Archive
THE WHITE HOUSE
EXECUTIVE ORDER 13011
FEDERAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
July 16, 1996
A Government that works better and costs less requires
efficient and effective information systems. The Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 and the Information Technology Management
Reform Act of 1996 provide the opportunity to improve
significantly the way the Federal Government acquires and
manages information technology. Agencies now have the clear
authority and responsibility to make measurable improvements
in mission performance and service delivery to the public
through the strategic application of information technology.
A coordinated approach that builds on existing structures
and successful practices is needed to provide maximum benefit
across the Federal Government from this technology.
Accordingly, by the authority vested in me as President
by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy.
It shall be the policy of the
United States Government that executive agencies shall:
- significantly improve the management of their information
systems, including the acquisition of information technology,
by implementing the relevant provisions of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-13), the Information
Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (Division E of Public
Law 104-106) ("Information Technology Act"), and the Government
Performance and Results Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-62);
- refocus information technology management to support
directly their strategic missions, implement an investment
review process that drives budget formulation and execution for
information systems, and rethink and restructure the way they
perform their functions before investing in information
technology to support that work;
- establish clear accountability for information
resources management activities by creating agency Chief
Information Officers (CIOs) with the visibility and management
responsibilities necessary to advise the agency head on the
design, development, and implementation of those information
systems. These responsibilities include: (1) participating
in the investment review process for information systems;
(2) monitoring and evaluating the performance of those
information systems on the basis of applicable performance
measures; and, (3) as necessary, advising the agency head to
modify or terminate those systems;
- cooperate in the use of information technology to
improve the productivity of Federal programs and to promote a
coordinated, interoperable, secure, and shared Governmentwide
infrastructure that is provided and supported by a diversity of
private sector suppliers and a well-trained corps of information
technology professionals; and
- establish an interagency support structure that
builds on existing successful interagency efforts and shall
provide expertise and advice to agencies; expand the skill
and career development opportunities of information technology
professionals; improve the management and use of information
technology within and among agencies by developing information
technology procedures and standards and by identifying and
sharing experiences, ideas, and promising practices; and provide
innovative, multi-disciplinary, project-specific support to
agencies to enhance interoperability, minimize unnecessary
duplication of effort, and capitalize on agency successes.
Sec. 2. Responsibilities of Agency Heads.
The head of
each executive agency shall:
- effectively use information
technology to improve mission performance and service to the
public;
- strengthen the quality of decisions about the
employment of information resources to meet mission needs
through integrated analysis, planning, budgeting, and
evaluation processes, including:
- determining, before making investments in new
information systems, whether the Government should be performing
the function, if the private sector or another agency should
support the function, and if the function needs to be or has
been appropriately redesigned to improve its efficiency;
- establishing mission-based performance measures
for information systems investments, aligned with agency
performance plans prepared pursuant to the Government
Performance and Results Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-62);
- establishing agency-wide and project-level management
structures and processes responsible and accountable for
managing, selecting, controlling, and evaluating investments
in information systems, with authority for terminating
information systems when appropriate;
- supporting appropriate training of personnel; and
- seeking the advice of, participating in, and
supporting the interagency support structure set forth in
this order;
- select CIOs with the experience and skills necessary
to accomplish the duties set out in law and policy, including
this order, and involve the CIO at the highest level of the
agency in the processes and decisions set out in this section;
- ensure that the information security policies,
procedures, and practices of the executive agency are adequate;
- where appropriate, and in accordance with the Federal
Acquisition Regulation and guidance to be issued by the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB), structure major information
systems investments into manageable projects as narrow in scope
and brief in duration as practicable, consistent with the
Information Technology Act, to reduce risk, promote flexibility
and interoperability, increase accountability, and better
correlate mission need with current technology and market
conditions; and
- to the extent permitted by law, enter into a contract
that provides for multiagency acquisitions of information
technology as an executive agent for the Government, if and
in the manner that the Director of OMB considers it advantageous
to do so.
Sec. 3. Chief Information Officers Council.
- Purpose
and Functions. A Chief Information Officers Council ("CIO
Council") is established as the principal interagency forum
to improve agency practices on such matters as the design,
modernization, use, sharing, and performance of agency
information resources. The Council shall:
- develop recommendations for overall Federal
information technology management policy, procedures, and
standards;
- share experiences, ideas, and promising practices,
including work process redesign and the development of
performance measures, to improve the management of information
resources;
- identify opportunities, make recommendations for,
and sponsor cooperation in using information resources;
- assess and address the hiring, training,
classification, and professional development needs of the
Federal Government with respect to information resources
management;
- make recommendations and provide advice to appropriate
executive agencies and organizations, including advice to OMB
on the Governmentwide strategic plan required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995; and
- seek the views of the Chief Financial Officers
Council, Government Information Technology Services Board,
Information Technology Resources Board, Federal Procurement
Council, industry, academia, and State and local governments
on matters of concern to the Council as appropriate.
- Membership. The CIO Council shall be composed of
the CIOs and Deputy CIOs of the following executive agencies
plus two representatives from other agencies:
- Department of State;
- Department of the Treasury;
- Department of Defense;
- Department of Justice;
- Department of the Interior;
- Department of Agriculture;
- Department of Commerce;
- Department of Labor;
- Department of Health and Human Services;
- Department of Housing and Urban Development;
- Department of Transportation;
- Department of Energy;
- Department of Education;
- Department of Veterans Affairs;
- Environmental Protection Agency;
- Federal Emergency Management Agency;
- Central Intelligence Agency;
- Small Business Administration;
- Social Security Administration;
- Department of the Army;
- Department of the Navy;
- Department of the Air Force;
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
- Agency for International Development;
- General Services Administration;
- National Science Foundation;
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and
- Office of Personnel Management.
The Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs of OMB, the Controller of the Office of Federal
Financial Management of OMB, the Administrator of the
Office of Federal Procurement Policy of OMB, a Senior
Representative of the Office of Science and Technology Policy,
the Chair of the Government Information Technology Services
Board, and the Chair of the Information Technology Resources
Board shall also be members. The CIO Council shall be chaired
by the Deputy Director for Management of OMB. The Vice Chair,
elected by the CIO Council on a rotating basis, shall be an
agency CIO.
Sec. 4. Government Information Technology Services Board.
- Purpose and Functions. A Government Information
Technology Services Board ("Services Board") is established to
ensure continued implementation of the information technology
recommendations of the National Performance Review and to
identify and promote the development of innovative technologies,
standards, and practices among agencies and State and local
governments and the private sector. It shall seek the views of
experts from industry, academia, and State and local governments
on matters of concern to the Services Board as appropriate. The
Services Board shall also make recommendations to the agencies,
the CIO Council, OMB, and others as appropriate, and assist in
the following:
- creating opportunities for cross-agency cooperation
and intergovernmental approaches in using information resources
to support common operational areas and to develop and provide
shared governmentwide infrastructure services;
- developing shared governmentwide information
infrastructure services to be used for innovative, multiagency
information technology projects;
- creating and utilizing affinity groups for particular
business or technology areas; and
- developing with the National Institute of Standards
and Technology and with established standards bodies, standards
and guidelines pertaining to Federal information systems,
consistent with the limitations contained in the Computer
Security Act of 1987 (40 U.S.C. 759 note), as amended by the
Information Technology Act.
- Membership. The Services Board shall be composed of
individuals from agencies based on their proven expertise or
accomplishments in fields necessary to achieve its goals. Major
government mission areas such as electronic benefits, electronic
commerce, law enforcement, environmental protection, national
defense, and health care may be represented on the Services
Board to provide a program operations perspective. Initial
selection of members will be made by OMB in consultation with
other agencies as appropriate. The CIO Council may nominate two
members. The Services Board shall recommend new members to OMB
for consideration. The Chair will be elected by the Services
Board.
Sec. 5. Information Technology Resources Board.
- Purpose and Functions. An Information Technology
Resources Board ("Resources Board") is established to provide
independent assessments to assist in the development,
acquisition, and management of selected major information
systems and to provide recommendations to agency heads and
OMB as appropriate. The Resources Board shall:
- review, at the request of an agency and OMB, specific
information systems proposed or under development and make
recommendations to the agency and OMB regarding the status
of systems or next steps;
- publicize lessons learned and promising practices
based on information systems reviewed by the Board; and
- seek the views of experts from industry, academia,
and State and local governments on matters of concern to the
Resources Board, as appropriate.
- Membership. The Resources Board shall be composed
of individuals from executive branch agencies based on their
knowledge of information technology, program, or acquisition
management within Federal agencies. Selection of members
shall be made by OMB in consultation with other agencies as
appropriate. The Chair will be elected by the Resources Board.
The Resources Board may call upon the department or agency whose
project is being reviewed, or any other department or agency to
provide knowledgeable representative(s) to the Board whose
guidance and expertise will assist in focusing on the primary
issue(s) presented by a specific system.
Sec. 6. Office of Management and Budget.
The Director of OMB shall:
- evaluate agency information resources management
practices and, as part of the budget process, analyze, track
and evaluate the risks and results of all major capital
investments for information systems;
- notify an agency if it believes that a major
information system requires outside assistance;
- provide guidance on the implementation of this order
and on the management of information resources to the executive
agencies and to the Boards established by this order; and
- evaluate the effectiveness of the management structure
set out in this order after 3 years and make recommendations for
any appropriate changes.
Sec. 7. General Services Administration.
Under the
direction of OMB, the Administrator of General Services shall:
- continue to manage the FTS2000 program and coordinate
the follow-on to that program, on behalf of and with the advice
of customer agencies;
- develop, maintain, and disseminate for the use of
the Federal community, as requested by OMB or the agencies,
recommended methods and strategies for the development and
acquisition of information technology;
- conduct and manage outreach programs in cooperation
with agency managers;
- be a focal point for liaison on information resources
management, including Federal information technology, with State
and local governments, and with nongovernmental international
organizations subject to prior consultation with the Secretary
of State to ensure such liaison would be consistent with and
support overall United States foreign policy objectives;
- support the activities of the Secretary of State for
liaison, consultation, and negotiation with intergovernmental
organizations in information resources management matters;
- assist OMB, as requested, in evaluating agencies'
performance-based management tracking systems and agencies'
achievement of cost, schedule, and performance goals; and
- provide support and assistance to the interagency
groups established in this order.
Sec. 8. Department of Commerce.
The Secretary of Commerce
shall carry out the standards responsibilities under the
Computer Security Act of 1987, as amended by the Information
Technology Act, taking into consideration the recommendations
of the agencies, the CIO Council, and the Services Board.
Sec. 9. Department of State.
- The Secretary of State
shall be responsible for liaison, consultation, and negotiation
with foreign governments and intergovernmental organizations
on all matters related to information resources management,
including Federal information technology. The Secretary shall
further ensure, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce,
that the United States is represented in the development of
international standards and recommendations affecting
information technology. In the exercise of these
responsibilities,
the Secretary shall consult, as appropriate, with affected
domestic agencies, organizations, and other members of the
public.
- The Secretary of State shall advise the Director
on the development of United States positions and policies
on international information policy and technology issues
affecting Federal Government activities and the development
of international information technology standards.
Sec. 10. Definitions.
- "Executive agency" has the
meaning given to that term in section 4(1) of the Office of
Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 403(1)).
- "Information Technology" has the meaning given
that term in section 5002 of the Information Technology Act.
- "Information resources" has the meaning given that
term in section 3502(6) of title 44, United States Code.
- "Information resources management" has the meaning
given that term in section 3502(7) of title 44, United States
Code.
- "Information system" has the meaning given that term
in section 3502(8) of title 44, United States Code.
- "Affinity group" means any interagency group
focussed on a business or technology area with common
information technology or customer requirements. The
functions of an affinity group can include identifying common
program goals and requirements; identifying opportunities for
sharing information to improve quality and effectiveness;
reducing costs and burden on the public; and recommending
protocols and other standards, including security standards,
to the National Institute of Standards and Technology for
Governmentwide applicability, for action in accordance
with the Computer Security Act of 1987, as amended by the
Information Technology Act.
- "National security system" means any
telecommunications or information system operated by the United
States Government, the function, operation, or use of which
(1) involves intelligence activities; (2) involves cryptologic
activities related to national security; (3) involves command
and control of military forces; (4) involves equipment that
is an integral part of a weapon or weapons system; or (5) is
critical to the direct fulfillment of military or intelligence
missions, but excluding any system that is to be used for
routine administrative and business applications (including
payroll, finance, logistics, and personnel management
applications).
Sec. 11. Applicability to National Security Systems.
The heads of executive agencies shall apply the policies
and procedures established in this order to national security
systems in a manner consistent with the applicability and
related limitations regarding such systems set out in the
Information Technology Act.
Sec. 12. Judicial Review.
Nothing in this Executive order
shall affect any otherwise available judicial review of agency
action. This Executive order is intended only to improve the
internal management of the executive branch and does not create
any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at
law or equity by a party against the United States, its agencies
or instrumentalities, its officers or employees, or any other
person.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 16, 1996