Making the Federal Government an E-Business

Forman, the associate director of the Office of Information Technology and E-Government, told government-focused solution providers and vendors that e-government means more than simply creating agency Web sites and leveraging online services and said a larger, more internal reform needs to take place within the federal government's IT infrastructure.

"We're trying to build a click-and-mortar business," Forman says. "We're totally on the Web, but we're not getting the productivity we should. The processes within government have to get simpler."

Forman says he is looking to improve processes and information flow for government services to reduce red tape, lengthy cycles and complicated procedures. He said the federal government needs to start treating citizens the same way private companies treat their customers and start tailoring services that better meet the needs of the citizenry. "[Citizens don't just want access to our Web sites. They want us to improve operations," he said.

Along with overhauling internal operations, Forman says he is committed to making it easier for private IT companies to get grants and contracts so that they can better assist the government's digitization. For example, he says, the procedure for acquiring government grants can take years.

"That's an unworkable situation," Forman says.

Forman also cites the impending IT workforce shortage in the federal government as one of his primary concerns. Government officials estimate that half the federal government's IT workforce is eligible to retire in five years. Forman says federal agencies need to create a more integrated information exchange and modernize their operations to attract better talent. The perception of the stagnant, inflexible bureaucracy scares many prospective employees away from the federal government, he says.

"The primary reason young people don't want to come and work for the federal government is because they believe they can't make a difference," Forman says. "Unless we give employees an integrated, collaborative environment to work in%85then they won't make a difference."