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Office of Environmental Information
Year 2000 Action Plan
April 2000
U.S. EPA Headquarters Library
Mail code 3201
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20460
EPA
745/
2000.2
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Vision
OEI is an innovative center of excellence that
advances the creation, management, and use of
information as a strategic resource to enhance
public health and environmental protection.
U-S.
OEI Year 2000 Action Plan: April 2000
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1: Introduction 3
Planning for the Environmental Information Needs of the Future 3
EPA's Strategic Plan Goal 7 4
Section 2: Project Summaries 7
Increase the Availability of Quality Health and Environmental Information
Access to Interpretative Policy Guidance 8
Data Acquisition and Management 9
Data Quality and Accuracy 9
Data Standards and Related Business Rules Development 10
Electronic Reporting and Central Receiving 10
Facility Identification/Facility Registry System (FRS) '. 10
Geospatial Data Collection 11
Information Collection Request (ICR)
Review and Burden Reduction Strategy 11
Information Collection Strategy (Data Needs) 12
Information Integration Network 12
Information Product Bulletin 13
Information Protection Policies 13
Internet/Intranet Content Management Support 14
National Library Network (NLN) 14
Public Access Strategy 15
Quality System 15
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)—Analysis and Access Expansion 15
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)—improve Base Operations 16
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)—Innovations 16
Web Site Enhancements for Improved Customer Service 16
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Improve the Public's Ability to Use and Understand Environmental and Health Information
Data Analysis 17
Envirofacts Data Warehouse 17
Environmental Analysis and Statistical Policy, Products, and Projects 18
Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and
Community Tracking (EMPACT) 18
Geospatial Tools 19
Provide Efficient, Effective, and Secure Information Technology Support
Administrative Systems Architecture 20
Desktop Standards 21
Email Consolidation 21
Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure 21
Information Technology (IT) Investment Management 22
Information Technology (IT) Training and Workforce Development 22
National Administrative Systems 23
Security Program to Protect Agency Information Assets 23
Systems Development Center (SDC) 23
Updating and Reengineering Agency
Information Technology (IT) Policies 24
User Support and Customer Service 24
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SECFION
INTRODUCTION
In October 1998, the EPA Administrator announced plans to create a new
information office that would have central responsibility for information
management, policy,and technology. The new office would meet the demand for
high-quality environmental information by improving the way EPA collects, manages,
analyzes, and provides access to environmental information for the American public.
Creating the office was a collaborative process with input from a wide range of staff
and stakeholders, both internal and external to EPA. The new Office of
Environmental Information (OEI) was officially launched in October 1999.
Planning for the Environmental Information
Needs of the Future
With the creation of OEI, EPA is poised to begin a process aimed
at ensuring that EPA collects and makes available to the public
quality information to enhance environmental decision making.
One key outcome of this process will be the development of an
Information Plan.
The Agency's Information Plan will address EPA's information
collection, management, analysts, and access needs, and the
Agency's vision for addressing these information needs in the
future. The Plan will outline our long term goals and operating
principles. In preparing this Plan, OEI will look forward over a period of years to
determine which priority office activities will be critical to ensure that the Agency's
data and technology resources meet the public's needs for complete,compatible,
accurate, accessible, and secure environmental information. This document is a
precursor to the Information Plan and includes priority projects for the year 2000.
OEI will begin developing the framework for EPA's comprehensive Information Plan
in 2000. Due to the importance and future orientation of this Plan, we will use a
collaborative process in its development, including input from our State and Tribal
partners, stakeholders, and other Agency program and regional offices.
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EPA's Strategic Plan Goal 7
All current and future OEI initiatives will support EPA's strategic plan, specifically Goal
7,"Quality Environmental Information." While continuing to undergo revision, the
proposed Goa! 7 description and its objectives for the next five years are listed
below.
Quality Environmental Information: EPA will provide access to information about
environmental conditions and related health and ecological risks to help inform
decisions and help the public assess the general environmental health of
communities. EPA will also develop innovative tools that provide reliable, secure
exchange of quality environmental information to inform decision making.
Objective 7,7: Increase the availability of quality health and environmental
information.
Objective 7.2: Improve the public's ability to use and understand environmental
and health information.
Objective 7.3: Provide efficient,effective,and secure information technology
support.
Guiding Principles
There are six key principles that shape OEI activities and decision making. These
principles, described below, not only support our Goal 7 objectives, but also will be
fundamental components of our Information
Plan. These principles are integral parts of all
OEI plans and projects.
OEI Mission
OEIv
protecting public health, and the
environment by integrating quality
environmental information to make it useful'
\ fbninformlng decisions, improving , ti i;^
information management documenting • *-v-'
performance.and measuring sUccessl'OEi'
working with many different internal arid
external stakeholders and partners, will:
policies and procedures that reflect tht
concerns of EPA managers^hd^fcaff;
State, and Federal governments; Tribes; the"
regulated community; interest grpups; and
the general public. 1\ •
Integrate Information
EPA has committed to integrating information
as a key theme for the Office of Environmental
Information. The long-term vision for EPA's
integration efforts is to create a network that
supports core mission functions and to support
a broad data exchange network with our State
and Tribal partners and other environmental
information stakeholders.
Enhance Information Quality
This principle focuses on increasing the value of
environmental information for all stakeholders
by seeking customer feedback and
systematically improving the information's
usability, clarity, accuracy, reliability, and
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scientific defensibility. This includes instituting compatible data standards and
ensuring that data quality is known and appropriate for intended uses. Enhanced
information quality will enable a more accurate, comprehensive environmental
"picture"for EPA partners and stakeholders.
Foster Information-based Decisions
EPA recognizes the need to evaluate data for appropriateness for its intended uses
and to analyze, communicate, and provide accessto appropriate data and
information so that all stakeholders can use the information for improved
environmental decision making.
Reduce Burden
Increasing the efficiency of information collection by reducing unnecessary cost and
burden to EPA, States,Tribes, stakeholders, and customers in coilecting and using
information is another priority for OEI. The outcome will be more streamlined and
efficient information exchange between EPA, States,Tribes, and stakeholders.
Expand Americans' Right to Know About Their Environment
Providing the public access to EPA's wealth of environmental data and information
resources supports EPA's mission and many of our stakeholder's goals to protect
public health and the environment. Increased public access supports citizens'
understanding and involvement and enables them to make decisions that help
protect families and their communities.
Strengthen and Secure EPAs Information Infrastructure
Strengthening and securing EPA's information infrastructure is fundamental to
increasing the availability and accessibility of environmental information to
customers and stakeholders. EPA will remain
vigilant in maintaining a strong and secure
information infrastructure that is ca pable of
supporting the Agency's strategic goals. EPA
recognizes that a secure information
infrastructure is essential to maintaining
Congressional and public confidence in EPA's
stewardship of environmental and regulatory
information.
The next section presents a summary of OEI's
priority activities for the year 2000. While many
projects support more than one Goal 7
objective, they are listed under the objective
that they support most strongly. While there is a
lead office identified for each project, many
projects will involve efforts by more than one
office, as indicated.
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SECTION
PROJECT SUMMARIES
The following are summaries of OEI projects or work areas that are integral to
meeting OEI's goals. Most projects support more than one goal and include
activities that span the entire information life cycle. Additionally, there are a number
of projects that require coordination within OEI's three offices, such as the
Information Protection Policies project which is led by the Office of Information
Collection in coordination with both the Office of Technology Operations and
Planning and the Office of Information Analysis and Access. To assist the reader in
locating projects of interest, we have listed the projects in the following categories:
Increase the Availability of Quality Health and Environmental Information
Improve the Public's Ability to Use and Understand Environmental and Health
Information
Provide Efficient, Effective, and Secure Information Technology Support
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Major Outcomes: Major goals of this projec .nclude completing document scanning
and conversion, completing cataloging in tne metadata database system,
enhancing tools for the creation and management of metadata, and implementing
the Web site, including the interface rollout and integration with other Agency
finding aids.
Title: Data Acquisition and Management
Lead Office: Office of Information Collection (OIC)
Project Summary: Data acquisition efforts to strengthen the quality of locational data
rely on the use of environmental characterization data sets from other Federal
agencies. Using these data sets, EPA is undertaking activities in many areas,
including the following:
• complete U.S. land cover mapping and initiate related efforts to keep land
cover mapping current;
• investigate viability of enabling data acquisition through fast, interactive data
retrieval technologies;
• continue to improve the quality of locational data maintained in Agency data
systems through the Locational Data Improvement Projects (LDIP); and
• complete the Web Guide to National Environmental Information and Statistics.
Major Outcomes: Some of the major milestones for this project are to complete land
cover mapping efforts that are already underway, launch the Web Guide to National
Environmental Information and Statistics, and complete piloting and testing activities
of data retrieval technologies.
Title: Data Quality and Accuracy
Lead Office: Office of Information Collection
(OIC) with support from all data collection efforts
Project Summary: This project will focus on two areas of
activity. First, development of a Data Error Tracking
System will be used throughout the Agency to ensure
that errors reported by the public and the regulated
community are appropriately addressed in a timely
and documented fashion. Second, OEI will create
error-detection checks within the central receiving
process to guarantee the accuracy of data received
from a variety of sources in a range of formats (e.g.,
Web-based reporting).
Major Outcomes: The major outcomes associated with this project include finalizing
requirements analysis, design, and development of an Error Tracking System, and
implementing a Web-based error reporting and correction process.
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U.S. EPA Headquarters Library
Mail code 3201
120°pennsyrvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20460
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facility. This will include reviewing and potentially reengineering current data
collection processes as they relate to facility identification information, developing
appropriate business rules, linking the facility master record in the FRS with CR, and
furthering the Agency's goal of providing universal access to electronic reporting
from facilities,States, and Tribes.
Major Outcomes: Major outcomes include piloting a CR registration and certification
process, developing FRS Information System Business Rules (including procedures for
changing and correcting FRS data), establishing the schedule for adding facility
records to FRS, and building secure Internet access to FRS.
Title: Geospcrtial Data Collection
Lead Office: Office of Information Collection (QIC) in coordination with
the Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: EPA's Geospatial Program is the result of the consolidation of
geographic information system (GIS), remote sensing, and visualization work. This
consolidation provides spatial information and geographic representations of data,
making the information more accessible and understandable to users.
Major Outcomes: OEI will produce a plan for the Agency's Geospatial Program that
will establish a vision and set the direction of the Program over the next several
years. The planning process will include gathering information on existing business
functions, data flows, key activities, and needs through interviews and surveys with
internal and external partners and stakeholders. Key products will include baseline
assessment reports.requirementsanalysis.and priorities for key requirements and
core business needs.
Title: Information Collection Request (ICR) Review and Burden Reduction
Strategy
Lead Office: Office of Information Collection (QIC)
Project Summary: OEI has authority to implement the Paperwork Reduction Act. As
part of this authority, OEI is responsible for managing EPA's ICR process, which
involves reviewing, processing, tracking, and providing general customer support to
the Agency on ICR rules, regulations, and policies. OEI also is responsible for
identifying opportunities to reduce burden by eliminating redundancies and
improving the sharing of data.
Major Outcomes: Major outcomes include the redesign of the Paperwork Reduction
Act Management System (PRAMS) and the ICR work flow tracking system. We will
also complete development of the ICR Inventory (ICRI), a Web-based, searchable
tool that will enable EPA to analyze what information the Agency is collecting, from
whom they are collecting it. and the cumulative impact of EPA's collection activities.
In addition, EPA will analyze its collection activities and make recommendations for
burden reduction in this area.
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Title: Information Collection Strategy (Data Needs)
Lead Office: Office of Information Collection (QIC)
Project Summary: EPA and its State and Tribal partners use environmental information
to manage existing programs, measure environmental progress, and assess future
needs. In response to General Accounting Office (GAO) recommendations and OEI
commitments made to external stakeholders, we will identify opportunities to fill key
information needs through improved access to existing data or EPA's acquisition of
new or existing data.
Major Outcomes: EPA will create a draft strategic action plan that will define the
scope of this project. The strategic planning activities will involve conducting an
analysis of the current state of gap-related issues and projects as well as describing
a desired future state in which data gaps are effectively addressed. Defining current
and future states will involve identifying current or planned Agency data collection
and acquisition projects and efforts to improve quality, analyzing emerging trends,
working with internal and external partners and stakeholders to identify their needs,
and developing recommendations to meet identified needs and reach the desired
future state.
Title: Information Integration Network
Lead Office: Immediate Office of the Deputy Assistant Administrator (DAA)
in coordination with all OEI offices and the EPA program and regional
offices
Project Summary: The information integration network is a fundamentally new
approach to information management that will improve data coordination and
accuracy. While the network will build upon incremental steps taken through
successful implementation of other projects and initiatives, it will also "leapfrog" over
the current incremental approach to esta blish an integrated information
The above diagrams show the major underlying concepts upon which the information Integra-
tion Network is based.
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manager™ system that will enhance information quality,reduce burden.and
improve environmental decision making at all levels.
Major Outcomes: The major short-term outcome of the information integration
network will be a set of activities that both demonstrate the value of integrating
information and begin building the foundation for the longer-term integration effort.
This set of interconnected activities wilt focus on three areas: integrating databases,
improving data flows between EPA, States, Tribes, and other external entities, and
providing access to integrated data. In the long run, EPA, its regulatory partners,
and other interested parties will accrue many benefits from successfully
implementing the network. These include the following: increased accuracy,
reliability, and quality of environmental data; improved environmental decision
making; reduced burden and transaction costs for all who provide information to
EPA; increased certainty for regulated businesses; and more reliable and easier
access for the public and improved performance for EPA,
Title: Information Products Bulletin
Lead Office: Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: To enhance our stakeholder outreach and feedback processes,
OIAA will develop and publish a periodic "Information Products Bulletin." This Bulletin
is designed to inform interested stakeholders and the public of upcoming significant
information products and provide some opportunity for feedback into their
development. The first formal publication is expected in early 2001, but an interim
bulletin is expected late this year to alert stakeholders to significant information
products currently underway.
Major Outcomes: In 2000, the State/EPA Workgroup will be
established to define the range of products to be included in the
Bulletin and develop options for stakeholder feedback.
Comments will be solicited in summer/fall and the first bulletin will
be published in early 2001.
Title: Information Protection Policies I
Lead Office: Office of Information Collection (QIC) in
coordination with the Office of Technology Operations and Planning
(OTOP) and the Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: EPA's information protection policies are designed to protect the
integrity, availability, and confidentiality of data and information while also
enhancing the public's right to know about the environment. Rapid changes in
information technology and the expansion of the Internet have created new
challenges for both protecting information and disseminating information to the
public. OEI'b information protection activities currently focus on three areas: (1)
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confidential business information (CBI), (2) information sensitivity criteria,and (3)
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations and guidance.
Major Outcomes: Major outcomes include re-examining and revising EPA's CBI
regulations to ensure that they are up to date and adequate for protecting CBI and
that they do not hinder the Agency's ability to respond appropriately to public
information requests; developing more detailed criteria for specifying and assessing
the sensitivity level of different types of information and evaluating the threats, risks,
and consequences of unauthorized or inappropriate disclosure; ensuring that
information sensitivity criteria are supported by appropriate technologies and
implementation strategies; updating FOIA regulations and documentation; and
ensuring that reading room materials — such as EPA policies, opinions, manuals, and
frequently requested records — are available for public viewing.
Title: Internet/Intranet Content Management Support
Lead Office: Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: OIAA is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the
Agency's Internet Web sites located at" www.epa.gov" With more then 300,000 Web
pages available, and an average of 50 million Web site" hits" from external site users
each month,the Agency Web site is one of the most active governmental Web sites
online. Our support activities include coordinating collection of materials on the
Agency Web site to assure currency of information, responding to site comments and
inquiries, maintaining of active site linkages, and responding to requests for
information made via the Web.
Major Outcomes: OEI wit! continue its coordination and support activities, including
support of the Agency Internet Librarians who research and respond each year to
more then 10.000 information requests. In the summer of 2000 we will hold the
annual Web World Conference, a meeting of the EPA public user community. We will
support the Web Locator application, assure availability of the daify updates of the
Federal Register, and continually make improvements to the search capabilities of
the Web site to assure maximum usability. In addition, we will continue to closely
coordinate with the OTOP on security issues impacting our public access sites.
Title: National Library Network (NLN)
Lead Office: Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: OEI maintains the National Library Network, a consortium of 28
libraries operated across the Agency by various program, regional, and laboratory
offices. The libraries are committed to providing some level of public access to
environmental information as well as strategizing on the role that they can play in
enhancing public access, especially for those who do not have access to computers
or the Internet at work, school, or home.
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Major Outcomes: The NLN is continuing to add new mater s to its desktop library, a
means of access to several key EPA services. It will also continue support for its
online library system. NLN will redefine its role for the future and consider what other
electronic resources would best fulfill the needs of the public.
Title: Public Access Strategy
Lead Office: Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: The objective of this project is to create and implement a strategy
to coordinate all public access activities. This strategy will direct and administer
Agency public access activities for the future. Activities include esta Wishing Agency
roles and responsibilities; setting principles, goals, and objectives; and providing a
forum for the participation of stakeholders and partners. Some of the areas of
consideration for this strategy include maximizing public access, ensuring data
security and confidentiality, and serving customer needs.
Major Outcomes: OEI will complete a comprehensive public access strategy. This will
be developed after an Agency-wide workgroup for this project is formed and after
the workgroup obtains internal input on goals and objectives. The workgroup will
solicit feedback from stakeholders on the workgroup's draft strategy.
Titfe: Quality System
Lead Office: Quality Staff (QS) supported by all line offices
Project Summary: OEI will develop Agency-wide policies for quality systems relating
to the collection and use of environmental information and will oversee their
implementation by Agency organizations. In addition, OEI will develop training
materials and courses on policies for use across the Agency. These policies apply to
both EPA programs and recipients of EPA funds for comparable program activities.
Major Outcomes: The major outcomes will include reissuing guidance for the data
quality objectives process, conducting quality systems audits of 12 EPA organizations
on an ongoing basis, ensuring that all Quality Systems documents are available on
the Internet, and conducting the 19th National Meeting on Managing Environmental
Data Quality.
Title: Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)—Analysis and Access Expansion
Lead Office: Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: OEI plans to expand TRI data analysis to help the public better
understand and use the data. EPA will also assess what the data show about the
operation of the TRI Program and its impact on facility operations. We will also
expand access to the data by improving available tools.
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Major Outcomes: OEI will release s new query tool for the Envirofacts Data
Warehouse and produce a graphic display tool forTRI by creating a national
version of a tool first developed in the State of Washington.
Title: Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)—Improve Base Operations
Lead Office: Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: The principal goals of this TRI project is to improve data quality,
reduce reporting burdens, and provide environmental managers with better
information for their decision-making. Work in this area will focus on processing and
managing TRI data more efficiently and with less cost, reducing the burden by
making it easier for the regulated community to report, removing chemicals that do
not meet the listing criteria, and improving the quality of the TRI data.
Major Outcomes: Major milestones for this project include completing a data quality
plan, posting a Federal Register notice for early data and revision limitations,
ensuring Federal Register publication of the Pollution Prevention rule, completing a
review of the original list of 30 chemicals for toxicity, and completing a review of the
Mining Administrative Procedures Act petition.
Title: Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)—Innovations
Lead Office: Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: EPA has three major goals for TRI innovations this year: reduce
reporting burdens by developing the TRI-Made Easy (TRI-ME) intelligent software to
assist industry in reporting; fill data gaps on toxic chemicals; and provide TRI data to
the public earlier.
Major Outcomes: Major milestones for this initiative include releasing a bbreviated
1998 TRI data, releasing a more detailed analysis for 1998 data, releasing software
and providing support for TRI-ME version 1, and publishing the final rule for lowering
the reporting thresholds for lead and lead compounds,
Title: Web Site Enhancements for Improved Customer Service
Lead Office: Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: To meet EPA's goal of better integrating information while
improving public access to the Agency's information resources, this project will
address EPA staff and public user concerns about EPA's Web site by developing tools
and methods to improve site management and to make it easier to find information.
Major Outcomes: The major outcome associated with this project will be the release
of a redesigned Web site.
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Improve the Public's Ability to Use and Understand
Environmental and Health Information
OEI plans to make EPA's data and information useful and understandable by
characterizing the data so that users understand its context, limitations, and
appropriate uses. Under this objective, information from State agenciesjribes,
community groups,companies, and other information providers may be combined
or interpreted by any interested party in ways that provide more clarity and
applicability while respecting appropriate limitations for the use of the information.
Developing analytical tools enables our customers and partners to query data for
their own specific purposes and to portray it in ways that are most valuable to them.
Projects in this area include:
• Data Analysis
• Envirofacts Data Warehouse
• Environmental Analysis and Statistical Policy, Products, and Projects
• Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT)
• Geospatial Tools
Title: Data Analysis
Lead Office: Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: Work in this area will focus on a series of products and support
activities for the Agency's Web sites and published reports. Activities will include
identifying recommended or best practices for better products, participating as
partners in information analysis and/or providing data analysis services, developing
Information Product Development Guidelines to support better data analysis based
on best practices derived from previous efforts, and creating analytical tools such as
the TRI Data Explorer to provide user-friendly capabilities for data analysis.
Major Outcomes: A key task in this project will be a report of lessons learned from
EPA information products along with a strategy to communicate highlights of
successful analytical products. Other outcomes include a report on the condition of
Mid-Atlantic streams, release of the TRI Explorer with the 1998 TRI Data Release, initial
development of prototypes for the Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
and Biennial Reporting System (BRS) Explorers, and an assessment and
recommendations on improving the Analytical Computing Center.
Title: Envirofacts Data Warehouse
Lead Office: Office of information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: Envirofacts is a multimedia data warehouse that the public can
access via the Internet. It provides direct links and allows users to generate queries
from databases in air, water, hazardous waste, solid waste, and other program areas
in selected formats through Maps-On-Demand,an interactive GIS program.
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Operational since 1995, Envirofacts will continue to increase the number of
databases it covers and will receive enhancements to improve public access.
Major Outcomes: The major outcomes for Envirofacts during the year are
enlargement and enhancement. A TRI tool set and an error correction tool will be
developed and access to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Information
System (RCRIS) database will be modified. Envirofacts will provide access to three
new databases, including the National Contaminant Occurrence Database (NCOD)
and the Information Collection Review (ICR) during the year. One of the key
features of Envirofacts, the EnviroMapper online mapping function, will be expanded
as well.
Title: Environmental Analysis and Statistical Policy, Products, and Projects
Lead Office: Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA)
Project Summary: As the Agency's focal point for the production of information
products for public access and in response to stakeholders' concerns that EPA
"label" the quality and potential limitations on the use and interpretation of our
data and information, it is critical that any information products produced by OEI be
statistically credible and scientifically sound and provide enough documentation so
that users can understand how information products are produced and may be
applied. In addition to product credibility, OEI is responsible for assuring that state-
of-the-art quantitative methods are used to integrate and analyze environmental
data. In addition, OEI will lead efforts to improve the use of environmental models to
support EPA's mission.
Major Outcomes: Some of the major milestones of this project include rolling out
initial wetlands change detection results; developing an improved tool for user-
friendly desktop map displays; publishing the handbook for statistical policy;
proposing the Agency process for incorporating regional, State, and Tribal input into
information products; and developing a draft strategy for improving the
management and use of environmental models.
Title: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking
(EMPACT)
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP)
Project Summary: The EMPACT program assists communities in building capacity for
real-time monitoring, management, and communication of environmental
information. Currently, the program is available to the 86 largest metropolitan areas
in the United States. EMPACT provides direct funding to local communities to
implement real-time environmental monitoring projects, as well as projects that
partner local communities with EPA program and regional offices. Partnership
among States, Tribes, Federal agencies, local governments, and private
organizations in any combination is integral to the success of EMPACT projects.
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Major Oi :omes: The major outcome for EM PACT will be expansion of the program
to more metropolitan areas and a major emphasis on technology transfer of
successful projects from EMPACT metro areas to other communities. EMPACT
partners and stakeholders will meet to discuss monitoring,technology,
communication, and information dissemination issues and the status of EMPACT in a
series of conferences between April and December of 2000.
Title: Geospdtiol Tools
Lead Office: Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA) in
coordination with the Office of Information Collection (OIC) and the Office
of Research and Development (ORD)
Project Summary: Geospatial intelligence is an evolving approach for environmental
protection that exploits analytical tools and remote sensing to provide greater
awareness of what is going on in the environment. Although used extensively in
national security applications, environmental protection applications are beginning
to demonstrate the value of geospatial intelligence and visualization in allowing
decision makers to fully realize the relationships between various environmental data
elements. OEI has lead responsibility for applied geospatial intelligence for EPA
programs and regions in coordination with research efforts in the Office of Research
and Development. Geographic information technologies provide the capability to
develop new tools such as EnviroMapper that enhance the visualization of
environmental conditions for both decision makers and the public. Remote sensing
and associated visualization and interpretive tools and techniques allow the Agency
to target cleanup and restoration efforts, assess environmental outcomes, populate
and calibrate environmental models, and detect changes in vast areas such as
wetlands or watersheds, which can improve
understanding of potential regional and community-
level health and environmental problems.
Major Outcomes: OEI will develop an integrated
geodata server that will enhance geospatial analysis
and access to environmental information resources
across the Agency, OEI will continue to support the
coordinated Agency development of the
EnviroMapper geographic interface and pursue
access to remote geodata and Internet map servers
that provide EPA and its partners with integrated
views of environmental information. We will also have
concluded three field verification pilot tests of the
"wetlands change detection" monitoring
applications for adoption and technical transfer to
the Office of Water, the regions, States, and Tribes. It is
expected that OEI will execute various other special
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requests for geospatial intelligence in the areas of mountain-top mining, urban
sprawl. Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations, and Clean Air Act 112 New
Source Review requirements.
Provide Efficient, Effective, and Secure Information
Technology Support
Increasing the availability and accessibility of environmental information requires
that EPA provide efficient, effective, and secure information technology (IT) support.
IT support is divided into two categories: (1} IT infrastructure and services and (2) IT
policy, planning, security, investment management, and training functions. The IT
infrastructure comprises the Agency's hardware, software, and telecommunications
assets and the technical services to support those infrastructure assets. The IT
infrastructure provides the basic foundation for the development and management
of all EPA information systems and information products. It also supports essential
core information services such as management of the EPA Web site. To ensure the IT
infrastructure's adequacy and integrity, OEI develops and implements IT policies,
plans, and strategies for information security, investment management, and
workforce training and development. These policies and plans provide the
framework for IT management at EPA. The key projects OEI is implementing to
strengthen IT support include:
• Administrative Systems Architecture
• Desktop Standards
• Email Consolidation
• !T Infrastructure
• IT Investment Management
• IT Training and Workforce Development
• National Administrative Systems
• Security Program to Protect Agency Information Assets
• Systems Development Center (SDC)
• Updating and Reengineering Agency IT Policies
• User Support and Customer Service
Title: Administrative Systems Architecture
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP)
Project Summary: Administrative Systems Architecture is an ongoing initiative
between the OEUhe Office of Administrative and Resources Management, and the
Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Development of an Administrative Systems
Architecture began in 1999 with a high-level analysis of existing administrative
processes, the information they require and produce, and the major information
systems that create or use administrative information. The purpose of this year's effort
OEI Year 2000 Action Plan: April 2000
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is to develop an architecture and a plan for moving the Agency toward a single
source for employee locator information,including authentication of system users for
security
Major Outcomes: The major milestone of this project is to complete a tactical plan
by the fall.
Title: Desktop Standards
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP)
Project Summary: This project will identify current desktop hardware and software
standards, research market trends, coordinate with the Agency's Information
Resources Management coordinators, and develop a definitive list of desktop
standards, licensing information, support information, and recommendations for
purchases for desktop and laptop computers.
Major Outcomes: Establishing a standard desktop environment provides an
opportunity to lower the overall total cost of managing the desktop software
component of the IT infrastructure. This project will also establish a clear and
consistent mechanism for acquiring nonstandard software to support organizations
with specialized software needs.
Title: Email Consolidation
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP)
Project Summary: The Chief Information Officer (CIO) requested that all EPA email
users be consolidated into a single email system, Lotus Notes Mail. A single email
system reduces the Agency's cost associated with training, operating, maintaining,
and contracting expenses associated with multiple email systems. It also enhances
email security, as Lotus Notes technology has a very high level of authentication and
encryption.
Major Outcomes: The major milestones of this initiative are to complete email
migration, thereby enhancing email security, and to complete the evaluation of the
migration strategy shortly after completing the migration.
Title: Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP)
Project Summary: EPA's IT infrastructure includes the underlying hardware, software,
and telecommunications network that the Agency relies on to accomplish its
mission. The IT infrastructure planning process is guided by the Agency's information
priorities, which include strengthening information security, ensuring data integrity,
and leveraging new technology to support EPA environmental programs. The work
of this project includes identifying the information processing capabilities and
services needed for managing this information and defining the information
technologies best suited to support these needs.
OEI Year 2000 Action Plan: April 2000
1
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Major Outcomes: The major outcomes of this project will include development of an
EPA IT infrastructure planning process. This process will address key IT infrastructure
issues including the completion of improvements to the public access backup,
implementation of the Agency master firewall, and Local Area Network
consolidation.
Title: Information Technology (IT) Investment Management
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP)
Project Summary: Under the Information Technology Management Reform Act of
1996 (i.e., Clinger-Cohen), Federal agencies are responsible for overseeing the
acquisition, use, and disposal of resources to improve the productivity, efficiency
and effectiveness of Federal programs. These Congressional requirements are
valuable tools to help EPA ensure that its IT investments are cost effective. EPA has
been aggressively implementing IT investment provisions of the Clinger-Cohen Act
and will continue to improve its investment management process to achieve greater
results.
Major Outcomes: One major outcome will be completion of the FY 2002 IT planning
process to provide investment advice to the Chief Financial Officer. Other outcomes
include an evaluation of software tools to facilitate IT investment review and an
assessment of the IT investment review process to reduce the burden on programs
while producing better information for IT management. Options for improving the
process will be presented to the Investment Review Board. The investment review
process will also be used to ensure that EPA's information systems and IT
infrastructure projects meet current Agency IT policies, particularly recently issued
information security policies.
Title: Information Technology (IT) Training and Workforce Development
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP)
Project Summary: Building and maintaining a highly skilled, capable IT workforce is
essential to meeting the Agency's mission and goals. Strong IT workforce
recruitment, retention, training, and career development programs and policies are
essential to ensuring the Agency's IT workforce is ca pable of supporting its
environmental programs. This project will also ensure Agency information workers
have knowledge of applicable security policies and responsibilities.
Major Outcomes: This project has two major milestones: making training and
workforce development information available to all staff and managers, and
providing EPA's IT workforce with access to expanded and enhanced training
opportunities and resources. We will continue the Agency's partnership with the
Information Resources Management College at the National Defense University and
develop a similar partnership with the Federal CIO University.
OEI Year 2000 Action Plan: April 2000
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Title: National Administrative Systems
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP)
Project Summary: Four distinct and synergistic projects comprise the National
Administrative Systems: (1) Electronic - Forms and Office Forms Facilitator (OFF), (2)
National Correspondence Tracking and Information Management System (NCTIMS),
(3) Freedom of Information Management Tracking System (FOIMATS), (3) and the
National Administrative Evaluation Study
Major Outcomes: A few of the major milestones for this initiative include developing
a records management plan and developing an archive procedure for E~Forms,
retiring Off, submitting the National FOIA report to Congress, completing
deployment of NCTIMS/FOIMATS, and completing the National Administrative
Evaluation Study.
Title: Security Program to Protect Agency Information Assets
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP) in
cooperation with Office of Information Collection (QIC)
Project Summary: This ongoing and evolving project involves operating, assessing,
and enhancing EPA's information security program to appropriately protect EPA's
information assets. With the rise of the Internet as a fundamental business tool, EPA
has been assessing how to move from the inherent security of its old mainframe
business model to the a ppropriate security necessary for Internet-based business.
EPA is working toward an information security program that ensures the integrity of
its information and overall technology infrastructure. Once this security program is in
place, EPA will be able to demonstrate to the public and the regulated community
that it can provide appropriate access to public information while providing
adequate protection from unauthorized disclosure of sensitive, confidential
information.
Major Outcomes: The major outcomes for this project include completing assessment
of regional and selected program office security plans and identifying corrective
actions, improving EPA staff and managers' awareness of information security, and
continuing to assess our ability to address both known and newly identified
information security vulnerabilities. In addition, EPA will enhance its security and
technology architecture to deal with current and future threats to EPA's network,
including implementing appropriate changes based on findings of a recent GAO
review.
Title: Systems Development Center (SDC)
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP)
Project Summary: As a "center of excellence" for application systems work, OEI's SDC
is key to helping the Agency accomplish its goals in an efficient and coordinated
manner across program, system, and technological boundaries.
Of/ Year 2000 Action Plan: April 2000
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Major Outcomes: Major milestones of the SDC project are to complete the review of
SDC processes, products,costs, and user satisfaction; participate in the National
Application Developer's Conference; promote security policies and practices, draft
the Agency systems developers' Web site; and implement a plan to extend parts of
the engineering environment beyond the SDC.
Title: Updating and Reengineering Agency Information Technology (IT)
Policies
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP) in
cooperation with the Office of fnformation Collection (OIC)
Project Summary: This project will focus on assisting EPA's IT policy owners in
correcting current deficiencies in IT policies and guidelines on issues such as network
security,telecommunications, hardware/software/communications standardization,
and electronic office equipment access for the disabled to ensure they are in
compliance with new and revised legislation, Executive Orders, and OEI's structure.
tn addition, IT policies must be updated, added, and rescinded in response to
constantly evolving factors {changes in technology, and the way IT is used, changes
in the Internet, and changes in internal and external security concerns) and must be
reformatted or rewritten so they are easier for customers to understand and use.
The project will involve an assessment of best practices in IT policy from EPA's State
partners, Tribes, and other Federal agencies, As IT policies are updated, EPA will
focus on developing training, awareness programs, and compliance measures so
that all affected parties will know the existence, location, and general requirements
of relevant policies and how to measure compliance to the IT policies that pertain to
their work.
Major Outcomes: The major outcomes of this work include an assessment of EPA's IT
policies and guidelines to determine which are current, what is missing, and which
must be updated. Other outcomes include a benchmark review of other Federal
agencies' IT policy best practices, relevant reengineering of IT policies, and
beginning development of a communication and education strategy to assist in
policy implementation.
Title: User Support and Customer Service
Lead Office: Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP)
Project Summary: Supporting Agency IT users requires a strong understanding of both
user needs and technological advances. This year, EPA will be conducting an
assessment of IT issues identifying Agency IT needs as well as mechanisms to address
them. In addition, OEI will work to develop customer service and accountability
measures.
Major Outcomes: Major outcomes for this year include revising IT customer service
performance standards and goals based on user input and publishing an IT
customer satisfaction report.
OEI Veor 20OO Action Plan: April 2OOO
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Mai.' code 3201
1200 Pennsy!vanj?. Avenue NW
Washington DC 20460
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