Effective information security is essential to the expansion of e- government. S. 803 emphasizes that an important goal is using the Internet and other IT to make government information better organized and more accessible to the public. Many agencies across government— including the Postal Service and the Internal Revenue Service—are already using privacy impact assessments and have found them useful. S. 803 addresses this critical issue by requiring that, for IT and information resources management, the Office of Personnel Management, in consultation with OMB, the CIO Council, and the General Services Administration, (1) analyze, on an ongoing basis, the government’s personnel needs; (2) oversee the development of curricula, training methods, and training priorities that correspond to the projected personnel needs of the government; and (3) assess the training of federal employees in IT disciplines, as necessary. The bill addresses this issue by requiring the administrator of the proposed Office of Electronic Government to work with the administrator of OIRA on a variety of information technology and management issues. There are various ways to accomplish this; one approach would be to establish a federal CIO whose responsibilities include both e-government and the other major IT challenges facing the government.
What GAO Found

E-government is critical to the government's ability to effectively communicate with the public. Both Congress and current and past administrations have emphasized the importance of e-government and have put forth proposals to address the challenges associated with this issue. Earlier this year, the Senate passed S. 803, the E-government Act of 2002. To accomplish the goal of enhancing the management and promotion of e-government, S. 803 addresses many of the substantive information resource and management challenges facing the government today. Initiatives contained in this bill represent important steps in creating a government that is more efficient, effective, and focused on citizens' needs. Specifically, the bill would (1) secure the transmission of sensitive information in e-government transactions by promoting the development of electronic signatures, (2) protect individuals' privacy by requiring agencies to conduct privacy impact assessments, and (3) make government information more accessible to the public.