News
Press Releases: E-Gov & IT General
July 24, 2002
OMB Releases New Business Reference Model to Improve Agency Management
Early Application Critical to Citizen Service
Washington, D.C. - The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Federal Enterprise Architecture Program Management Office today launched the Federal Enterprise Architecture Business Reference Model, the first component of the Architecture, an analytical tool that will help federal agencies responsibly and accurately plan and budget for their capital investments, initially for information technology (IT). The Business Reference Model provides a common understanding of the federal Government’s business operations. A background summary follows, as does a high-level representation of the model.
”The Federal Enterprise Architecture, as the name suggests, provides a foundation for the effective implementation of the President’s agenda,“ said Mark Forman, Associate Director for Information Technology and E-Government. At its core, E-Government will make the government more cost effective and responsive to citizens’ needs. Its applications are widespread and important, and include support for homeland security and other critical business areas of the government.
”This is a quantum leap for the federal government’s ability to focus investments on delivering better results for the citizen, and to avoid the overlap and duplication found by last year’s E-Government Task Force. For the first time, this tool provides us with the capability to look across agencies and identify high-payoff opportunities for applying IT and management reforms, and for taxpayers to get the best return on their money.“
The Business Reference Model provides a common understanding of the federal government’s business operations and outlines three main business areas: citizen services, supporting delivery of these services, and internal operations. The Model sets standard business functions that allow agencies to facilitate their own process of achieving program goals and objectives, and that identify potential opportunities for cross-agency collaboration. It will also assist the agencies and OMB in making IT investment decisions in the Fiscal Year 2004 budget, according to the OMB Circular A-11 Guidance. The Business Reference Model will evolve over time from this initial release (Version 1.0) through use and comment.
OMB will release the full Federal Enterprise Architecture to agencies in a two-phase process through the website, www.feapmo.gov.
