Overall policy on how federal information is managed will remain the responsibility of the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a split which is strongly condemned by consultant Timothy Sprehe, a former senior policymaker at the OMB.
"The legislation will be ineffective. It has the wrong aims and scope," Sprehe told E-Government Bulletin. In Sprehe's view, the OMB failed to implement government information policies effectively in the past. To be successful, the bill needed to place responsibility for managing both information and technology in the hands of a new, strong federal agency, he says.
Last September Sprehe was invited to testify before a congressional committee and urged Congress to reject the bill in its final form (http://fastlink.headstar.com/sprehe).
The legislation had a difficult birth following numerous revisions and delays. Originally expected to come into force in 2001, the legislation was delayed by the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 after which homeland security dominated the government agenda.
To see a copy of the act visit the Congress legislation service at http://thomas.loc.gov and enter bill number HR.2458.ENR in the relevant search box.
Quelle: Headstar
