The Office of Management and Budget has issued a memo specifying
requirements for organizing and categorizing information and making
it searchable across agencies, as well as requirements intended to
increase the use of the federal enterprise architecture data
reference model.
Agencies have until Sept. 1, 2006 to organize and categorize
information intended for public access, make it searchable across
agencies and describe how they use formal models to help disseminate
information; review the performance and results of information
dissemination programs and include the review in their information
resources management strategic plan; as well as publish the IRM
strategic plans on public websites, according to the memo.
It said agencies must also begin using the DRM — which provides
concepts, terms, and approaches for carrying out data management
responsibilities — or justify what it is not being used.
The CIO council will work with OMB and agencies to update the DRM,
and separate guidance for sharing terrorism information is being
developed under the intelligence reform and terrorism prevention
act of 2004, according to the memo.
It said agencies must also ensure their terrorism information
sharing activities are consistent with the memo’s DRM guidance.
OMB said it would review agency budget submissions, DRM strategic
plans and agency enterprise architecture activities and annual
reports required under the e-government act in order to assess
agency implementation of the policy. The memo is available at
