services.
As EPA provides information to empower the
public, it must also ensure that the origin,
limitations, intended use, and source of the
information is disclosed and available to all
partners. EPA must also protect confidential
business and personal information.
-------
Information-
based
Partnerships
Aggressively Pursue
Information-based
Partnerships with
Co-Implementors
and Stakeholders.
Since much of EPA's data comes from states,
localities, businesses, and other stakeholders,
EPA must incorporate these members as'
partners in EPA's approaches for achieving
environmental improvement. Additionally,
EPA provides national environmental
leadership while state and local governments
are responsible for implementing many of the
national environmental programs. Therefore,
EPA must establish a forum in which its
partners can share information on IRM-related
issues. EPA must define strategies to '
effectively involve environmental stakeholders
in synergistic relationships with EPA as
providers and consumers of information, :
including:
providing opportunities for Co-
Implementors to contribute to IRM
planning;
- minimizing the burden on data providers
by coordinating information collection
among all environmental and related laws;
protecting confidential business and
personal information;
establishing a permanent IRM advisory
committee representing each of EPA's;
stakeholders, including industry, local
government, environmental groups, :
community groups, States, and other
Federal agencies;
establishing partnerships to share best
practices in IRM management including
solutions, successes, and failures;
- enabling partnerships that identify and
share information about best environmental
management and technological practices;
- participating in intergovernmental
activities to share data and develop
standards; and
- supporting an effective Environmental
Indicators Program at the local, state, and
national levels.
EPA's success in positioning IRM to support
the Agency is heavily reliant upon its partners.
By aggressively pursuing information-based
partnerships, EPA will greatly enhance its
potential for success.
-------
INFRASTRUCTURE
EPA MUST ESTABLISH AN INTEGRATED INFORMATION
INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
INFRASTRUCTURE
EPA's ability to effectively collect, manage, analyze, and
disseminate integrated information is fundamental to a
comprehensive approach to environmental protection.
Although EPA has begun to implement environmental
initiatives in a manner that links and refocuses its traditional
single-media programs, the Agency's investment in and use of
its information infrastructure does not yet reflect or support
this change. Instead, the existing infrastructure mirrors the
Agency's traditional single-media approach. The infrastructure
comprises a series of "stovepipe" information systems and
databases that were designed solely to support specific media
programs and not to exchange or link information across
programs. This fragmented IRM infrastructure will not
support -a comprehensive approach to the Agency's mission.
An integrated information infrastructure with standardized,
accurate information that spans the Agency's organizations and its partners is critical to
implementation of EPA's guiding principles.
TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, EPA MUST:
Data
Standards
Develop, Immediately
Implement, and
Enforce Data
Standards.
Data standardization is a fundamental part of
EPA's integrated information infrastructure.
The first step toward standardizing data is to
identify those common data elements (termed
key data identifiers), widely used throughout
the Agency and by State Co-Implementors,
which provide the framework to link and
combine information. Key data identifiers
will facilitate a comprehensive environmental
approach by allowing EPA and its partners to
combine and exchange information from many
sources. The first step to implementing data
standards is standardizing key data identifiers.
To do this, EPA should:
develop and fully implement consistent,
uniform identifiers for:
Facilities/Sites (a Facility ID),
Spatial coordinates (latitude and
longitude),
Regulated Substances,
Industrial Sectors (Standard Industrial
Codes, (SIC)),
Chemicals (CAS name and number),
and
Organizations (Dun and Bradstreet);
define additional key identifiers (e.g.,
governmental organizations, ecosystems,
rivers, and regions) that should be
standardized and implemented; and
develop incentive and enforcement
mechanisms (e.g., linking IRM funding
decisions to implementation of standards).
-------
Standardization of all data should be
considered. However, EPA should only
develop its own standards when existing
international or Federal standards are :
insufficient.
use will increase data accuracy as users
identify and correct errors. This will improve
EPA's science and data. The Agency should
establish "feedback" loops to facilitate the
correction of errors.
Data;
Integration
Develop Data
Integration Policies
and Tools.
The ability to integrate data will make it
possible for EPA and its partners to use
information to support a comprehensive
environmental approach that spans traditional
single-media programs. EPA's new
approaches will require the design and use of
systems and tools to readily access, combine,
and analyze data from multiple systems. Data
integration policies and tools should include:
- -using key identifiers to integrate and share
environmental data across diverse data
collections;
- designing and developing applications that
will enable data to be linked across
programs and media using key identifiers;
providing secondary data users (users
outside of the program office responsible
for the system which maintains the data)
with common methods to easily access
EPA data; and
- undertaking and enhancing integrated
system initiatives that will allow the
Agency to measure its progress toward
achieving its goals.
New technologies, such as Geographic
Information Systems, and applications, such as
Gateway, that Integrate data will enhance
secondary users' ability to use EPA data. Data
Data
Inventory
Define Data
Requirements and
Identify Gaps in the
Data Inventory.
A comprehensive data inventory and
requirements analysis will determine what
data the Agency has and needs to meet its
mission. Most previous data collection
requirements have concentrated on. fulfilling
"stovepipe" single medium legislative
mandates. As a result, the Agency's data
collections have similar or duplicative data, do
not meet Agency information requirements,
and lack basic environmental information
needed to meet new challenges. A thorough
data inventory and requirements analysis will
allow the Agency to focus its data collection
efforts toward measuring the success of its
programs. The key steps to constructing
EPA's data inventory include:
working with partners to identify data'
requirements to meet Agency and Co-
Imp lementor needs;
conducting an inventory of Agency data to
identify its uses, limitations, and gaps;
identifying data that should no longer be
collected;
- working with partners to identify data
sources or new information needed; and
- developing indexes and catalogs to
facilitate access to data.
-------
Through the recommended processes, EPA
will ensure that data essential to help solve
environmental problems are collected and
available to the Agency's environmental
decision makers and partners. This effort will
also fulfill the data analysis requirements of
the Pollution Prevention Act and empower
EPA and its Co-Implementors' comprehensive
approaches.
Reduce
Burden
Reduce the Burden
on Providers of
Information.
EPA faces increasing resistance to new data
collection requirements. Many data providers
feel that data and collection efforts are not
being used to maximum benefit. If EPA is to
fill its information gaps, it must demonstrate
the importance of the data requirements and
assure reporters that EPA is making good faith
efforts to eliminate unnecessary burdens on
reporters. EPA should ease the burden on
information providers by:
- creating effective reporting mechanisms
through data integration to eliminate
existing cumbersome or duplicative
reporting requirements;
- using electronic methods where appropriate
to exchange data with providers in order to
improve accuracy and reduce cost;
- demonstrating that the data being collected
is useful and is required for environmental
effectiveness; and
- using innovative technologies to convert
paper reports from small entities for which
electronic reporting may not be cost
effective.
Once EPA has completed its data inventory
and defined its data requirements and
standards, the Agency will have the ability to
consolidate many of its data collection
requirements. Consolidated reporting
requirements together with alternative
electronic methods for collecting information
will greatly reduce the financial burden on
information providers. Data collection
methods that are coordinated and cost-
effective for the data generators will promote
data accuracy and improve partnerships.
10
-------
ORGANIZATION
EPA MUST ESTABLISH A MORE EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION FOR
INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT.
The Task Force finds that EPA's existing information
resources management structure is fragmented and does not
provide sufficient authority to its senior IRM official to ensure
that Agency information needs are met (See EPA Organization
Chart, Appendix D). In EPA's decentralized environment,
senior program managers have not traditionally accepted
responsibility for leading IRM programs in their area.
An appropriate organizational structure must be created with
authority and responsibility clearly aligned to manage the
Agency's information resources. The management of EPA's
information resources must be championed at a senior level
and receive adequate attention from all senior managers.
There must be a distinct budget for all IRM expenditures to
ensure that information resource costs are accounted for like
other corporate assets. Therefore, EPA must change the
general culture of its IRM management. '
TO ACCOMPLISH THIS EPA MUST:
ORGANIZATION
Establish a Chief
Information Officer (CIO)
Position with Mission
Critical Responsibilities.
To provide a focal point for IRM, the Agency
must establish a CIO. The individual filling
the position should report to the Agency's,
Administrator and be a Senate-confirmed,
political appointee to ensure equal standing
with the other senior managers of the Ageincy.
The CIO's responsibilities must include:
responsibility and authority for '
Agency-wide IRM planning and budgeting;
- establishment of an organizational structure,
that cohesively manages information
resources at all levels:
- definition and institutionalization of IRM
principles;
implementation of Agency-wide IRM
initiatives and an integrated information
infrastructure; and
compliance with Federal IRM regulations
and circulars, including specifically
managing information to support the
performance measures required under the
Government Performance Results Act
(GPRA), reviewing information collection
requirements under the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA) and the Pollution
Prevention Act (PPA), and ensuring
information is managed as an
Agency-wide asset.
Experience has shown that isolated and stand-
alone senior information officials often are
viewed by senior managers as not being
integral to accomplishing an organization's
mission. Stand alone CIOs are usually viewed
by other senior managers as having support
11
-------
roles, not mission critical roles. To overcome
this, the Agency's CIO must also have
responsibilities which clearly link the CIO to
critical elements in the Agency's mission (e.g.
finance, environmental indicators, or
environmental statistics).
IR1V1 Steering
Committee
Maintain an
Executive Level
IRM Steering
Committee.
EPA must continue its effort to build an
executive level IRM Steering Committee3 to
oversee, sponsor, and review the IRM
program. A Steering Committee comprised of
executive level members ensures senior
management involvement and commitment to
IRM. Senior Executives have the authority to
commit their program to Steering Committee
decisions while other levels of staff cannot.
The responsibilities of the committee should
include the following activities:
- recommending principles, standards, and
policies for managing EPA's information
resources;
- reviewing all Agency and Program IRM
Strategic and multi-year implementation
plans; and
reviewing the Agency's IRM budget.
EPA should maintain broad representation
from State Co-Implementors on the committee
and permit as full participation as possible
without invoking the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA) requirements.
IRM Planning
& Budgeting
Integrate the IRM
Planning Process
with the Agency's
Budget.
EPA is required by federal law to account for
IRM activities in annual and multi-year plans.
The Agency is also required to link these IRM
plans to its budget. EPA has begun to make
progress in this area, but must continue to
improve. In order to have an IRM program
that will effectively support the Agency's
mission and comply with Federal
requirements, EPA must:
- link the Agency's IRM planning and
budgeting processes so that all IRM goals
are explicitly stated and funded;
- fund only IRM projects that have been
approved and are consistent with
standards;
establish budget line items for critical IRM
initiatives (e.g., key data identifiers);
identify Federally mandated data collection
costs;
- develop appropriate cost allocation
mechanisms to ensure that funding is
available to support Agency-wide IRM
activities and infrastructure; and
assign primary responsibility to the CFO
and CIO for ensuring that these
recommendations are accomplished.
As specified in the Executive Steering Committee for IRM charter, dated March 7, 1994, the membership should include the Deputy Chief of
Staff; Assistant, Associate, and Regional Administrators; the General Counsel; the Inspector General; and 5 State representatives.
12
-------
Linking IRM planning to the Agency's budget
promotes visibility and accountability for IRM
initiatives. Furthermore; establishing this link
ensures that the importance of IRM to
program initiatives is not lost during budget
considerations.
The Task Force is not in a position to suggest
. a specific IRM organization for the Agency,
but it recommends that this issue be carefully
reviewed. An IRM program that supports
Agency work must have coherent structure
with clear accountability.
Organization
Resolve the
Organizational
Fragmentation.
The Task Force, in reviewing EPA's .
organizational chart, identified both functional
overlaps and functional fragmentation for IRM
policy and delivery of IRM services. For
example, the Office of Policy, Planning, and
Evaluation (OPPE), the Office of Information
Resources Management (OIRM), and the
National Data Processing Division (NDPD) all
have IRM policy functions and service
delivery roles. However, each reports through
different managers. This overlap reduces the
effectiveness of IRM's support of the Agency.
Various audit reports4 document the
fragmentation and conclude it has lead to
ineffective management of EPA's IRM
program. The Task Force believes that the
Administrator should review the situation'and
consider the following options:
- consolidating IRM functions with less!
overlap and greater delineation,
consolidating IRM organizations, or
- strengthening the CIO's authority to
enforce IRM delegations.
Program
IRM Efforts
Strengthen Program
IRM Implementation
Efforts.
EPA has found that program level
implementation efforts improve support for
primary users. Recognizing this, EPA should
continue to empower program implementation
efforts. Program specific initiatives must,
however, be consistent with the overall
Agency IRM strategy and support the
integrated information infrastructure. Program
commitment to tactical IRM plans and line
items in program budgets that support IRM
are essential to an effective IRM strategy at
the program level. The CIO and executive
level Steering Committee must clearly
articulate the Agency's vision to these internal
partners and assist them in translating the
Agency's mission into IRM initiatives that are
consistent with the Agency's strategic plans.
Environmental Protection: EPA's Plans to Improve Longstanding Information Resources Management Problems (GAO/AIMD-93-8, September
1993);
Computer Systems Integrity: EPA Must Fully Address Longstanding Information Resources Management Problems (E1NMF1-15-0032-2100641,
September 1992); :
Special Review of EPA's Information Systems Program. Volume 1 (E1SKG3-15-0098-4400038, March 1994).
13
-------
RELATED INITIATIVES
Before finalizing its recommendations, the Task Force reviewed and discussed many of the ongoing
IRM improvement efforts in the Federal Government and at the EPA. The Task Force
recommendations complement these initiatives as they relate to information management. These are:
- strengthening State Capacity;5
developing a national information infrastructure;6
making data available to the public, through compliance with the Government Information
Locator System (GILS);7
- using data standards, particularly existing federally mandated standards;8
improving the management of EPA's information resources as recommended by the GAO and the
IG;9 and
- working with the Federal Geographic Data Committee to establish identifiers that are not unique
to EPA.10
Additionally, several recent Executive Orders call for changes in Federal-stakeholder relationships,
including better partnerships and information sharing.
State Capacity Task Force, Report of the Task Force to Enhance State Capacity. Strengthening Environmental Management in the
United States (EPA-270-R-93-001, July 1993).
Coordinating Geographic Data A cquisitions and A ccess: The National Spatial Data Infrastructure, Executive Order 12906, April
11,1994.
Draft OMB Bulletin 94-XX, Establishment of Government Information Locator Service. May 13, 1994.
Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS), issued under the provisions of the Federal Property and
Administrative Services Act of 1949 as amended by the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 100-235.
9
Environmental Protection: EPA's Plans to Improve Longstanding Information Resources Management Problems
(GAO/AIMD-93-8, September 1993);
RPA Toxic Substances-Program: Long-standing Information Planning Problems Must Be Addressed (GAO/AIMD-94-25,
November 1993);
Executive Guide: Improving Mission Performance Through Strategic Information Management and Technology
(GAO/AIMD-94-115, May 1994);
Computer Systems Integrity: EPA Must Fully Address Longstanding information Resources Management Problems
(E1NMF1-15-0032-2100641, September 1992);
Special Review of EPA's Information Systems Program. Volume 1 (E1SKG3-15-0098-4400038, March 1994).
OMB Circular A-16 tasks the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) with developing standards for NSDI and coordinating
spatial data issues for those Federal agencies that have data that will be contributed to the NSDI.
14
-------
CONCLUSION
The future success of EPA and its Co-Implementors' efforts to protect the environment is contingent
upon the ability to harness the power of information. Because information is one of the keys to
successfully achieving the shared goal of protecting the environment, EPA must lead a
comprehensive information strategy that promotes a new attitude toward the critical nature of
information. The power of information must be augmented through:
- strategic use of information,
- information partnerships,
a truly integrated information infrastructure, and
- an effective information management organizational structure.
The Task Force believes that because its recommendations are so tightly woven, the Agency must
fully embrace all four to successfully implement its guiding principles. Through full implementation
of these recommendations, information will play its strategic role in supporting the mission to protect
human health and the environment.
15
-------
APPENDIX A
ABBREVIATED LIST OF RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND EXECUTIVE
OFFICE DIRECTIVES
Chesapeake Bay Agreement
(related law: Clean Water Act Amendment of 1977) Section 103 of the Water Quality Act of 1987 added Section 117 to
Title I of the Federal Water Pollution Act.
Clean Air Act
Public Law 91-604, as amended; 42 U.S. Code 1857-18571.
Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
Public Law 101-549, 104 Statute 2399.
Clean Water Act Amendments of 1977
Public Law 95-217, 33 U. S. Code 1251.
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA)
Public Law 96-510, 94 Statute 2767, 42 U. S. Code 9601 et. seq., December 11, 1980.
Coordinating Geographic Data Acquisitions and Access: The National Spatial Data Infrastructure
Executive Order 12906, April 11, 1994.
Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA)
Public Law 99-499. Also referred to as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986
(SARA).
Energy Policy and Conservation Act
Public Law 94-163, 89 Statute 871, December 22, 1975.
Establishment of Government Information Locator Service
Draft OMB Bulletin 94-XX, May 13, 1994.
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act Amendments of 1988 (FIFRA)
Public Law 100-532, 102 Statute 2654, October 25, 1988.
Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972
Public Law 92-500, 86 Statute 816, 33 U.S. Code 1251 et seq., October 18, 1972. This is most commonly referenced
"Federal Water Pollution Act" and "Clean Water Act."
Government Performance and Results Act of 1993
Public Law 103-62, 107 Statute 285, August 3, 1993.
Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Act of 1984
Public Law 98-3221, 98 Statute 3221, November 8, 1984.
Lead Contamination Control Act (related law: Safe Drinking Water Act)
Public Law 100-572, 102 Statute 2884, 42 U.S. Code 300, 1988.
Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972
Public Law 92-532, 86 Statute 1052, October 23, 1972.
Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act
Public Law 94-364, 90 Statute 981.
A-l
-------
APPENDIX A.
ABBREVIATED LIST OF RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND EXECUTIVE
OFFICE DIRECTIVES
National Performance Review: Enhancing the Intergovernmental Partnership
Executive Order 12875, November 26, 1993.
Paperwork Reduction Act
Public Law 96-511, December 1980. \ .'',.
Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 \
Public Law 101-508, 104 Statute 1388-321, 42 U.S: Code 13101, November 5, 1990.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976;
Public Law 94-580, 90 Statute 2795, 42 U.S. Code 6901 et. seq., October 21, 1976.
Safe Drinking Water Act
Public Law 93-523, 88 Statute 1660, 42 U.S. Code 300, December 16, 1974.
Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986
Public Law 99-339, 100 Statute 642, 42 U.S. Code 201, June 20, 1986. .
i
Solid Waste Disposal Act Amendments of 1978
Public Law 95-609, 92 Statute 3079.
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA)
Public Law 99-499, 100 Statute 1613, October 17, 1986.
Toxic Substances Control Act .
Public Law 94-469, 90 Statute 2003, October 11, 1976.
A-2
-------
APPENDIX B
EXTERNAL CONTRIBUTORS
The following individuals provided written and oral comments to the Task Force.
Nicholas Ashford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bruce Bergen, Ciba
John Chelen, Unison Institute
Rebecca Cobos, People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources
Claudette Cofta, Chemical Manufacturers Association
Jane Delgado, National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organizations
Michael Domaratz, Federal Geographic Data Committee
Bradley Duggar, State of Tennessee and the National Association of State Information Executives
Roger Hartung, U.S. EPA, Region 6
Claudette Hennessy, Ciba
Richard Hogan, U.S. Geological Survey
Frank Koper, Utility Industry Group
David LeBlanc, Offshore Operators Committee
Thomas Looby, Steering Committee to Implement the Report of the Task Force to Enhance State
Capacity
John Lutz, Association of American Railroads
Ellen Shapiro, American Automobile Manufacturers Association
Thomas Yuill, Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
B-l
-------
APPENDIX C
KEY PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
The following are key publications and reports used by the Committee in the development-of this
report.
PUBLICATIONS
Davenport, Thomas H.; Hammer, Michael; and Metsisto, Tauno J. "How Executives Can Shape Their Company's
Information Systems." Harvard Business Review, no. 89206, March-April 1989, pp. 130-134.
Exley, Charles. "How Changes in MIS Affect the CFO and CIO." Financial Executive 6, November-December 1990, pp.
16-20.
Minahan, Tim. "GAO Cites Need for Information Czar to Beef Up IT Project Management." Government Computer News
13, no. 3, 7 February, 1994, p. 8. ;,
Rifkin, Glen. "Ciao for CIO's?" Forbes ASAP, October 23, 1993, pp. 93-101.
Simon, John, ed. "Managing Information Technology: Organization and Leadership." Harvard Business School, Case 9-
189-133 (1989). ;
Tosta, Nancy. "National Spatial Data Infrastructure: Where Are We Now?" Geo Info Systems, January 1994, pp. 25-28.
i
"The Role of the CIO: A Status Report." Information Strategy: The Executive's Journal, Winter 1994, pp. 48-51.
"Tracking Toxics for Pollution Prevention." Working Notes on Community Right to Know, November-December 1991.
REPORTS
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Environmental Quality, Cooperative Environmental
Community Agreement 1994 Program Report.
Executive Guide: Improving Mission Performance Through Strategic Information Management and Technology
(GAO/AIMD-94-115, May 1994). . :
Information Management: Need for a Chief Information Officer for the General Services Administration
(GAO/T-AIMD-94-98, March 1994). '
Special Review of EPA's Information Systems Program. Volume 1 (E1SKG3-15-0098-4400038 March 1994).
State of New Hampshire, Information Architecture Principles. February 1994.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SIRMO Focus Group, "Draft Elements of the IRM Vision," February 1994.
Improving Government: Actions Needed to Sustain and Enhance Management Reforms (GAO/T-OCG-94-1, January
1994).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Strategic Plan. Fiscal Years 1995-1999 (Draft), Chapter 1, "A New
Generation of Environmental Protection," January' 1994.
EPA Toxic Substances Program: Long-Standing Information Planning Problems Must Be Addressed (GAO/AIMD-94-25,
November 1993).
C-l
-------
APPENDIX C
KEY PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
Environmental Protection: EPA's Plans to Improve Longstanding Information Resources Management Problems
(GAO/AIMD-93-8, September 1993).
State Capacity Task Force, Report of the Task Force to Enhance State Capacity: Strengthening Environmental
Management in the United States (EPA-270-R-93-001, July 1993).
Computer Systems Integrity: EPA Must Fully Address Longstanding Information Resources Management Problems
(E1NMF1-1S-Q032-2100641, September 1992).
Regional CIS Workgroup, Regional GIS Strategic Plan. March 1992.
C-2
-------
Organizational Chart Showing Components With Responsibility for IRM
U
2
H
------- |