1. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program November 20, 2002 eGovernment Working Group Meeting Chris Niedermayer, USDA eGovernment Executive

2. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 2  Welcome  Smart Choice Update  Agency Updates – Round 3  Q&A  Next Steps and Wrap-up Agenda

3. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 3 Define Functional (Business) Requirements Educate stakeholders Identify best practice requirements Review best practices with mission areas Gather agency specific and strategic functional requirements Synthesize functional requirements and disseminate for review Finalize functional requirements Develop Select-Level Business Case Templates Review CPIC guide Create templates Publish final templates 1 2 September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 Dec 2002 Define Technical Requirements Technical Requirements Security Plan Telecommunication s Plan Analysis of Existing Systems (if applicable) Technical Architecture Plan eGovernment Plan 3 Complete Cost/Benefit Analysis Complete Risk Management Complete Implementation Project Planning 4 Obtain Approval & Submit Complete OMB 300 Enter in to ITIPS Obtain approval from EITIRB Submit to OMB 6 Finalize Business Cases Complete executive summary and one page overviews Disseminate to agencies for final review and comments Complete final drafts of all sections 5 November 20 th, 2002 In Progress Events Future Events Color Key Completed Items Smart Choice Update—Select Business Cases / Implementation Planning Gameboard

4. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 4 Agenda  Welcome  Smart Choice Update  Agency Updates – Round 3  Q&A  Next Steps and Wrap-up

5. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 5 Agency Updates Today’s agencies:  Rural Utilities Service  Office of the Chief Financial Officer  Economic Research Service  Farm Service Agency  Foreign Agricultural Service  Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration  Natural Resources Conservation Service

6. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 6 Rural Utilities Service  Name of highlighted initiative: Data Collection System (DCS)  Purpose: Collect Operating and Financial Data from RUS borrowers.  Stakeholder groups involved: RUS borrowers (generally businesses)  Benefits: Quick Turn Around, More Accurate Data, E-mail notification, Meets all GPEA except eSignature  Time/cost to create: 2 years, $300,000  Lessons learned and future direction: We are enhancing, adding forms and waiting for eSignature from the eAuthentication group.  Links to eGov Program: Identified in RUS’ Tactical Plan  Awards and achievements: None  eGov Expos or other activities (past or future): None  General eGovernment challenges/lessons learned: Coordination with other groups in RD and USDA including network and security was the biggest challenge.

7. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 7 Office of the Chief Financial Officer  Name of highlighted initiative: National Finance Center (NFC) Certificate Authority (CA)  Purpose: Provide e-authentication services for the federal government and partners  Stakeholder groups involved (citizens, business partners, or employees): government- to-government, business partners, Federal Bridge Certification Authority  Benefits: low-cost, secure government interoperability  Time/cost to create: Started PKI in 1996, CA certification received in 2002, $2M  Lessons learned and future direction: Work within existing federal Public Key Infrastructure, future: NFC application integration and serves as CA for federal government  Links to eGov Program: Integrated into eAuthentication Smart Choice  Awards and achievements: Inaugural CA with federal bridge, awarded two grants for interoperability, Office of Management and Budget portal demo  eGov Expos or other activities (past or future): NFC Customer Briefing, Info Assurance Conference  General eGovernment challenges/lessons learned: Substantial investment required

8. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 8 Economic Research Service  Name of highlighted initiative: Extranets  Purpose: offer private workspaces for ERS to coordinate collaboration among other USDA agencies and senior USDA staff, and to provide key customers with electronic access in a secure workspace to key documents, timely and relevant information and data, announcements, discussion forums, and other tools.  Stakeholder groups involved: employees and business partners, mostly other USDA agencies and university cooperators (e.g., FNS, CSREES, WAOB, FAS, AMS, FSA; Land Grant Universities)  Benefits: Greater collaboration with partner organizations/agencies; information tailored to customer need; professional network directories centralized and relevant to content.  Time/cost to create: 6 months creation to implementation  Lessons learned and future direction: Popularity spawned additional need for secure access to sensitive data; test-piloting of the application brought up security issues that needed to be enhanced. Future directions: obtain an application that can accommodate more uses  Links to eGov Program (Smart Choices, Tactical Plans, etc.):  Awards and achievements: Many kudos from participants around the world collaborating on important projects, such as the International Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.  eGov Expos or other activities (past or future): none  General eGovernment challenges/lessons learned: see above “lessons learned”

9. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 9 Farm Service Agency  Electronic Loan Deficiency Payment (eLDP) Initiative:  Purpose: Make it easier for customers to obtain Loan Deficiency services  Stakeholder groups involved: Employees, Producers  Benefits: Less producer time in the service center, faster payment processing  Time/cost to create:  Lessons learned and future direction: continued simplification of processes and rules, availability for all crops  Links to eGov Program (Smart Choices, Tactical Plans, etc.): Linked to eLoans  Awards and achievements:  eGov Expos or other activities (past or future):  General eGovernment challenges/lessons learned: It has resulted in critical and valuable feedback from participants at all levels.

10. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 10 Foreign Agricultural Service  Name of highlighted initiative: Unified Export System  Purpose: A unified application process which offers the opportunity to incorporate multiple requests for assistance under FAS administered marketing programs (e.g., Market Access Program, Quality Samples Program) into a single consolidated and strategically coordinated proposal.  Stakeholder groups involved: Program partners and employees  Benefits: Electronic submission and workflow processing of information collections  Time/cost to create: $1.5 million over 3 years  Lessons learned and future direction:  Break down project into manageable phases with early deliverables  User involvement in developing business requirements  We plan to upgrade the system in the foreseeable future  Links to eGov Programs: eAuthentication, Online Trade Assistance  Awards and achievements: The Hammer Award  eGov Expos and other activities: None  General eGovernment challenges/lessons learned:  Lack of strategic planning and funding of IT goals and initiatives

11. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 11 Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Admin.  Name of highlighted initiative: Swine Contract Library  Purpose: Provide swine producers transparent market information  Stakeholder groups involved: Citizens (swine producers), businesses (packers)  Benefits: Allow smaller producers to gain access to the same contract information as the larger producers and negotiate better terms for themselves  Time/cost to create: 9 months / $200,000  Lessons learned and future direction: Spend extra time/effort during requirements phase  Links to eGov Program: Supports Objectives 1.2 and 1.3 (citizens) and Objective 2.1 (Public & Private Organizations from USDA eGovernment Strategic Plan  Awards and achievements: Still in development  eGov Expos or other activities: None planned  General eGovernment challenges/lessons learned: Could make use of common deployment tools

12. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 12 Natural Resources Conservation Service  Name of highlighted initiative: PLANTS  Purpose: The PLANTS Database is a single source of standardized information about plants.  Stakeholder groups involved: Citizens, business partners, federal agencies, universities and NRCS employees  Benefits: PLANTS reduces costs by minimizing duplication and making information exchange possible across agencies and disciplines.  Lessons learned and future direction: Must listen to Agency staff and the public to craft a useful conservation product Important to invest ahead of the users if you’re going to meet their needs A high-quality, easily used product will sell itself The NRCS public is broad, sophisticated, & demands accessible, credible data NOW!  Web site: http://plants.usda.gov

13. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 13 Natural Resources Conservation Service  Awards and achievements:  The PLANTS web site was selected as one of the top 10 sites in GovExec.com's fourth annual Best Feds on the Web competition.  PLANTS received a Star Rating from the Awesome Library indicating that it is in the top 1% of all web sites in the field of K-12 Education.  Additionally, Lightspan's StudyWeb® featured the PLANTS web site as one of the best educational resources on the Web.  eGov Expos or other activities ::  NRCS eGov Accountability Expo 8/1  General eGovernment challenges/lessons learned: The NRCS public is broad, sophisticated, & demands accessible, credible data NOW!

14. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 14 Office of Communications  Name of highlighted initiative: Web Presence  Purpose: Present the Department’s websites in a unified manner by defining the methods used by citizens, business partners, and employees for interacting with the Department’s online Web sites, portals, and applications.  Stakeholder groups involved. Enterprise-wide. Citizens, business partners, employees.  Benefits: A uniform presence will benefit stakeholders through delivery of consistent, customer-centric content. Users can efficiently conduct their transactions and satisfy their need for program information.  Time/cost to create: Items will be achieved in steps. $190,000 the first year.  Lessons learned and future direction: Styles and methods for content presentation are numerous, and fun to consider. Selecting among the opportunities will be more difficult.  Links to eGov Program: Web Presence relates to many of the Smart Choice programs.  Awards and achievements: None  eGov Expos or other activities: None  General eGovernment challenges/lessons learned: Meeting unique requirements of agencies. Start small, build incrementally, communicate.

15. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 15 Agenda  Welcome  Smart Choice Update  Agency Updates – Round 3  Q&A  Next Steps and Wrap-up

16. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 16 Questions and Answers

17. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 17 Agenda  Welcome  Smart Choice Update  Agency Updates – Round 3  Q&A  Next Steps and Wrap-up

18. U.S. Department of Agriculture eGovernment Program 18 Next Steps Please forward the eGovernment Newsletter to your agency steering committee A copy was sent via e-mail on Friday; please let us know if you did not receive it Two new eGovernment scorecards are forthcoming One is for SES, part of 5-part PMA scorecard (eGovernment, Financial Mgt, Budget & Performance, Human Capital, Outsourcing) Second is for eGovernment Program; a copy of the scorecard will be provided to all EGWG members A new Integrated eGovernment Reporting process is being implemented along with the eGovernment scorecard The redesigned eGovernment web site will be launched soon We welcome your comments and suggestions for new content or features on the site Special EGWG schedule for December to review Enablers business cases, including meetings weeks of Dec 4 and 11 – details to follow