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Federal government information technology: Management, security, and congressional oversight
Reviews
437
Apart from pointing out the minor fault of a small amount of overlapping, perhaps unavoidable in a compendium-for example, descriptions of the institutional structure of EC repeated in several chapters-this reviewer can only praise Hopkins’s book. Although written primarily with British readers in mind, it should prove to be a valuable reference source for anyone, anywhere, who is seriously interested in the characteristics and uses of the mine of information by and about the European Communities. Together with John Jeffries’s above-mentioned Guide to the Official Publications of the European Communities (2d ed., London: Mansell, 1981), Michael Hopkins’s European Community Information is an excellent addition to the literature.
Federal Government Information Technology: Management, Security, and Congressional Oversight. U.S. Congress. Office of Technology Assessment. OTA Report OTA-CIT-297. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1986, 189 pages, $7.50. SuDocs Y 3.T 22/2:2F 3112. S/N 052-003-01026-7. LC 86600507. Reviewed by Steve Ballard
Steve Ballard is Assistant Director, Science and Public Policy Program, Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019.
University
of
This report addresses an important and timely issue: how much return does the Federal government receive from its tremendous investment in information technologies? The Federal government is the largest user of information technology in the world; investments since 1982 have exceeded $60 billion. Yet this report presents a convincing argument that these technologies are not well managed. Indeed, it is reasonable to conclude from this report that technological capacity drives Federal policymaking in this area, rather than Federal agencies wisely using information technologies to achieve their missions. Five specific topics are reviewed in this report in order to address Federal activities related to information technologies: (1) management of information technology, including strategic planning, innovation, procurement, and the information resources management concept; (2) information systems security and computer crime; (3) information technology and decision support; (4) management of government information dissemination; and (5) opportunities for using information technology in conducting congressional oversight. A prime value of this report is that each of these topics is related specifically to the legal, regulatory, and political system which has developed over the past two or three decades. What are the most pressing problems in this system? For this reader, four stand out. First, very little effective long-term or strategic planning is done in the Executive Branch of the Federal government to relate emerging policy responsibilities to needs for information technologies. This is closely related to a second problem: there is very little use of information technologies to improve the capacity of Federal agencies to anticipate emerging problems. Third, few incentives exist for Federal agencies to use information
438
GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION
QUARTERLY
Vol. ~/NO. 4/1986
technologies for innovative policy or program needs. Fourth, many Federal agencies apparently have a lackadaisical attitude toward the security of information systems. Perhaps the most important implication of the identification of these and other problems in the report is that incremental changes in existing public policies are likely to be insufficient as information technologies continue to develop, sometimes at a revolutionary pace. The current policy system, much of which was developed in the 1970s or before, has largely been overcome by technological development. This situation is recognized by the report; for example: technological research attention, laws-or
possibilities, institutional
alternatives.
and policy options deserve further
but, ultimately, Congress is likely to be called on to update existing public
enact new ones-for
thisemerging Federal electronic information environment. (p. 140)
One must wonder where the necessary initiative and creativity will come from to reestablish an active and effective policy framework for managing the next generation of information technologies. In summary, this is a very valuable report on a topic which will continue to have a pervasive impact on the missions and activities of the Federal government. Its value stems, in part, from the broad, policy-oriented framework which it uses, its comprehensiveness, and readability. As is often true of OTA reports, it goes beyond characterization of trends, problems, and issues; it identifies emerging conditions and, therefore, makes an important contribution to establishing the agenda for future discussions of the role of information technologies in the public sector.
Government Publications Index (videodisc version), 1979 Belmont, California: Information Access Company, 1986 $3,500.00 per year for basic monthly database subscription, excluding hardware/software configurations and pricing options are available.
hardware.
Various
Reviewed by Cynthia E. Bower
Cynthia E. Bower is Head Tucson, Arizona 8572 1.
Documents
Librarian,
University
of Arizona
Library,
Information Access Company (IAC) has recently added the U.S. Government Printing Office’s Monthly Catalog database to its growing line of InfoTracTY laser optical diskbased systems. This new videodisc system, titled Government Publications Index (or GPI; not to be confused with IAC’s ROM product by the same title)’ was tested in the Central Reference Department of the University of Arizona Library for four weeks during the spring of 1986. The following review incorporates observations gathered during several hours’ experimentation with the system. IACs new Government Publications Index on videodisc appears to be a highly streamlined, cumulative version of GPO’s Monthly Catalog converted from its original magnetic tape format to twelve-inch laser optical disk. Loaded into the InfoTrac” system and searched via IAC-supplied software,2 the disk contains all bibliographic citations
437
Apart from pointing out the minor fault of a small amount of overlapping, perhaps unavoidable in a compendium-for example, descriptions of the institutional structure of EC repeated in several chapters-this reviewer can only praise Hopkins’s book. Although written primarily with British readers in mind, it should prove to be a valuable reference source for anyone, anywhere, who is seriously interested in the characteristics and uses of the mine of information by and about the European Communities. Together with John Jeffries’s above-mentioned Guide to the Official Publications of the European Communities (2d ed., London: Mansell, 1981), Michael Hopkins’s European Community Information is an excellent addition to the literature.
Federal Government Information Technology: Management, Security, and Congressional Oversight. U.S. Congress. Office of Technology Assessment. OTA Report OTA-CIT-297. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1986, 189 pages, $7.50. SuDocs Y 3.T 22/2:2F 3112. S/N 052-003-01026-7. LC 86600507. Reviewed by Steve Ballard
Steve Ballard is Assistant Director, Science and Public Policy Program, Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019.
University
of
This report addresses an important and timely issue: how much return does the Federal government receive from its tremendous investment in information technologies? The Federal government is the largest user of information technology in the world; investments since 1982 have exceeded $60 billion. Yet this report presents a convincing argument that these technologies are not well managed. Indeed, it is reasonable to conclude from this report that technological capacity drives Federal policymaking in this area, rather than Federal agencies wisely using information technologies to achieve their missions. Five specific topics are reviewed in this report in order to address Federal activities related to information technologies: (1) management of information technology, including strategic planning, innovation, procurement, and the information resources management concept; (2) information systems security and computer crime; (3) information technology and decision support; (4) management of government information dissemination; and (5) opportunities for using information technology in conducting congressional oversight. A prime value of this report is that each of these topics is related specifically to the legal, regulatory, and political system which has developed over the past two or three decades. What are the most pressing problems in this system? For this reader, four stand out. First, very little effective long-term or strategic planning is done in the Executive Branch of the Federal government to relate emerging policy responsibilities to needs for information technologies. This is closely related to a second problem: there is very little use of information technologies to improve the capacity of Federal agencies to anticipate emerging problems. Third, few incentives exist for Federal agencies to use information
438
GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION
QUARTERLY
Vol. ~/NO. 4/1986
technologies for innovative policy or program needs. Fourth, many Federal agencies apparently have a lackadaisical attitude toward the security of information systems. Perhaps the most important implication of the identification of these and other problems in the report is that incremental changes in existing public policies are likely to be insufficient as information technologies continue to develop, sometimes at a revolutionary pace. The current policy system, much of which was developed in the 1970s or before, has largely been overcome by technological development. This situation is recognized by the report; for example: technological research attention, laws-or
possibilities, institutional
alternatives.
and policy options deserve further
but, ultimately, Congress is likely to be called on to update existing public
enact new ones-for
thisemerging Federal electronic information environment. (p. 140)
One must wonder where the necessary initiative and creativity will come from to reestablish an active and effective policy framework for managing the next generation of information technologies. In summary, this is a very valuable report on a topic which will continue to have a pervasive impact on the missions and activities of the Federal government. Its value stems, in part, from the broad, policy-oriented framework which it uses, its comprehensiveness, and readability. As is often true of OTA reports, it goes beyond characterization of trends, problems, and issues; it identifies emerging conditions and, therefore, makes an important contribution to establishing the agenda for future discussions of the role of information technologies in the public sector.
Government Publications Index (videodisc version), 1979 Belmont, California: Information Access Company, 1986 $3,500.00 per year for basic monthly database subscription, excluding hardware/software configurations and pricing options are available.
hardware.
Various
Reviewed by Cynthia E. Bower
Cynthia E. Bower is Head Tucson, Arizona 8572 1.
Documents
Librarian,
University
of Arizona
Library,
Information Access Company (IAC) has recently added the U.S. Government Printing Office’s Monthly Catalog database to its growing line of InfoTracTY laser optical diskbased systems. This new videodisc system, titled Government Publications Index (or GPI; not to be confused with IAC’s ROM product by the same title)’ was tested in the Central Reference Department of the University of Arizona Library for four weeks during the spring of 1986. The following review incorporates observations gathered during several hours’ experimentation with the system. IACs new Government Publications Index on videodisc appears to be a highly streamlined, cumulative version of GPO’s Monthly Catalog converted from its original magnetic tape format to twelve-inch laser optical disk. Loaded into the InfoTrac” system and searched via IAC-supplied software,2 the disk contains all bibliographic citations