Citizen input will be key to e-government success, Lieberman says
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July 12—Collaboration between government insiders and citizens will lead to an effective electronic-government agenda and thoughtful enactment of legislation, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) told an E-Gov 2000 audience today.
By Shruti Dat'
GCN Staff
July 12'Collaboration between government insiders and citizens will lead to an effective electronic-government agenda and thoughtful enactment of legislation, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) told an E-Gov 2000 audience today.
The ranking member of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee noted five areas the federal government must act on:
- Effective leadership for governmentwide information technology
Lieberman said he supports the establishment of a federal chief information officer with the authority to lead and coordinate interagency projects. - Integrated service delivery
E-government should streamline the process'not simply digitize old forms and business practices'without confusion and overlap of agency jurisdictions, he said. - Interoperability
The federal government must establish standards for sharing data and services, Lieberman said. - Interagency funding
Federal agencies and Congress must improve the appropriations process to fund interagency IT projects to reduce expenditures for redundant services'in effect ridding the government of stovepipe systems, the senator said. - Urgency
Government insiders realize the federal government cannot fall behind in its use of IT, so they must learn through interactions with the private sector and citizens, he said.
Establishing the federal CIO Council, the National Partnership for Reinventing Government and the proposed governmentwide Web portal, at www.firstgov.gov, are steps in the right direction, Lieberman said.
'These initiatives are proof of continued ingenuity in our government,' he said. 'There is clearly a lot to be done, because e-government is currently a loose-knit mix of ideas and projects.'
Federal employees, the private sector and citizens have offered their opinions about e-government initiatives via an interactive Web site Lieberman launched in May with Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), the Governmental Affairs Committee chairman. The opinions will be food for thought as Lieberman formulates e-government legislation, he said.
The Web site, e-Government: An Experiment in Interactive Legislation, can be accessed at cct.georgetown.edu/development/eGov.