Along with  establishing a single policy framework for federal management of  information resources and formalizing the institutionalization of IRM as  the approach governing information activities, the Paperwork Reduction  Act (PRA) in 1980 created OIRA to develop IRM policy and oversee its  implementation, at the same time giving it oversight responsibilities in  specific IRM functional areas. Information Policy and Technology  is responsible for information dissemination, records management,  privacy and security, and IT. PRA requires OIRA to develop and maintain a governmentwide strategic  IRM plan to describe how the federal government will apply information  resources to improve agency and program performance. The CIO Council Strategic Plan Does Not Meet Most PRA Requirements

While a robust document for the Council, this plan does not constitute an  effective governmentwide strategic IRM plan under PRA. Statistical Policy. Records Management. Information Technology. However, OIRA has not established an effective  governmentwide strategic IRM plan to accomplish this. We  performed a rigorous analysis of the documents cited by OMB during our  review and compared their contents against the requirements of the PRA. Our primary finding was that these documents do not, separately or  collectively, meet the requirements for a governmentwide plan. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

To evaluate the adequacy of OIRA’s strategic planning efforts, we  performed a content analysis of the Federal Chief Information Officers  (CIO) Council Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2001–2002—which OIRA  officials identified as the governmentwide IRM plan—and compared it  with specific PRA requirements (S 3505 A).
Why GAO Did This Study

Congress passed the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) to establish a single, overarching policy framework for the management of government information resources. The act established information resources management (IRM) as an approach governing the collection, dissemination, security, privacy, and management of information. The act also created the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to provide leadership, policy direction, and oversight of governmentwide IRM. It further required OIRA to develop and maintain a governmentwide strategic IRM plan and charged that office with responsibilities for general IRM policy and information technology. Although OIRA designated the Chief Information Officers Council's strategic plan for fiscal years 2001-2002 as the governmentwide strategic IRM plan required by the PRA, this does not constitute an effective and comprehensive strategic vision. OIRA has issued policy and implementing guidance, conducted oversight activities, and taken various steps in each of the functional areas.

What GAO Found

GAO found that the documents cited by OMB during it's review did not, separately or collectively, meet the requirements for a governmentwide strategic IRM plan established by PRA.