EMS TRANSMISSION 03/19/2007

Instruction Memorandum No. 2007-083

Expires: 09/30/2008

 

To:                   Assistant Directors, State Directors, and Center Directors

Attn: Chief Information Officers

 

From:               Deputy Director, Operations

 

Subject:            BLM Information Technology (IT) Investment Initiatives Proposed for External Use                             

 

Program Area: IT Investment Management

 

Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum (IM) directs that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) IT investment initiatives be reviewed by the Bureau Chief Information Officer (CIO) prior to entering any commitment for use or expansion outside the BLM.

 

Policy/Actions: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires the BLM to ensure the effective management of national-level IT investments. This IM directs that IT investments, i.e. (application, hardware, software, etc.) considered for use or expansion outside the Bureau be vetted through the Bureau CIO for review and approval prior to entering into any agreement resulting in an expanded user base for external use, interagency/inter Bureau use, or transfer of source code. This policy ensures cost and risk factors have been properly staffed and coordinated between all parties prior to any formal agreement being put into place. 

 

Timeframe: Effective immediately.

 

Budget Impacts: None.

 

Background: To ensure BLM resources are not inappropriately directed and all schedules remain intact, these requests are to be reviewed by the CIO before any formal agreements are made. From a Bureau perspective, it is critical that the BLM mission goals and priorities are not compromised through informal agreements that have not been thoroughly reviewed. A key component of the Bureau’s IT investment portfolio, applications and applications support infrastructure must be effectively managed during this period of reduced budgets and major organizational change.

Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: None.

 

Coordination: The development of this policy has been coordinated within WO Assistant Directorates. 

 

Contacts: Questions concerning policy issues identified in this IM should be addressed to Melissa McNichols at (303) 236-1782; or Stew Nelson, Acting Group Manager, WO-550 at (202) 452-5039.