UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN
FY 2001-2005

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I:  MISSION

PART II:  GENERAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

PART III:  HOW GENERAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ARE TO BE ACHIEVED

PART IV:  SPECIFIC ACTIONS LINKING GENERAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES TO PERFORMANCE GOALS

PART V:  STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT

PART VI:  PROGRAM EVALUATION

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PUBLIC PRINTER'S MESSAGE

A common thread linking the past to the future of the Government Printing Office (GPO) has and will be an abiding commitment to provide public access to Government information. For more than a century, GPO's mission under the public printing and documents statutes of Title 44, U.S. Code, is to fulfill the needs of the Federal Government for information products and to distribute those products to the public.

Today, GPO is dedicated to producing, procuring, and disseminating Government information products in a wide range of mediums. In GPO, the Government has a unique asset that combines a comprehensive range of conventional production and electronic processing, procurement facilitation, and multi-format dissemination capabilities to support the information life cycle needs of Congress, Federal agencies, and the public. We will continue to provide print and electronic information products and services to Congress and Federal agencies through in-plant processes and the procurement of information products from the private sector. For Congress, we will continue to maintain a capability to fully support the information product needs of the legislative process, working in close cooperation with leadership offices, committees, Members, and staffs in each Chamber.

This planning document sets out for open and frank discussion, what GPO employees, and GPO management can do to embrace GPO's transition from a primarily traditional printing and binding facility to a facility providing a dynamic mix of electronic and traditional products and services. The next five years, encompassed in this strategic planning initiative, will be a challenging period for GPO. Continuing improvements in information technology, coupled by initiatives within our customer base, have altered GPO's role in providing customer agencies, and the public, with Government information. However, GPO has and will continue to make this transition as smooth as possible to everyone and promises to provide more efficient and cost-effective service to every customer.

 

Michael F. DiMario
Public Printer

February, 2000

BACKGROUND

A popular Government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance:  And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.

-James Madison

Carrying out the words of James Madison, the Government Printing Office (GPO) keeps America informed. For nearly 140 years, GPO has produced and distributed Federal Government information products. Whether providing public access to Government information online, or producing or procuring printed publications, GPO combines conventional technology with state-of-the-art methods for supporting the information needs of the Congress, Federal agencies, and the American public. GPO was created to serve, and will continue to serve, agencies in all three branches of the government in the production of their information products as well as serving as the public's means of acquiring Government information into the next millennium.

Role in Government.  GPO is part of the legislative branch of the Federal Government and operates under the authority of the public printing and documents chapters of Title 44 of the U.S. Code. Created primarily to satisfy the printing needs of Congress, GPO today is the focal point for printing, binding, and information dissemination for the entire Federal community. In addition to Congress, approximately 130 Federal departments and agencies, representing more than 6,000 billing addresses, rely on GPO's services. Congressional documents, Federal regulations and reports, Supreme Court reports, IRS tax forms and U.S. passports-all are produced by or through GPO. At one time GPO's mission was accomplished through the production and procurement of traditional ink-on-paper printing. Today, after more than a generation's experience with electronic printing systems, GPO is at the forefront in providing Government information through a wide range of formats, including printing, microfiche, CD-ROM, and online technology through GPO Access (www.access.gpo.gov).

Facilities and Personnel.  Carrying out GPO's mission takes the skills and dedication of a work-force of more than 3,200 employees nationwide. Most are based at GPO's central office facility in the Nation's Capital, making GPO the largest industrial employer in the District of Columbia. Also located in the National Capital area are two warehouses, one for paper and the other for publications. Across the country, a printing plant in Denver, 20 regional and satellite procurement offices, a distribution facility and bookstore in Pueblo, CO, and 23 other bookstores--each located in a major metropolitan area--complete GPO's overall structure.

Funding.  Unlike most Federal agencies, GPO operates just like a business--it is reimbursed by its customers for the cost of the work it performs. However, GPO receives two small appropriations, one to pay for the cost of congressional printing, and the other to fund the distribution of Government documents as required by law. These funds are provided through the annual Legislative Branch Appropriations bill, and together they totaled $103.7 in FY 1999, about 4 percent of total Legislative Branch appropriations. In FY 1999, GPO's revenues totaled $765 million. GPO's finances are audited every year by an independent auditor, and every year they have received an "unqualified" opinion-the best that auditors can issue.

Printing Procurement Services.  More than 70 percent of GPO's printing revenue is from agencies for work procured by GPO from the private sector printing industry. GPO has a long-standing partnership with America's printing industry to provide for the Government's printing needs. GPO competitively buys products and services from more than 10,000 private sector firms nationwide in one of the Government's most successful procurement programs, assuring the most cost-effective use of the taxpayers' printing dollar.

In-Plant Operations and Information Technology.  GPO's in-plant facility provides sophisticated electronic information systems and state-of-the-art production technologies to fully support the information product needs of Congress and Federal agencies. GPO produces the Congressional Record overnight when Congress is in session, and bills, hearings, documents, reports, and committee prints are all produced in time to support Congress' legislative needs. Also produced in-plant are the Federal Register, the Government's official listing of proposed rules and regulations, as well as the Code of Federal Regulations and other key Government documents, such as the annual U.S. Budget and more than 6.7 million U.S. passports and nearly 230 million postal cards each year.

GPO either uses or sells more than 55 million pounds of paper each year, and more than an estimated 100,000 tons of paper are used annually by private sector contractors performing work for GPO. All paper used by GPO and its contractors meets Federal recycled paper requirements and all GPO printing inks utilize vegetable oil content.

Beginning in the 1960's, GPO was one of the first printing organizations nationwide to pioneer the use of electronic typesetting systems in place of traditional practices. Since then, successive generations of technology have been deployed by GPO to develop electronic databases of Government information products from which publications in both print and electronic formats are produced. New computer-to-plate technology has further up-dated GPO's capabilities. GPO has also been a leading producer of CD-ROMs for more than a decade.

Today, GPO uses electronic information technology to increase efficiency in its print production processes, facilitate e-commerce in its printing procurement and documents sales programs, improve administrative and communications capabilities, and expand public access to Government information via the Internet and other electronic means. In 1998 and 1999, GPO was named the top in-plant operation in the country by In-Plant Graphics magazine. Also in 1999, GPO was named by PC Week magazine as one of the top technology innovators in the Nation.

Superintendent of Documents.  While the original job of GPO was to handle printing, responsibility for the sale and distribution of Government publications was added in 1895, when Congress passed the comprehensive printing act, which became Title 44 of the U.S. Code.

Today, through the Superintendent of Documents' programs, GPO disseminates the largest volume of U.S. Government publications and information in the world. GPO's documents carry an average price of about $16, although many are low cost consumer publications. Approximately 10,000 titles are available for sale to the public at any given time. These are sold principally by mail order and through 24 bookstores located in the Washington, DC, area and around the country. Publications are also sold through the Consumer Information Center in Pueblo, CO. More than 2,500 sales orders are processed every day.

Government information in both traditional and electronic formats is also made available by GPO to more than 1,300 Federal depository libraries nationwide for the free use of the public. These libraries are designated by Members of Congress or by law as official depositories. In FY 1999, GPO distributed 16.1 million copies of approximately 40,000 tangible products in print, microform, and CD-ROM formats to depository libraries. Virtually every depository library also has access to the vast range of information made available online via GPO Access.

In addition, GPO distributes U.S. Government publications to more than 50 nations around the world through an International Exchange Program administered by the Library of Congress. Superintendent of Documents programs also catalog and index Government information, distribute publications as required by law, and provide a reimbursable distribution service for other Federal agencies.

GPO Access. At the forefront of GPO's electronic information dissemination capabilities is GPO Access. GPO Access is one of the few Government web-sites established by law and one of the longest running, beginning operation in 1994. It is virtually the only Government web site that provides easy, one-stop, no-fee access to information from all three branches of the Government.

Today, GPO Access links the public to nearly 105,000 individual titles on GPO's servers and an additional 68,000 titles on other Federal web sites. Overall, more than 520 million documents have been retrieved by the public from GPO Access since 1994. Monthly document retrievals today average more than 21 million, or about 924 gigabytes of information.

In 1999, GPO Access was selected as one of the top 50 legal research web sites for the year by Law Office Computing magazine, and was named best research site for laws and best Government site overall by the newsletter legal.online. It was chosen as the first recipient of the American Association of Law Libraries Public Access to Government Information Award. Also in 1999, GPO and the Department of Energy jointly won a Hammer Award from Vice President Gore's National Performance Review for an innovative partnership that makes thousands of DOE scientific and technical reports available to the public free of charge over GPO Access. In 1998, GPO Access was named one of the 15 "Best Feds on the Web" by Vice President Gore and Government Executive magazine. Federal Computer Week magazine said, "the GPO site stands out as an unassuming, information-rich offering." The internationally recognized management firm of Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., called GPO Access "one of the Federal Government's largest and most active web sites" and said that the site "has been highly successful in making Government information easily available to the public." In 1997, GPO Access and the Commerce Department jointly earned a Hammer Award for creating the electronic Commerce Business Daily, known as CBDNet. Other awards have included a 1994 Technology Leadership Award and the prestigious 1995 James Madison Award from the Coalition on Government Information.

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN

Continuing Role for GPO.  There is no question that GPO currently plays, and will continue to fulfill, the Government's leading role in the provision of information products and services. A 1998 management audit by Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., found strong support in Congress for GPO's in-house production operations for congressional printing, stating that GPO's production area "effectively satisfies its priority congressional customers and meets the variable demands and outputs requested by Congress," and that GPO's "production functions are geared toward rapid and consistent turnout of congressional products" and are "flexible and responsive to changing congressional needs." The report "found little support among congressional staff for relinquishing control of the in-plant production capability of GPO." It found "universal support" among executive branch agencies for GPO's printing procurement program, saying that "these agencies viewed this service that GPO provides as an example of 'government at its best,' and none of them felt that they wanted or could do this function better than GPO." It also said that GPO's depository library program "is well managed, provides a valuable public service, and is respected by the library community." The auditors found strong support for GPO to make an increasing amount of government information available electronically, free of charge, over the Internet and praised the success of GPO Access. They said GPO Access "is one of the Federal Government's largest and most active web sites" and recommended that GPO seek additional funds from Congress to expand this program.

Strategic Plan.  GPO has developed its strategic plan to serve as a blueprint for moving forward into the 21st century. This blueprint will be used to communicate GPO's future direction to our employees, our customers, and our stakeholders in the Federal information community. It charts our course for providing information reproduction and dissemination services to the Government and the public over the next five years, from 2001 to 2005. Although GPO is not covered by the Government Performance and Results Act, it has been designed, to the maximum extent possible, consistent with the requirements for strategic plans contained in that Act and in Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-11, section 210, Preparation and Submission of Strategic Plans.

Our strategic plan lays out our long-term goals and will guide us in establishing the annual goals that GPO will need to meet along the way. Although based on the strategic direction we see for GPO, it is supplemented with management initiatives that were recommended by the Booz-Allen & Hamilton audit. The plan will allow us to measure how far GPO has come towards achieving our goals and to recognize where we need to adjust our approaches or directions. Finally, it provides a basis from which GPO's managers can focus resources on the highest priority information reproduction and dissemination issues and assure that GPO uses taxpayer dollars effectively to achieve results that work better and cost less for Government and public users of GPO's products and services.

VISION

GPO WILL BE THE PRIMARY PROVIDER AND GUARANTOR OF INFORMATION CREATION, REPLICATION, AND DISSEMINATION SERVICES FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC INTO THE NEXT MILLENNIUM.

Part I

MISSION

GPO's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of cost effective and timely services to Congress and the various agencies of the Federal Government in creating, replicating, and disseminating a full range of Government information products, and to provide the public with equitable, timely, and reliable access to Government information.

Part II

GENERAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

To accomplish our mission, GPO must in all circumstances:

A.  Emphasize Customer Service

• GPO will produce, purchase, deliver, and disseminate products and/or services in accordance with standards and schedules agreed to with our customers.
• GPO will treat customers with courtesy and respect, providing them with a rewarding and satisfying business experience.
• GPO will ensure that work for its customers is safeguarded and accomplished under appropriate security conditions.

B.  Produce High Quality and Timely Products

• GPO will continue its evolution from an operation based on traditional print technologies toward an integrated information processing operation utilizing electronic technologies in the creation, replication, and dissemination of Government information products.
• GPO will produce or acquire printed and other products and/or services in accordance with the highest standards.
• GPO will continue to strive to provide simplified and equitable access to Government information using the most timely and cost-effective methods of product and service delivery.

C.  Maintain A Sound Financial Structure

• GPO will provide products and services to customers using the most efficient and economical alternative.
• GPO will continue controlling the cost of its operations to ensure financial stability and avoid operating deficits.

Part III

HOW GENERAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ARE TO BE ACHIEVED

A.  EMPHASIZE CUSTOMER SERVICE

GPO will strive to give customers what they want, help them solve their problems, and improve service delivery.

PERFORMANCE GOALS

• GPO will strive to provide its customers services and expertise to meet their printing, publishing, and information dissemination needs.
• GPO will create a focused marketing and business development group under the leadership of Customer Services dedicated to marketing GPO's products and services and improving customer relations.
• GPO will identify evolving publishing agency needs, compare them with our existing services, and develop new or improved services as required.
• Customer requests for information on work status, billings, estimates, prices, and other GPO products, services, practices, and policies will be accommodated in an open and timely manner.
• GPO will continuously re-evaluate its approach to customer communications to improve customer service.
• GPO will display the highest standards of professionalism.

B.  PRODUCE HIGH QUALITY AND TIMELY PRODUCTS

GPO will achieve economies of scope and scale by providing an integrated array of replication and dissemination services customized to meet specific customer needs throughout the entire Government information product life cycle.

GPO will provide in-house capacity at the level necessary to meet core congressional and Federal agency requirements in an environment that ensures maximum control, production efficiency, and timely response.

GPO will help manage the Government's printing costs by providing full, open, and competitive procurement of printing and other information product services from the private sector.

In both its in-plant and procurement operations, GPO will utilize the latest proven technologies to promote flexible and responsive e-commerce and to enable Government agencies to act more promptly and effectively to execute their information management responsibilities.

GPO will take all necessary steps to ensure the highest possible quality of its products and services.

PERFORMANCE GOALS

IN-PLANT OPERATIONS:

• GPO will provide staff expertise and equipment support for initiatives in the House and Senate, including the Legislative Information Management System, to facilitate the sharing of information in formats compatible for print, CD-ROM, and online access.
• GPO's in-plant operations will establish cross-functional, process-focused operations.
• GPO will integrate production-related services to streamline in-plant operations.
• GPO will reduce pre-press costs by working with customers to increase the amount of material received in electronic format.
• GPO will upgrade in-plant operations with current information management capabilities.
• GPO will continually modernize plant systems and equipment wherever necessary and feasible.
• GPO will expand print on-demand services for small quantities of publications when more economical and responsive.
• GPO will maintain data conversion and CD-ROM pre-mastering capabilities to provide expertise in these technologies and accommodate customers who need to have this work performed within GPO.
• GPO will plan and schedule its printing and binding workload to maximize utilization of its existing core capacity.
• GPO will minimize its use of overtime to control the cost of production.
• GPO will maintain its equipment in a state of continuous readiness to avoid unnecessary downtime.
• Wherever feasible, GPO will provide services through open systems standards.
• GPO will expand the implementation of online, CD-ROM, and related formats.
• In acquiring equipment, care will be taken to avoid creation of excess capacity. When cost-effective, different printing equipment will be acquired to accommodate production of core products that vary significantly in characteristics such as trim size, number of pages, run length, and quality requirements.
• Paper and material handling equipment will be acquired to eliminate, or minimize to the extent possible, burdensome manual processes for plant personnel.
• GPO will continue use products, such as recycled paper and vegetable-oil based inks, that are environmentally responsible.
• Production operations will comply with applicable laws and regulations regarding emissions and waste disposal.

PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS:

• GPO will expand e-commerce capabilities for its procurement program, from ordering to payment, including the use of the Internet and Intranet, in order to better serve agencies and the public.
• GPO will continue to devise innovative procurement options for Federal agencies, such as simplified purchase agreements and blanket copier contracts, to facilitate convenient and economical access to commercial printing resources on a fully competitive basis.
• GPO will ensure that non-core capacity printing is obtained at reasonable prices through a system of fair and open competition.
• GPO will increase customer access to contractors to monitor jobs in progress to assure that quality and schedule requirements are attained.
• GPO will assess its current procurement processes and practices and revise, where necessary, to improve overall service. Where advantageous to the Government, GPO will modify its current procurement program in line with the recent procurement reform measures.
• GPO will enhance its contractor monitoring program to ensure that commercial sources do not engage in practices that involve fraud, waste, and abuse.
• GPO will establish post product-delivery review teams, including customer representatives, to evaluate the entire procurement.
• GPO will continue to require the use of products, such as recycled paper and vegetable-oil based inks, that are environmentally responsible.

QUALITY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES:

• GPO will produce and deliver only high quality products and services, and will involve customers in measuring quality and responsiveness.
• GPO will maintain a quality control improvement program with standards to ensure a competitive edge, and will develop a comprehensive training program on quality control that emphasizes the need to review existing business processes and focuses on re-engineering those processes, where necessary, to enhance overall quality and responsiveness of service.
• GPO will implement an internal quality review team structure, comprised of a cross-section of personal disciplines, to identify quality and responsiveness problems and make recommendations to improve operating performance.
• GPO will move toward a system of performance measurement that will provide top managers with timely feedback on completed jobs. A proactive approach will be implemented in which jobs will be critiqued on matters or issues of interest to the customer. Customers will be solicited to gain their continued support and ensure that GPO is meeting their needs without significant problems.
• GPO will identify reasons for delinquencies and take the appropriate action to prevent reoccurrence.

PROVIDING PUBLIC ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFORMATION:

GPO will ensure that the public has comprehensive, equitable, dependable, no-fee local access to Government information products through a centrally managed network of geographically dispersed depository libraries, and GPO will provide a broad spectrum of Government information products for sale on a timely basis and at reasonable prices while recovering costs.

GPO will expand and enhance no-fee public availability of official electronic Government information via GPO Access, including both information content and locator services.

GPO will take the lead in providing cataloging and indexing and locator services for Government information products, and will promote permanent public access to the electronic Government information collection maintained at GPO and by partner institutions.

PERFORMANCE GOALS

• GPO will develop and implement an electronic notification system for publishing agencies to notify GPO of all new or significantly revised information products in advance so GPO can implement integrated, cost-effective, and appropriate replication, locator services, and dissemination of each product.
• GPO will provide a system for online access to Government documents stored in GPO and elsewhere and develop and maintain a comprehensive directory of Federal electronic information.
• GPO will institute a rigorous customer service performance measurement program for GPO's information dissemination programs.
• GPO will coordinate content development for printed and electronic Government information products across appropriate SuDocs programs, including Sales, FDLP, and GPO Access. GPO will revise the process for selecting, pricing, and promoting sales products.
• GPO will develop and maintain a comprehensive directory of Federal electronic information.
• GPO will continue efforts to place more electronic products on GPO Access for current and future use by the public.
• GPO will accelerate its product development and marketing efforts in the electronic products area.
• GPO will modernize all phases of its operations to keep abreast of changing technology and to ensure a swift and an uninterrupted flow of information to users.
• GPO will continue to develop partnerships for permanent public access with libraries and other Government agencies.
• GPO will continue the transition of the Federal Depository Library Program from paper to electronic formats.
• GPO will devise and conduct an information campaign to make Federal agencies aware of their depository responsibilities.
• GPO will broaden the range of SuDocs electronic information dissemination services it offers to customers. GPO will supplement its "AskLPS" service with other feedback opportunities.
• GPO will price SuDocs products and services at the lowest possible prices calculated to recover Sales Program costs.
• GPO will evaluate its bookstores and other customer locations to provide the most effective and economical cost-recovery system for local public access to sales products. GPO will reconfigure its bookstores and other customer locations to provide better means of access to obtain information electronically or through traditional modes.
• GPO will maintain online access to an electronic collection of documents for dissemination to the public.
• GPO will launch new promotional programs that are aimed at enhancing the public's knowledge of sales offerings.
• GPO will update its telecommunications technology to improve information dissemination services to its customers.
• GPO will implement the management plan for the FDLP Electronic Collection to ensure permanent public access to Government information products.

C.  MAINTAIN A SOUND FINANCIAL STRUCTURE

GPO will continue to set staffing levels to meet mission requirements and provide for effective human resource management.

GPO will aggressively manage its internal information architecture.

GPO will effectively manage its financial assets and systems.

GPO will provide appropriate facilities for its production, procurement, and dissemination operations.

GPO will improve internal support services.

PERFORMANCE GOALS

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

• GPO will adjust staff size at all levels to support core products and services and meet customer mandates.
• GPO will employ a flexible work schedule to increase the number of available work hours on a daily basis to allow improved communication with customers.
• GPO will continue to review the need for training programs to prepare employees for a future mission within the sphere of information technology.
• GPO will implement a performance rewards program, within financial constraints, that has its basis in a sound performance measurement system.
• GPO will utilize management tools such as early-out and separation incentive options, as necessary and as authorized by law, to help achieve staffing goals.
• GPO will utilize, to the maximum extent possible, family-friendly workplace programs, such as compressed/flexible time, to meet the mission of the agency.
• GPO will maintain a supervisory/employee relationship that maximizes the supervisory span of control and the productivity of each employee, and also allows for improved performance measurement.
• GPO will implement strategies and tools to ensure sufficient inter- and intra-organizational communication throughout GPO.
• GPO will implement a system for transferring organizational knowledge to help ensure a smooth and effective succession transition process in all areas.
• GPO will promote cross-training opportunities to ensure the appropriate distribution of work in all areas.
• GPO will expand its safety program through increased worker involvement in order to increase emphasis on preventing injuries that will reduce the long-term costs.
• GPO will maintain a partnership wherein management and unions work together to enhance product quality, improve product delivery, and increase employee productivity.
• GPO will continue to maintain programs designed to provide an agency which is alcohol, drug, and violence free.

INTERNAL INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

• GPO will develop an agency-wide information architecture to provide a logical, mission-based structure for all GPO business information. This information will be responsive to the changing GPO environment and will provide additional leverage to managers to ensure that information resources will be applied to programs that support GPO's mission.
• Training and development opportunities will be explored to insure optimum integration of GPO's human resources and technology and to inform users of the latest developments and requirements in IRM and assist them with the latest technology to meet customer demands.
• GPO will develop an information infrastructure that will allow GPO employees to use internal information resources effectively, to communicate with other Federal agency electronic applications, and to consolidate and modernize internal IRM facilities.
• GPO will develop methods to improve the acquisition and maintenance of information technology hardware and software.
• GPO will establish the computer backup capability to ensure continuous operations during emergency situations.

FINANCIAL ASSETS AND SYSTEMS

• GPO will implement an online accounting and financial reporting system.
• As required by Title 44, section 501, GPO will pursue Federal printing and binding for traditional ink-on-paper products.
• GPO will seek new financing arrangements to support operations, and will strive to make its pricing decisions market-based.
• GPO will develop methods to increase automatic billing (invoices which are computer-generated, based on either a firm estimate, or the purchased printing costs plus a surcharge and handling cost) for procured work.
• GPO will expand the use of technology to streamline financial services and, with the proper safeguards, allow the use of its accounting systems by customers for financial information that will aid the customer's own accountability and control functions.
• GPO will work closely with other agency fiscal operations to find ways to enhance revenue and control costs through potential joint agency initiatives.

APPROPRIATENESS OF FACILITIES

• GPO will stay in the present buildings complex on North Capitol Street, NW, which provides proximity to its major in-plant clients (Congress and the Office of the Federal Register) and equipment linkages with these customers. GPO will consolidate, to the maximum extent possible, its central operations.
• GPO will address critical, deferred maintenance on GPO facilities, including air conditioning, electrical, and elevator systems, in order to assure continued productive capability, achieve operational cost savings, assure employee safety, protect the Government's investment, and comply with environmental requirements.
• GPO will reassess its bookstore program to determine whether new stores should be established or existing stores closed or a new system of information dissemination via sales is warranted.
• GPO will ensure a safe and healthy workplace for its employees and visitors who use agency facilities.
• GPO will use the most cost-efficient means of ensuring energy and water conservation throughout its facilities, and will protect employees from pollutants that jeopardize public and employee health.

INTERNAL SUPPORT SERVICES

• GPO will store only inventory levels of materials and supplies (including printing paper) to meet core products and services requirements, and will ensure that warehousing facilities are minimized to reduce the economic burden on core products and services.
• GPO will expand its use of technology to reduce the cost of agency mail and standardize mail options for various categories of deliveries.
• GPO will consolidate workspace to reduce Sales expense.

Part IV

SPECIFIC ACTIONS LINKING GENERAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES TO PERFORMANCE GOALS

GENERAL GOAL:  EMPHASIZE CUSTOMER SERVICE

GPO will strive to give its customers what they want, help them solve their problems, and improve service delivery.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will strive to provide its customers services and expertise to meet their printing, publishing, and information dissemination needs.

  Customer Services Operation. Customer Services representatives in the Congressional Printing Management Division and Departmental Account Representative Division work with their customers on each job to ensure that they receive the product they require, when they require it, at a fair and reasonable cost. On a daily basis, the representatives provide advice regarding available paper stocks, trim sizes, inks, binding methods, illustrations, and quality levels, and suggest changes to product specifications that could materially affect the cost of the job. They advise customers regarding job schedules, including the allowance of sufficient lead-times for the receipt of copy, and explain contract terms and conditions, specifically those that can significantly affect delivery dates, such as customers' responsibilities regarding the on-time return of contractors' proofs.

  Customer Services representatives also advise their customers on the availability and suitability of new technology in meeting their needs. When appropriate, they arrange pre-planning meetings with GPO experts in all aspects of CD-ROM and DVD, computer software, desktop and electronic publishing, design, editorial, mailing and dissemination services, and any and all services available to provide GPO's customers with the best product possible, at the best possible price.

  Customer Services representatives will continue to provide advisory services to their customers. When necessary, we will include training in traditional production processes in the individual training plans of our new employees. We will continue to provide training in new technologies, encourage attendance at industry events that showcase new technologies in printing and information dissemination, and provide training in basic contracting terms and procedures. We are also working with GPO's Training and Career Development Branch to formalize each employee's individual training program and identify available "customer service" training. We expect that employees' individual training programs will be formalized during Fiscal Year 2000, and we consider our training initiatives to be ongoing and of high priority.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO will expand the number of publications in all formats available through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), GPO Access, and the Sales of Publications Program (Sales) to assist agencies in making their information available and to assist federal depository libraries and the public in obtaining access to Federal Government information products. Steps to be taken include increased outreach to publishing agencies, expanded electronic notification of the Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) when publishing agencies intend to issue a new title, and expanded cataloging and locator tools to assist depository libraries and the public in finding Federal Government electronic information products on the Internet.

  In-Plant Production Operation. To enable Production personnel to better understand existing alternatives for meeting customers' needs, a selected number will be designated to stay abreast of state-of-the-art printing and publishing industry products, services, and methods, by attending trade shows and entering into technical discussions with trade representatives. Production and Customer Services personnel will attend these shows and will continue to share these ideas and other information in a joint effort to provide the best service to all customers.

  Procurement Operation. Representatives from the Printing Procurement Department (PPD) will meet with its largest customers using a team approach that includes individuals from all involved areas of GPO. Meetings will discuss customers needs and identify viable alternative ways of meeting those needs. PPD will make travel funds available and require regional personnel to meet with customers on a regular basis.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will create a focused marketing and business development group under the leadership of Customer Services, dedicated to marketing GPO's products and services and improving customer relations.

  Customer Services Operation. In nearly every conversation with a customer, Customer Services representatives market GPO's products and services and strive, by their actions and the results of their actions, to improve customer relations. A brochure titled Go Right to GPO was recently designed and produced that promotes GPO as a "direct source" for over 350 printing, publishing, and electronic publishing products and services. Made available to agency customers in the Washington, DC, area and nationwide through GPO's Regional Offices, this brochure, which is also accessible on GPO's Web site, has generated an increased awareness of the wide range of products and services available from the GPO.

  The Departmental Account Representative Division continues to maintain a program that, upon a customer's request, furnishes an experienced Senior Account Representative for a period of up to 2 weeks to provide on-site expertise and advice in the efficient and cost-effective administration of their printing program. This has proven to be an excellent opportunity to introduce customers to the wide variety of services that GPO provides. In addition, also at a customer's request, a Senior Account Representative may be assigned full-time to a major agency project through its completion. This also provides an opportunity to personally market the services and products that GPO can provide.

  The Public Printer, the Director of Customer Services, and other GPO officials attend customer agencies' annual national conferences to discuss important issues, including those of field activities. Conversations with agency officials include discussions of ways in which GPO can modify its services to meet the individual requirements of the customer. In coordination with the Interagency Council on Printing and Publications Services, GPO continues to host meetings and forums designed to address recent technological advances in the printing/electronic information dissemination fields and market GPO as a source for those new technologies.

  Circular Letters, concerning policy and procedure changes and announcing the opportunity to ride agency orders, are transmitted via an electronic mailing list to nearly 600 customer agency contacts. These e-mail notifications use hyperlinks to provide immediate electronic access to information contained on GPO's web pages. This action promotes GPO's products and services, disseminates information, and markets other customers' products already on the Web.

  The Institute for Federal Printing and Electronic Publishing performs marketing and promotion of GPO's products and services through its classes attended by Federal agency employees.

  In addition to ongoing efforts, Customer Services will explore the possibility of creating a formal marketing and business development group under the direct supervision of the manager to personally meet with high-level customer agency personnel, discuss their organizations' future directions, and promote GPO's services. Customer Services will work with the Deputy Public Printer and other GPO Managers regarding staffing, including the feasibility of transferring staff from areas currently performing this type of activity that may require downsizing.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):   GPO will identify evolving publishing agency needs, compare them with our existing services, and develop new or improved services as required.

  Customer Services Operation. The Director, Customer Services, and other GPO management personnel regularly attend industry and agency meetings to ascertain trends in printing, publishing, and information dissemination and keep abreast of both new initiatives and evolving agency requirements. Customer Services representatives in the Congressional Printing Management Division and Departmental Account Representative Division visit customers' facilities to discuss current and anticipated requirements and facilitate the assistance of GPO experts in meeting those requirements, including the development of new or improved services as required

  In addition to continuing the actions above, we will survey our customers to assist us in identifying their evolving publishing needs. This survey will be designed and distributed, and the results compiled, in calendar year 2000. We will also work with the appropriate GPO areas to compare these needs with existing services and develop whatever new or improved services are required.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):   Customer requests for information on work status, billings, estimates, prices, and other GPO products, services, practices, and policies will be accommodated in an open and timely manner.

  Customer Services Operations. Customer Services representatives in the Congressional Printing Management Division and the Departmental Account Representative Division research and answer all billing inquiries, and there is also a toll-free number for instant access to the Comptroller's billing personnel. In addition, PICS terminals have been installed at customer sites, firm estimates are provided upon request, and prices for certain services are advertised via Circular Letters or are furnished upon request. Tracking jobs and keeping customers informed of deviations to schedules is a critical element of our Customer Services representatives' performance plans. In addition, during each rating period, these employees are evaluated on whether they consistently provide information and guidance that instills confidence in the Division's ability to perform.

  In December 1998, we began issuing GPO Circular Letters electronically via e-mail to nearly 600 Federal agency customers located throughout the United States. Since then, we have issued 25 letters. Each e-mail forwarding the Circular Letter contains a link to all of GPO's Circular Letters on the GPO Access Web site, which further allows immediate access to all of GPO's Web pages. This personal Circular Letter e-mail notification system allows us to instantly communicate GPO policy and/or procedure changes, allows us to announce the availability of major products and services, and has greatly increased the lead-time available to our customers for "riding" print orders. This system also allows instant feedback for customers' questions and requests by providing a dedicated e-mail address and telephone number for any inquiries. (Inquiries are answered, directed to the appropriate individual, or at a minimum, acknowledged with an anticipated reply date by no later than close of business of the workday they are received.)

  We will increase the types and amount of information (of job status, estimating, distribution lists, electronic print orders, products and services, etc.) available to our customers on GPO Access. Job tracking and consistently providing accurate information and guidance to customers will continue to be critical job elements for our Customer Services representatives.

  Financial Management Operation. The Office of the Comptroller will use the new ORACLE accounts receivable system to provide responses as soon as possible but in no event will it take longer than 3 business days to fully respond to customer inquiries.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):   GPO will continuously re-evaluate its approach to customer communications to improve customer service.

  Customer Services Operation. Customer Services receive valuable feedback on how we are doing on a daily basis from both Congressional and agency customers. Congressional Printing Management Division representatives provide personalized service to their Congressional customers. The Departmental Account Representative Division uses a team concept to provide individualized service to over 175 Government organizations. The Public Printer, Director of Customer Services, and other high-level GPO officials attend customer agencies' annual national conferences to discuss important issues, including those of field activities. These officials also maintain an active presence on numerous interagency committees and the Interagency Council on Printing and Publications Services, an advisory board to the Public Printer composed of customer agency representatives. We have instituted the aforementioned Circular Letter e-mail list to afford instant communication of important information to our customers. We will continue to explore ways to enhance communications with our customers and will include questions designed to measure our success in this effort in a future survey.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. On an ongoing basis, GPO will employ a variety of methods to communicate with and solicit input from its Sales customers, depository librarians and GPO Access users, including surveys, focus groups, input from GPO advisory committees, professional associations, and users at conferences and meetings, as well as user comments and questions directed to the GPO Access support team and the LPS online inquiry system (AskLPS).

  In-Plant Production Operation. Frequent meetings between Production Department and Customer Services personnel will enable that continuous reevaluation assessments are made of our customer communications and permit adjustments to the selected approach(s) as warranted.

  Procurement Operations. Agency visits on a regular basis by customer service representatives or regional personnel will be implemented. Interagency Council will be asked for input on improving customer service on a regular basis. Customer satisfaction surveys will be created, standardized, and conducted on a scheduled basis. Customer Services will be represented at PPD staff meetings in order to better facilitate communications. A comprehensive automation plan will be developed that will address improving communications and service. Reorganization efforts will be undertaken that will focus on improvements to communications and service. Team visits to agencies discussed above will be used to evaluate our current approach and identify areas needing improvement.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will display the highest standards of professionalism.

  Customer Services Operation. We will continue to include elements and standards that address the importance of serving our customers in a professional manner. We are also working with the Chief of GPO's Training and Career Development Branch to identify seminars/courses that will assist our employees in this regard.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO will ensure that management and staff are appropriately trained, managed, and empowered to provide the highest level of professional service to customers. Enhanced internal information sharing via e-mail and the GPO Intranet will facilitate information sharing throughout the organization.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Key personnel will be trained by GPO or outside vendors in the techniques of customer service and personal presentation for dealing professionally with our customers. Reinforcement of professional standards will be continually emphasized in Production's training plans.

  Procurement Operations. Employee performance standards will be reviewed and modified as necessary. PPD will develop a comprehensive training curriculum and establish minimum standards of training for all employees. PPD will provide necessary funds to implement training curriculum. College recruitment efforts will be emphasized to attract individuals with the professional skills needed to meet our mission. PPD will develop a training curriculum for upward mobility candidates and employees to ensure that these individuals have necessary skills to perform their tasks in a professional manner.

GENERAL GOAL:  PRODUCE HIGH QUALITY AND TIMELY PRODUCTS

GPO will achieve economies of scope and scale by providing an integrated array of replication and dissemination services customized to meet specific customer needs throughout the entire Government information product life cycle.

GPO will provide in-house capacity at the level necessary to meet core congressional and Federal agency requirements in an environment that ensures maximum control, production efficiency, and timely response.

GPO will help manage the Government's printing costs by providing full, open, and competitive procurement of printing and other information product services from the private sector.

In both its in-plant and procurement operations, GPO will utilize the latest proven technologies to promote flexible and responsive e-commerce and to enable Government agencies to act more promptly and effectively to execute their information management responsibilities.

GPO will take all necessary steps to ensure the highest possible quality of its products and services.

IN-PLANT OPERATIONS

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will provide staff expertise and equipment support for initiatives in the House and Senate, including the Legislative Information Management System, to facilitate the sharing of information in formats compatible for print, CD-ROM, and online access.

  Customer Services Operation. GPO provides computer hardware/software, detailed employees, and other technical support to requesting House and Senate Committees and support offices. GPO has been working closely with Congressional offices to facilitate the sharing of compatible electronic information in formats compatible for print. While GPO has been providing Microcomp software and training to Congress for some time, the implementation of SGML/XML is the next step in this process. Testing/utilization began in early FY 2000 of SGML files sent electronically to GPO for the Extensions of Remarks portion of the Congressional Record. GPO, in conjunction with the House and Senate, is using Legislative Information Systems (LIS) data in various legislative products. Customer Services will continue to provide support for these initiatives.

  In-Plant Production Operation. As has been done in the past, the Production Department will provide expertise, equipment, and support for all House and Senate initiatives to facilitate the sharing/processing of information.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO's in-plant operations will establish cross-functional, process-focused operations.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Cross-functional, process-focused operations are being established between the Copy Preparation and Negative Units of the Production Department's Digital Pre-press Section. Image files (graphics) have traditionally been captured using analog systems and manual proofing processes. This method is now being migrated to digital image capture, electronic storage, and hard or soft copy proofing methods. This migration will facilitate instant availability of graphic components for inclusion in composition, online processing, and computer-to-plate processing. Employees in both areas are being educated in process methodology to acquire and distribute graphic data using both systems.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will integrate production-related services to streamline in-plant operations.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Press and Binding Divisions are now in the process of installing state-of-the-art "weigh-count scales," which will eventually be interfaced with NT Networked PCs that will compile reports by jacket number, revealing date, time, operator identification, press identification, signature number, count per bundle, number required, bundle number, skid count, and totals. Accessing this information via the network will provide up-to-the-minute status of jobs being processed on press. Bar-coded labels attached to each bundle and its storage location will permit the Binding Division to provide an online locator system accessible from any authorized network PC in the office.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will reduce pre-press costs by working with customers to increase the amount of material received in electronic format.

  In-Plant Production Operation. It has been a goal of GPO to receive validated keystrokes for input to the Federal Register from the agencies submitting documents. Although discounts are given to agencies for submitting data electronically, the real savings come when the keystrokes submitted have been validated and, therefore, do not have to be corrected or proofread in GPO.

  In the past, GPO has made its MicroComp composition software available to agencies. Agencies, using MicroComp, can create their documents and process them using GPO's typesetting system. They can then be confident that their files will process correctly in GPO and they will receive the full discount. Although a few agencies have taken advantage of this method, most have not. In order to get more validated keystrokes from agencies, GPO has chosen to move to the Xtensible Markup Language (XML). The objective is to provide Federal agencies with a simple method to submit validated, tagged documents that are to be included in the Federal Register.

  It has been our experience that most agencies have decided to use Microsoft Word as their word processor. GPO intends to deliver to all Federal agencies, via our web site, an MS-Word template that will allow agencies to submit valid XML files authored with Microsoft Word.

  Customer Services Operation. Coordination among the Congressional Printing Management Division, the Production Department, and the Office of Electronic Information Dissemination Services has resulted in the online availability of numerous congressional products via GPO Access. The congressional products available include the Congressional Record, Record Index, House Rules and Manual, Annotated U.S. Constitution, House Journal, Congressional Pictorial Directory, Economic Indicators, History of Bills, Public Laws, Congressional Directory, United States Code, House and Senate Business Calendars, and all versions of bills, reports, and documents that lend themselves to electronic dissemination. GPO is also responsible for supplying electronic files for the Congressional Record, bills, reports, etc., for the Library of Congress' THOMAS system. The Congressional Printing Management Division, in conjunction with the Production Department, has developed World Wide Web home pages for Senate and House committees. In cooperation with various Committees, GPO makes committee hearings available via GPO Access.

  As a result of the coordinated efforts between the Assistant Secretary of the Senate, Office of the Clerk of the House, the Congressional Printing Management Division, and the Production Department's Graphic Systems Development Division and Text Editing Section, the Senate, assisted by detailed GPO printers, is responsible for processing approximately 75 percent of the Senate Congressional Record proceedings in electronic format. The House is currently transmitting about 80 percent of its Congressional Record proceedings using its own employees.

  The Institute for Federal Printing and Electronic Publishing offers a wide variety of hands-on classes aimed at empowering our agency customers with the ability to work with GPO and to submit more of their materials for publishing in electronic formats. Classes currently offered include Adobe Illustrator Workshop, CD Publication, Checking Desktop Publishing Files - Preflighting, Getting the Best from Desktop Publishing, Introduction to Full-Text Coding for Electronic Publishing Using SGML, PageMaker Workshop, Photoshop Workshop, QuarkXPress Workshop, Scanning Black-and-White Photos for Desktop Publishing, and Scanning Color Photos for Desktop Publishing. These classes are in high demand and usually fully subscribed, and have been designed and structured in response to customer needs and concerns. The Institute also offers a number of courses geared to information dissemination via the World Wide Web.

  The Typography and Design Division operates in a computer-intensive environment and offers customer agencies a number of services related to electronic pre-press, including development of contemporary designs and graphics for publication, advice about preparing digital products that interface efficiently with their equipment, and preflighting of electronic materials for production capability. The Division also provides free preplanning conferences to requesting agencies to assist in the development of individual publications.

  The Printing Procurement Department's Digital Information Technology Support (DITS) Group also provides a variety of services to GPO's customer agencies, including:  one-on-one desktop publishing consultation, including correct file creation techniques; customer outreach by way of on-site digital publishing assistance; dissemination of pertinent technical information and researching of industry trends in digital publishing; and creating official publications and forms designed to make digital publishing more consistent, cost effective, and customer friendly. The Group published GPO Publication 300.6, Guidelines for Preparing and Submitting Electronic Design and Prepress Files.

  Customer Services representatives in the Departmental Account Representative Division will continue to encourage their customers to submit materials in electronic format and facilitate this by arranging the assistance and expertise of applicable GPO areas including the Typography and Design Division. The Institute for Federal Printing and Electronic Publishing will continue to develop courses related to electronic formats in response to customer needs and concerns as expressed to Institute staff in surveys, meetings, e-mail, and other contacts.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will upgrade in-plant operations with current information management capabilities.

  In-Plant Production Operation. The Office of the Federal Register and GPO's Production Department personnel have begun a joint project to make an online SGML-based Electronic CFR (referenced as "eCFR") available incrementally, free of any access charges, during 2000. The database will be updated semi-automatically on a daily basis from the XML-based Federal Register. No print counterpart will exist but it is envisioned that daily DVD/CD-ROM discs will be written of the database to provide an archive copy of the eCFR as it exists on any given day. These discs can be made available as a sales item. It is also envisioned that "push technology" will be developed to permit paying subscribers to electronically submit user profiles that describe the CFRs they are interested in receiving via e-mail whenever any changes are introduced.

  On-going development and enhancement of GPO's intranet will expand our existing information management systems and the Production Department's recently installed weigh-count system for tracking paper through the various print (ink on paper) processes will be migrated from a standalone system to an "intranet" product. All production entities involved will be able to "view" and record product activities as they occur. Paper spoilage or waste will become shared information for all concerned and jobs can be followed incrementally through the plant. Tracking of product components will be automated through use of bar-coded labels affixed to every bundle of signatures.

  Similar information capabilities are being installed with Production's "Direct to Plate" equipment. Plate process activities will be viewed in "real time" by all privileged intranet users. Managers will then have the capability of rearranging priorities and personnel according to machine or system availability.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will continually modernize plant systems and equipment wherever necessary and feasible.

  In-Plant Production Operation. GPO will review plant equipment on a regular basis and produce a capital equipment plan that is consistent with the strategic direction of the agency. Most notable equipment replacement plans include the following plant systems/equipment:
  Platemaking equipment currently being considered for modernization proposals:

  1. Small photopolymer washout machine to replace antiquated/oversized existing machinery.

  2. Manual direct-to-plate equipment to further expand digital platemaking capabilities.

  Demand print equipment. The Production Department is actively investigating roll-fed electrostatic print engines with varied inline binding capabilities to compliment our already successful demand print operations. These devices will further reduce the need for costly traditional press copies on certain Congressional products. A proposal is currently being formulated with a mid-year goal for acquisition and installation.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will expand print on-demand services for small quantities of publications when more economical and responsive.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Electrostatic print engines with high-speed RIPs are being configured (for in-house and/or remote use) for economically demand-printing online products. In addition, as stated above, the Production Department is looking at roll-fed electrostatic print engines with varied inline binding capabilities to compliment our already successful demand print operations.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will maintain data conversion and CD-ROM pre-mastering capabilities to provide expertise in these technologies and accommodate customers who need to have this work performed within GPO.

  In-Plant Production Operation. The Database Retrieval/Distribution Development Section has completed a planned hardware upgrade of the section's NT server and each of the computer specialists' desktop computers. The systems have been carefully designed and upgraded to maintain the status of state-of-the-art machines, with special emphasis on computer CPU speed, hard drive speed, hard drive storage capacity and system interconnectivity. A complete overhaul of all software used for data conversions, data manipulation, CD-ROM pre-mastering and database search and retrieval has been successfully completed.

  Training is, as always, a key to increased employee performance and thereby an increase in overall production. Job skills training has increased in the section by at least 30% and will continue to grow into the future. We have taken advantage of GPO's supplied in-house training classes which reduce the training costs per person as much as 50% compared to outside training classes.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will plan and schedule its printing and binding workload to maximize utilization of its existing core capacity.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Current staffing precludes maximizing utilization of all equipment. The Production Department will continue its present policy of utilizing materials, manpower, and machinery to meet existing workloads on a priority basis.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will minimize its use of overtime to control the cost of production.

  In-Plant Production Operation. The Production Department will strive to minimize overtime by working with Customer Services Personnel to acquaint customers regarding their need to maintain schedules that permit production of their jobs without the need for overtime

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will maintain its equipment in a state of continuous readiness to avoid unnecessary downtime.

  In-Plant Production Operation. The Production Department will maintain equipment readiness by performing regularly scheduled maintenance and reviewing the reliability factor of equipment that is nearing it's useful production life.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  Wherever feasible, GPO will provide services through open systems standards.

  In-Plant Production Operation. The Code of Federal Regulations database is currently being created in Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). The Federal Register database will be created in XML this year. XML has emerged as the de facto standard for describing data on the web and a number of other government agencies, such as DOE, IRS, USPTO, NLM, and DOD, have been active for quite some time in defining SGML standards. (HTML and XML are both subsets of SGML).

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will expand the implementation of online, CD-ROM, and related formats.

  In-Plant Production Operation. The Database Retrieval/Distribution Development Section specialists are encouraged to participate in giving lectures and teaching classes. This is an economical and productive method of promoting GPO's CD-ROM/Database Retrieval capabilities. Specialists in the Applications Section also participate in training classes and promote the on-line capabilities of the GPO. We have worked closely with the Office of Electronic Information Dissemination to locate new opportunities for on-line and CD-ROM products. We are currently hosting databases and Web Servers for a number of agencies.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  In acquiring equipment, care will be taken to avoid creation of excess capacity. When cost-effective, different printing equipment will be acquired to accommodate production of core products that vary significantly in characteristics such as trim size, number of pages, run length, and quality requirements.

  In-Plant Production Operation. It is anticipated that a significant number of short-run publications will be migrated to the lesser expensive roll-fed electrostatic process (demand-print with in-line binding features) as approved by customers.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  Paper and material handling equipment will be acquired to eliminate, or minimize to the extent possible, burdensome manual processes for plant personnel.

  In-Plant Production Operation. The Production Department will monitor and evaluate various manual work processes and acquire paper and material handling equipment when and where it is deemed appropriate.

  Health and Environmental Services Operation. GPO's Safety Branch will review material handling operations for ergonomic design and injury risk. Onsite reviews will be compared to injury and accident data in order to provide specific recommendations to the Production Department that may be useful in the procurement of new equipment.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will continue to use products, such as recycled paper and vegetable oil-based inks, which are environmentally responsible.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Through periodic discussions with and guidance from the Quality Control and Technical Department, the Production Department will continue to use products, which are environmentally responsible.

  Health and Environmental Services Operation. GPO's environmental programs staff will draft and work to implement agency-wide requirements, such as the Affirmative Procurement Program, for the purchasing and use of recycled content products consistent with established EPA guidelines, to include paper and vegetable oil-based inks.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  Production operations will comply with applicable laws and regulations regarding emissions and waste disposal.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Division work sites will be monitored for proper waste disposal and emission compliance through direction and guidance from the Occupational Health and Environmental Services Department. Press Division is complying with applicable laws and regulations regarding emissions and waste disposal by procuring and installing oxidizer's for the web presses. Proper disposal methods of all hazardous waste are being monitored by the safety office.

  Health and Environmental Services Operation. GPO's environmental programs staff will continuously monitor applicable Federal, state and local laws and regulations regarding emissions and waste disposal to ensure compliance. OHES will advise Production on the applicability of environmental regulations to GPO operations. The GPO Environmental Control Committee will continue to work to ensure that GPO, agency wide, is fully compliant with all applicable environmental requirements.

PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will expand e-commerce capabilities for its procurement program, from ordering to payment, including the use of the Internet and Intranet, in order to better serve agencies and the public.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will develop a comprehensive automation plan that stresses e-commerce and improved service to our customers. PPD will create a steering committee to establish priorities, provide direction, and monitor progress of its automation efforts.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will continue to devise innovative procurement options for Federal agencies, such as simplified purchase agreements and blanket copier contracts, to facilitate convenient and economical access to commercial printing resources on a fully competitive basis.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will continue to monitor changes and proposed changes to federal procurement regulations. PPD will meet with customers on a regular basis to determine their needs and to solicit ideas and suggestions on new procurement options. PPD will grant deviations to PPR for pilot projects using innovative procurement options as deemed appropriate.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will ensure that non-core capacity printing is obtained at reasonable prices through a system of fair and open competition.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will ensure that any new regulations issued, or procurement vehicles created, will continue to guarantee that this basic tenet of federal procurement is met.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will increase customer access to contractors to monitor jobs in progress to assure that quality and schedule requirements are attained.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will continue to direct the majority of its orders to direct deal contracts which currently provide for this access. PPD will review policies currently in place for one-time bids and small purchases with the goal of allowing increased access. PPD will emphasize providing additional progress information to customers in its automation plan.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will assess its current procurement processes and practices and revise, where necessary, to improve overall service. Where advantageous to the Government, GPO will modify its current procurement program in line with the recent procurement reform measures.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will continue monitoring legislation and updating PPR as appropriate. PPD will continue monitoring trends and advances in federal procurement. PPD will develop and implement procedures by which changes to processes, practices, and regulations can be suggested by customers and employees and will follow through on implementing those suggestions approved. Reorganization efforts will focus on ways to improve overall service.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will enhance its contractor monitoring program to ensure that commercial sources do not engage in practices that involve fraud, waste, and abuse.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will cooperate with the IG in reviewing current procedures. PPD will review its own internal control system for possible improvements

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will establish post product-delivery review teams, including customer representatives, to evaluate the entire procurement.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will continue to establish post product-delivery review teams on procurements when requested by its customers or GPO management.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will continue to require the use of products, such as recycled paper and vegetable oil-based inks, that are environmentally responsible.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will continue to monitor use of environmentally responsible products. PPD will review reporting systems currently in place to determine their sufficiency. PPD will continue to monitor legislation and executive orders for possible impact on its procurements.

QUALITY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will produce and deliver only high quality products and services, and will involve customers in measuring quality and responsiveness.

  Customer Services Operations. GPO will issue a Circular Letter to its customers explaining the importance of prompt completion and submission of GPO Form 1815, Notice of Quality Defects, and GPO Form 907, Non-Compliance/Change Form. These forms are available in a fillable format on GPO's Web site; Form 907 can also be filed electronically via PICS. In addition to actions taken to improve specific processes resulting from feedback received by customers on individual jobs, through agency visits, and via ongoing dialogue with representatives of the Interagency Council for Printing and Publications Services, upcoming customer surveys will include questions designed to measure customers' overall satisfaction with quality and responsiveness.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO will regularly evaluate its Sales, GPO Access, cataloging and depository library programs, and conduct periodic quality assurance studies to ensure an appropriate quality level for each.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Production personnel will work closely with Customer Service personnel to identify the reasons for any products or services reported with poor quality and will take immediate action to rectify the problem and eliminate future problems. Production will adhere to a preventive maintenance schedule that will preclude equipment from not being ready for immediate use when needed.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will formalize customer satisfaction surveys in both central and regional offices and mandate the frequency with which they will be conducted. PPD implement random follow-up calls by compliance or customer service personnel to determine customer satisfaction with the service provided on specific procurements. PPD will reinforce importance of proper responsibility determinations by its contracting officers. PPD will include results from customer surveys in supervisory performance standards where possible and appropriate.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will maintain a quality control improvement program with standards to ensure a competitive edge, and will develop a comprehensive training program on quality control that emphasizes the need to review existing business processes and focuses on re-engineering those processes, where necessary, to enhance overall quality and responsiveness of service.

  Quality Control and Technical Department Operation. The Quality Control and Technical Department (QC&TD) will provide GPO with testing, specifications, standards, and procedures that will insure the continuous monitoring and improvement of the quality of bulk paper, paper products, commercial printing paper, inks, adhesives, solvents, and a myriad of other materials used in the printing process. The testing methods, material specifications, paper specification standards, and laboratory procedures will be constantly reviewed and updated to reflect the latest improvements in technology and efficiency. The Paper and Physical Testing Division recently announced a major upgrade of its Testream data acquisition system which will significantly increase the accuracy and quality of test reports.

  Additionally, QC&TD will continue to develop, evaluate, and improve the quality of many of the technical and manufacturing processes and products currently in use in the GPO, or by outside contractors, including:  passport image permanence technology, computer-to-plate critical parameters measurement, environmental compliance requirements, the Superintendent of Documents Integrated Processing System (IPS), compliance of CD-ROMs with industry standards, the GPO Press Division's Computerized Weigh-Count System, and the Quality Assurance Through Attributes Program (QATAP).

  The QC&TD also will maintain the responsibility for delivering a comprehensive training program throughout the GPO for the Quality Assurance Through Attributes Program (QATAP) and proper use of the associated test equipment that is used to enforce QATAP.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Production personnel will work closely within the guidelines of a quality improvement program under the direction of Quality Control and Technical Department (QC&TD) personnel to provide GPO with testing, specifications, standards, and procedures that will insure the continuous monitoring and improvement of the quality of products produced in the plant. In addition, Production personnel will continue to reevaluate current processes and adopt new technology in areas where significant improvements can be made.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will begin developing a quality improvement program. PPD will train appropriate employees in re-engineering and business process improvement practices.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will implement an internal quality review team structure, comprised of a cross-section of personal disciplines, to identify quality and responsiveness problems and make recommendations to improve operating performance.

  Customer Services Operation. Customer Services will work with other GPO areas to define this concept and insure that this team, when established, includes an appropriate cross-section of expertise.

  Quality Control and Technical Department Operation. The three Chiefs from the Paper and Physical Testing, the Chemical and Environmental, and the Quality Systems Divisions are currently active members of the GPO Waste Committee. The GPO Waste Committee is an aggregation of supervisors and employees from across GPO's organizations brought together to identify and provide solutions for operational and quality problems. The GPO Waste Committee meets on a regular basis and has already addressed several quality problems within the Press and Binding Divisions, ultimately resulting in operational improvements.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will devote necessary personnel and resources to participate in any internal review teams established by GPO.

  Health and Environmental Services Operation. OHES will continue to facilitate the agency wide Waste Reduction, Recycling and Clean Up committees. The goals of these committees are to reduce all types of waste (paper, energy, labor, etc.), increase recycling, and improve the appearance of all of GPO's work areas.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will move toward a system of performance measurement that will provide top managers with timely feedback on completed jobs. A proactive approach will be implemented in which jobs will be critiqued on matters or issues of interest to the customer. Customers will be solicited to gain their continued support and ensure that GPO is meeting their needs without significant problems.

  Customer Services Operation. Action on this performance goal will be linked with the implementation of an internal quality review team structure. Customer Services will work with other GPO areas on defining and establishing a system of performance measurement and ways in which jobs will be critiqued. Customer Services will also work with other GPO areas to determine matters or issues of interest to the customers, including the design of appropriate survey materials.

  Quality Control and Technical Department Operation. The Quality Systems Division, within QC&TD, will continue the development of the GPO Press Division's Computerized Weigh-Count System with the assistance of the Press and Binding Divisions. The present method of reporting press production information, utilizing printed hard copy output, will be expanded and refined into a computerized data base that will be processed, enhanced, and then distributed in nearly real-time to managers throughout GPO via the intranet. The expeditious processing and flow of this production information will allow GPO customers to receive timely feedback on completed jobs, assuring the customer that GPO is responsive their needs.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Production personnel will work with Customer Services personnel and other GPO areas on defining and establishing a system of performance measurement and ways in which jobs will be critiqued. Once established, Production personnel will implement the GPO wide information system necessary to track performance measures on a job by job basis.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will address necessary performance measurement information in its automation plan. PPD will continue to establish post-product review teams where appropriate. Customer satisfaction surveys will be created, standardized, and conducted on a regularly scheduled basis. PPD will conduct customer team visits with personnel from all involved areas of GPO.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will identify reasons for delinquencies and take the appropriate action to prevent reoccurrence.

  Customer Services Operation. The Departmental Account Representative Division has recently completed updating job processing flowcharts and has identified reasons for potential backlogs (e.g., waiting for clarification from agencies; misrouting of materials; the addition of sales and depository library copies). We will review each phase of job processing, establish acceptable timeframes for the completion of each phase, work with other GPO areas and our customers to address delays caused by the non-receipt of needed information, and prepare written procedures to delineate and document the importance of prompt processing through the Division.

  To assist in reducing delinquencies on procured jobs, Customer Services will issue a Circular Letter explaining GPO's use of the GPO Form 907, Non-Compliance/Change Report and stressing the importance of its prompt completion and submission to GPO whenever non-compliance has occurred. We will continue to work with the Procurement Department, specifically the Contract Management Branch, in assuring adequate file documentation of contractor performance.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Production personnel will work closely with Customer Service personnel to identify the reasons for any reported delinquent deliveries and will take immediate action to rectify the problem and eliminate future problems.

  Procurement Operations. PPD will continue to use procedures already in effect for handling contractor delinquencies. PPD will develop reporting systems for identifying any internal delays. PPD will perform necessary workflow analysis to identify any bottlenecks or other factors that may contribute to delinquencies.

PROVIDING PUBLIC ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

GPO will ensure that the public has comprehensive, equitable, dependable, no-fee local access to Government information products through a centrally managed network of geographically dispersed depository libraries, and GPO will provide a broad spectrum of Government information products for sale on a timely basis and at reasonable prices while recovering costs.

GPO will expand and enhance no-fee public availability of official electronic Government information via GPO Access, including both information content and locator services.

GPO will take the lead in providing cataloging and indexing and locator services for Government information products, and will promote permanent public access to the electronic Government information collection maintained at GPO and by partner institutions.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will develop and implement an electronic notification system for publishing agencies to notify GPO of all new or significantly revised information products in advance so GPO can implement integrated, cost-effective, and appropriate replication, locator services, and dissemination of each product.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO will promote awareness and use of its new online Notification of Intent to Publish (GPO Form 3868) for agency publishers. The resultant feedback will then be used to gain an understanding of what further development is required to ensure that this system best meets the needs of agency publishers, decision makers for the Federal Depository Library and Sales programs, and product procurement personnel.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will provide a system for online access to Government documents stored in GPO and elsewhere and develop and maintain a comprehensive directory of Federal electronic information.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO is providing a system of online locator tools that enable a user to identify Government publications disseminated through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) without regard to the location of either the document or the user. In the case of physical products, the user can determine which depository holds a copy of the desired item. For online products incorporated into the FDLP Electronic Collection (FDLP/EC), a user may connect to the desired resource, whether that resource is made available from GPO Access, an agency site, or a partner site.

  GPO Access will be continuously monitored and enhanced to provide the user community with the best possible online access to the official products maintained on GPO servers, as well as easy-to-follow links to authoritative Government information at other sites. A constant effort will be made to ensure adequate bandwidth and system functionality.

  GPO will develop a comprehensive directory of the Federal electronic information within the scope of the FDLP by enhancing the online Catalog of U.S. Government Publications to accept a variety of metadata schemes. Consistent with this objective, GPO will modify the current system software for the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications to accept, search and retrieve, and display such metadata schemes, including GPO's GILS.GILS (Government, or Global, Information Locator Service) is one of the most used locator tools on GPO Access. As part of its expanded outreach program to Federal publishing agencies, GPO will reinforce the value of being included in the GPO Access GILS application and encourage agencies to update their GILS listings more frequently.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will institute a rigorous customer service performance measurement program for GPO's information dissemination programs.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. Beginning in FY 2000, GPO will resume biennial Sales customer surveys, perform quality assurance on order processing, complaint processing, and order shipment, and assess order-processing times, all on a quarterly basis. Sales performance will then be benchmarked against other organizations performing similar functions. GPO will also continue its biennial survey of depository libraries, solicitation of feedback from the Depository Library Council, the annual online survey of GPO Access users, the holding of focus groups, and customer feedback from AskLPS, the GPO Access user support team, and the Sales customer service teams.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will coordinate content development for printed and electronic Government information products across appropriate SuDocs programs, including Sales, FDLP, and GPO Access. GPO will revise the process for selecting, pricing, and promoting sales products.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. In FY 2000, GPO will begin setting up cross-functional teams in Sales that will include both inventory management and marketing staff. These teams will integrate the selection and marketing processes so that all publications added to Sales will be promoted effectively from the beginning of their life cycles. All SuDocs programs will pursue additional outreach to agencies. In FY 2001 GPO will evaluate the feasibility of more structured coordination or integration of collection development functions among all SuDocs programs.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will continue efforts to place more electronic products on GPO Access for current and future use by the public. Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO will continue its efforts to work with publishing agencies to increase their awareness of GPO's electronic programs and services, provide the services to meet their needs, and develop the electronic products necessary for the public use of GPO Access. Additional resources will be required to expand GPO's electronic product development resources and the infrastructure necessary to support the growing use of GPO Access. This includes funding for both the hardware and software necessary to provide for the ever-expanding holdings that must be maintained and migrated into successor technologies in the future to maintain their public accessibility.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will accelerate its product development and marketing efforts in the electronic product area.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. Throughout the 5-year period of the plan, the collaborative efforts of many GPO organizations will be coordinated to employ the most modern and timely means to promote the availability of its no-fee online services, tangible electronic products available through Sales, and fee-based electronic services for publishing agencies.

  User feedback will provide the basis for specific development efforts, such as a user-managed e-mail notification system to alert users to the availability of new products of interest. Focus groups and surveys will also be used to enhance current marketing tools, including GPO's U.S. Government Online Bookstore.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will modernize all phases of its operations to keep abreast of changing technology and to ensure a swift and an uninterrupted flow of information to users.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO will continue its efforts to make the best use of available technology to serve its customers and improve information dissemination. Regular meetings of appropriate personnel will be held to examine new possibilities, plan how emerging capabilities might be incorporated into GPO processes, and plan for the achievement of these migrations.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):   GPO will continue to develop partnerships for permanent public access with libraries and other Government agencies.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO will continue its efforts to develop additional permanent public access partnerships with Federal agencies that publish content falling within the scope of the FDLP and depository libraries or other institutions. GPO will add three to four new partnerships each Fiscal Year.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will continue the transition of the Federal Depository Library Program from paper to electronic formats.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. In general, GPO will continue to move in tandem with agency publishing decisions to shift FDLP content to electronic formats. In those cases where agencies are publishing in both print and electronic formats, GPO is increasingly selecting only the online version for the FDLP. We expect that this trend will initially be most pronounced for those products presently distributed in microfiche.

  Approximately 46% of the new titles disseminated through the FDLP in FY 1999 were online. GPO expects this trend to continue, and in FY 2001, 55% of the FDLP titles are projected to be online, with an additional 5% added each FY. This expectation reflects agency practices in opting for online dissemination of information, predominantly via the Web. By FY 2005, we project total FDLP dissemination to be 75% online (either on the Web or by a successor technology), 15% paper, and 10% microfiche, at which point we expect the product mix to stabilize.

  GPO Access is the principal mechanism for locating and accessing official electronic information in the FDLP in an equitable, timely, reliable, and authoritative manner. Therefore, use of the FDLP resources includes GPO Access expenses for telecommunications enhancements, hardware and software modernization, developing and maintaining locator services, and storage and maintenance of the FDLP Electronic Collection (FDLP/EC).

  GPO's commitment to providing permanent public access to the electronic content disseminated through the FDLP means that an increasing amount of program resources are devoted to ongoing costs that continue throughout the information life cycle. Such costs include increasing storage space, search and retrieval software modernization, data migration and reformatting to avoid technological or media obsolescence, and the administration of an electronic storage facility.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will devise and conduct an information campaign to make Federal agencies aware of their depository responsibilities.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO will supplement the historic approach to this issue, the Circular Letters, by developing an intensive program of outreach to publishing agencies. In addition to making Federal agencies aware of their depository responsibilities, this outreach program will be designed to foster relationships that encourage agencies to do business with GPO, and to acquire additional products for the SuDocs Sales and Depository Library Programs. By 2002 this campaign will require an additional 2 FTE's and will reach 25 to 30 Federal publishing entities per year with in-depth, customized presentations.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will broaden the range of SuDocs electronic information dissemination services it offers to customers. GPO will supplement its "AskLPS" service with other feedback opportunities.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO will continue looking at ways in which new technologies will afford an opportunity to provide the fullest possible range of SuDocs electronic information dissemination services. Some current examples are:

1. Examining the new e-book technology to see how it might serve customer agency and program needs.
2. Utilizing the emerging DVD technology to develop advanced electronic products.
3. Examining new combinations of technology, such as fax-from-the-web.
4. Linking appropriate internal systems such as IPS to Web-based applications to provide a more timely sales experience for our customers.
5. Notifying customers via e-mail of new sales publications in a particular field of interest.
6. Push technology to send out new publications of interest on a subscription basis.
7. Print on demand for sales publications with limited public demand.
8. Periodic reviews will be conducted throughout the plan period to ensure that new opportunities are not missed.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will price SuDocs products and services at the lowest possible prices calculated to recover Sales Program costs.

• Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO's Documents Pricing Committee will meet annually to review pricing. GPO will analyze shipping charges from different carriers to ensure the best rates. The possibility of separate shipping and handling charges will be evaluated during FY 2001.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will evaluate its bookstores and other customer locations to provide the most effective and economical cost-recovery system for local public access to sales products. GPO will reconfigure its bookstores and other customer locations to provide better means of access to obtain information electronically or through traditional modes.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. In FY 2000 and 2001, GPO will conduct a complete reassessment and evaluation of the role of the bookstores, including exploration of alternatives for local services via commercial bookstores.

  GPO will review bookstore locations as current leases expire. During the next two years, the Kansas City and Chicago bookstores will be relocated. Consideration will also be given to relocating the Detroit bookstore. Through attrition, Sales will continue to "right size" bookstore staff to meet changing needs.

  GPO also serves the public through its Pueblo Documents Distribution Center (PDDC) in Pueblo, CO. A study of the future of this facility is underway and will be submitted to Congress in FY 2000.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will maintain online access to an electronic collection of documents for dissemination to the public.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO defines maintaining online access to the FDLP/EC in terms of ensuring permanent public access. A key element of permanent public access is to "archive" electronic information resources that fall within the purview of the FDLP so that they will continue to be available at the publishing agency, at GPO, or at a partner institution.

  Currently GPO is establishing a prototype digital archive as a backup resource for agency electronic publications. In FY 2001, GPO will require additional funds for this purpose, and will need to devote at least 2.5 additional FTE's to identifying, selecting, acquiring, and archiving electronic content for the collection. By FY 2003 GPO will need to begin migrating all of the WAIS data on GPO Access to a new software package, while still ensuring the authenticity and official nature of the electronic resources.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will launch new promotional programs that are aimed at enhancing the public's knowledge of sales offerings.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. In FY 2000 GPO will implement an enhanced version of its U.S. Government Online Bookstore, featuring user-friendly information on new and popular titles. In FY 2000 and 2001, a major effort will be made to increase public awareness of this part of GPO's Web site. GPO will also continue to develop its relationship with Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and other online resellers of its Sales publications. An electronic notification system will be developed so that customers desiring to be informed of new sales products on a particular subject will be contacted by e-mail when such products are published. GPO will increase stuffing of outgoing orders with promotional flyers and investigate the possibility of listing related titles on invoices and order summaries sent to customers.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will update its telecommunications technology to improve information dissemination services to its customers.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO will continue to grow its telecommunications capability in all information dissemination programs in a manner consistent with available technology and the needs of the user community. During the plan period, this will necessitate additional increases in bandwidth, changes to telephone systems, and the utilization of software solutions in combination with telephony to allow users as many self-serve options as possible, and an 800 number for Sales customers ordering publications.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will implement the management plan for the FDLP Electronic Collection to ensure permanent public access to Government information products.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO's general plans for ensuring permanent public access to the products in the FDLP/EC are articulated in the 1998 report, Managing the FDLP Electronic Collection:  A Policy and Planning Document. In FY 2001 GPO will have an electronic archive in the active prototype phase of development, with at least 500 "at-risk" electronic titles stored and available for immediate use. In each subsequent FY, GPO will select, acquire, archive, and provide access to an additional 500 electronic titles. By FY 2003, GPO will develop a plan for avoiding technological obsolescence for the files in the FDLP/EC archive.

GENERAL GOAL:  MAINTAIN A SOUND FINANCIAL STRUCTURE

GPO will continue to set staffing levels to meet mission requirements and provide for effective human resources management.

GPO will aggressively manage its internal information architecture.

GPO will effectively manage its financial assets and systems.

GPO will provide appropriate facilities for its production, procurement, and dissemination operations.

GPO will improve internal support services.

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will adjust staff size at all levels to support core products and services and meet customer mandates.

  GPO Management. Each supervisor will continue to be instructed to eliminate duplicative functions and positions wherever possible, thereby accomplishing an appropriate level of downsizing; however, should the demands of the Congress and other federal agencies require additional personnel, supervisors will place their requests for such through the Deputy Public Printer.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will employ a flexible work schedule to increase the number of available work hours on a daily basis to allow improved communication with customers.

  GPO Management. The Public Printer has approved a flexible work schedule for employees under Grade 15, which allows for the normal workday in many areas to be extended as much as 2 hours by implementing flextime schedules. The program will continue to be offered.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will continue to review the need for training programs to prepare employees for a changing future mission within the sphere of information technology.

  GPO Management. GPO will promote the training of personnel in this area through professional offerings of private and public vended programs. Increased allocations of funding will be necessary to properly accomplish this objective.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will implement a performance rewards program, within financial constraints, that has its basis in a sound performance measurement system.

  GPO Management. The Deputy Public Printer has proposed a performance awards program to employees through the Joint Bargaining Council.

  Health and Environmental Services. GPO's Safety Branch will develop a model for supervisory safety performance awards based on sustained and significant reductions in both lost time accident rates and OWCP costs as compared to historical data.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will utilize management tools such as early-out and separation incentive options, as necessary and as authorized by law, to help achieve staffing goals.

  GPO Management. Authority to use early-out and buyout programs has been granted to the Public Printer; however, to date there has been no need to use these programs, as the agency has an adequate rate of attrition to reduce duplicative functions and unneeded positions. Should the situation change, these programs will be used.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will utilize, to the maximum extent possible, family-friendly workplace programs, such as compressed/flexible time, to meet the mission of the agency.

  GPO Management. GPO has in place an approved flextime program in those departments and divisions of the agency where such a program would not negatively impact the workflow of that area or the agency as a whole. GPO will continue to offer this program.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will maintain a supervisory/employee relationship that maximizes the supervisory span of control and the productivity of each employee, and also allows for improved performance measurement.

  GPO Management. The Public Printer, during his tenure, has reduced the number of high-level supervisors from over 40 to 21, and will continue to maximize their responsibilities wherever practical. Additionally, foreman, assistant foreman, and leader positions continue to be reduced as technology and work requirements allow.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will implement strategies and tools to ensure sufficient inter- and intra-organizational communication throughout GPO.

  GPO Management. GPO will continue to provide internet services, through an NT network, to as many employees as practical; additionally, an intranet system of communication will be extensively utilized.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will implement a system for transferring organizational knowledge to help ensure a smooth and effective succession transition process in all areas.

  GPO Management. GPO will increasingly look to outside sources for employment, concentrating on college level recruiting. With a greater emphasis on electronic production, this process will go hand-in-hand with the agency's needs. Additionally, cross training will aid in this objective in future years

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will promote cross-training opportunities to ensure the appropriate distribution of work in all areas.

  GPO Management. While constrained to a certain degree by organized labor contractual agreements, GPO will focus on new technologies and select the most qualified personnel to train for future enhancements.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will expand its safety program through increased worker involvement in order to increase the emphasis on preventing injuries that will reduce the long-term costs.

  Health and Environmental Services. GPO will implement a pilot behavioral safe workplace program designed to actively involve workers in the prevention of accidents and injuries. Occupational Health and Environmental Services (OHES) will work to improve the functioning of the local safety and health committees in order to reduce accidents, injuries and occupational exposures to hazardous chemicals.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):GPO will maintain a partnership wherein management and unions work together to enhance product quality, improve product delivery, and increase employee productivity.

  GPO Management. GPO and its union leadership and membership will continue to work through impact and implementation meetings. These meetings, both informal and formal, are in the best interests of both management and labor.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will continue to maintain programs designed to provide an agency, which is alcohol, drug and violence free.

  Health and Environmental Services. GPO will continue to provide the Alcohol/Drug-Free Workplace Programs, which include:

  1. Random alcohol and drug testing of employees authorized to carry firearms and Commercial Driver License holders;
  2. Reasonable suspicion alcohol and/or drug testing of employees and preemployment drug testing;
  3. Therapeutic alcohol and/or drug testing for employees seeking assistance related to substance abuse problems.
  4. Training for all employees on these topics as well as counseling/referral services for any employee with a substance abuse, emotional or mental health problem. Additionally, training, counseling and supervisory consultations are provided as components of the Agency wide program to prevent violence in the workplace.

INTERNAL INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will develop an agency-wide information architecture to provide a logical, mission-based structure for all GPO business information. This information will be responsive to the changing GPO environment and will provide additional leverage to managers to ensure that information resources will be applied to programs that support GPO's mission.

  In-Plant Production Operation. The GPO internal network which has over 2000 users connected has been designed to accomplish these goals. E-mail, network faxing, Internet access, time accounting, file and resource sharing are all being accomplished through the network. Consolidation to a common network operating system (Microsoft NT) was completed before the end of 1999. The standardization of email using Microsoft Exchange has increased the ability of all users to communicate more efficiently. Establishing Internet Explorer as the standard web browser has allowed for additional access to resources and allowed resources requiring limited access to be secured. The network has been developed to allow the users to be managed by a central authority while allowing resources to be controlled by the organizations responsible for their availability, integrity and content.

  Information Resources Management Operation. OIRM is working with our users to develop agency-wide data repositories that are software and platform independent. Enterprise Research Planning (ERP) is the foundation for the interchangeability and cross application, use, and exchange of data and information. Our E-Business solution will improve customer service, drive costs down, and make GPO easier to do business with. Oracle and SQL Server databases that are interchangeable and can be used by off-the-shelf commercial solutions have been developed already for many of our applications. They are in use now for some financial systems (General Ledger and Accounts Receivable), Small Purchases, and the Personnel database. A new user-friendly off-the-shelf payroll and personnel application should be acquired (estimated cost $500,000), but cost recovery would be months, not years.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  Training and development opportunities will be explored to insure optimum integration of GPO's human resources and technology and to inform users of the latest developments and requirements in IRM and assist them with the latest technology to meet customer demands.

  Personnel Operation. GPO's Training and Career Development Branch has been and will continue to offer the latest information technology (IT) training classes that are requested by our managers. They are currently conducting an agency wide training needs assessment that will include a survey of both managers and employees of our current and future IT training needs. Information on classes is available on GPO's Intranet site.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will develop an information infrastructure that will allow GPO employees to use internal information resources effectively, to communicate with other Federal agency electronic applications, and to consolidate and modernize internal IRM facilities.

  Information Resources Management Operation. OIRM will, in collaboration with Customer Services, Printing Procurement Department, and Production, develop an E-Business application site that will communicate with Federal agency customer sites. Significant work on the Print Order (2511 form) for Direct Deal Orders has already been accomplished. A standard "FTP" format for the 2511 has been developed for use by our customers with their own applications. We are looking for customers to "pilot" this approach with GPO. OIRM has also developed an E-Business 2511 application for use by our Federal customers who do not have their own applications. We are looking for customers to pilot this solution as well.

  Additionally, OIRM, Printing Procurement, and Customer Services, with support from Production, is beginning the simplified Purchase Agreement "SPA" application to introduce a new way of doing business with the GPO.

  In-Plant Production Operation. The physical infrastructure of the GPO network has been designed with an optical fiber backbone and high-speed copper connections for the end users. This layout will allow hardware resources to be installed where needed to accomplish network connectivity objectives. During 1999 an Intranet (internal agency web site) was launched. Guidelines were established for organizations to use this resource to share information effectively. This network information infrastructure will allow any GPO organization to present information resources in a user friendly context. The Intranet allows consolidation of effort by providing a single source for most information needed for operation of the Agency. The Intranet encourages modernization of processes and methods by providing a forum for sharing ideas, methods and data with other GPO employees. Communication with other Federal agency electronic applications is being accomplished via secure ported programs. A PKI (public key infrastructure) is in the process of being established. This PKI will allow secure transactions between users by providing a method for ensuring the integrity and non-repudiation of those transactions.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will develop methods to improve the acquisition and maintenance of information technology hardware and software.

  Information Resources Management Operation. OIRM and Materials Management Service will begin to look at off-the-shelf state-of-the-art replacement systems. The up-front cost for software, implementation, and training will be upwards of $100,000. In the interim, OIRM will work with MMPCS to web-enable the existing MMPCS system for user-friendly access over the Intranet.

  In-Plant Production Operation. Action has been taken to provide additional computer help desk functions. The personnel assigned to these functions will have knowledge of the organizations responsible for the acquisition and maintenance of IT hardware and software. This help desk assistance will make it easier for organizations to determine what they need and who to see to acquire those commodities. The help desk will also be able to determine who should be contacted for maintenance/support of equipment and software.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will establish the computer backup capability to ensure continuous operations during emergency situations.

  Information Resources Management Operation. OIRM will work with Materials Management Service to advertise for computer backup capability to ensure continuous operations in the event of an emergency.

  In-Plant Production Operation. We currently have backup in the event of certain failures. For example on-line databases are accessed from computers in the main GPO building and also computers in the warehouse. All program source code is backed up in the main building, and in the warehouse. Developing a comprehensive Production Department plan will require dedicated resources which are not currently available. FY 2000 funding will be requested for additional emergency backup systems.

FINANCIAL ASSETS AND SYSTEMS

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will implement an online accounting and financial reporting system.

  Financial Management Operation. The Office of the Comptroller has acquired and successfully installed a new General Ledger system from ORACLE Corporation. This is the first application to be installed in the client server environment. Additional Oracle software modules will be acquired to complete the transition to an integrated database financial system. Each additional module will be submitted to the JCP for approval because the cost is going to exceed $50,000. The Office of Comptroller has also acquired and installed the Accounts Receivable module from ORACLE Corporation.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  As required by Title 44, Section 501, GPO will pursue Federal printing and binding for traditional ink-on-paper products.

  Customer Services Operation. GPO is committed to providing its Congressional and agency customers with the products they require, whether in electronic or traditional ink-on-paper form. Traditional ink-on-paper products were included in the brochure titled Go Right to GPO, and current marketing efforts stress GPO's ability to provide both traditional ink-on-paper products and products utilizing the newest electronic technologies.

  We will include promoting GPO's ability to produce or procure traditional ink-on-paper products in all of our marketing efforts. Every job that comes into the Requisition Section will be carefully reviewed to ascertain if it fits plant capabilities, workloads, and schedules. We will monitor current and anticipated Congressional requirements and maintain a constant dialog with Production personnel to assure optimum use of plant resources.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will seek new financing arrangements to support operations and will strive to make its pricing decisions market-based.

  Budget Operation. GPO has requested an appropriation of $6,000,000 for one-time costs to replace air-conditioning equipment. GPO has also requested a legislative change to the pricing formula to provide more flexibility in managing the Sales of Publications Program and to generate more commercial interest in the sale of Government publications.

  Financial Management Operation. GPO will continue to expand Agency use of Deposit Accounts by meeting with customers and explaining how the accounts work and the savings that agencies can achieve in their accounting and budgeting operations by using Deposit Accounts. GPO will provide the ability for customers to determine the cost of their print jobs up front by making computerized pricing formulae available to agencies online.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will develop methods to increase automatic billing (invoices which are computer-generated, based on either a firm estimate, or the purchased printing costs plus a surcharge and handling cost) for procured work.

  Financial Management Operation. The existing Deposit Account system is fully automated and actually eliminates the need for GPO to issue invoices to customer agencies. The deposit accounts are posted daily via computer and made available to agencies online.

  Most print jobs which do not include other agency rider requisitions are currently being billed automatically by the computer. The Office of the Comptroller will work with Customer Service and Printing Procurement to develop the capability to have agency rider requisitions billed automatically to the maximum extent possible.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will expand the use of technology to streamline financial services and, with the proper safeguards, allow the use of its accounting systems by customers for financial information that will aid the customer's own accountability and control functions.

  Financial Management Operation. The Office of the Comptroller will install optical disk image based processing in the Voucher Examination Section. The request will be submitted to JCP because this system will cost more than $50,000.

  GPO has already placed agency deposit accounts system online for their immediate access. Other accounting data will be made available to agencies on the World Wide Web. Agencies will not be allowed access to GPO's accounting systems but data will be extracted from them and made available to agencies online. Security of GPO's payment and accounting systems dictates that access is restricted to authorized GPO computer terminals and employees only.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will work closely with other agency fiscal operations to find ways to enhance revenue and control costs through potential joint agency initiatives.

  Financial Management Operation. GPO has entered into agreements with the Medicare Commission and Census Monitoring Board to perform administrative support services on a reimbursable basis. In response to requirements from EPA, GPO submitted a proposal to prepare and process environmentally friendly Earnings and Leave Statements for their employees. GPO will continue to respond to opportunities to partner with agencies, within the limits of our capacity and capabilities.

APPROPRIATENESS OF FACILITIES

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will stay in the present buildings complex on North Capitol Street, NW, which provides proximity to its major in-plant clients (Congress and the Office of the Federal Register) and equipment linkages with these customers. GPO will consolidate, to the maximum extent possible, its central operations.

  Engineering Services Operation. GPO will conduct a space survey to identify groups that can be consolidated into less space. The most effective way to reduce excess space is to move groups to new and smaller areas. Once the survey is complete, an overall plan will be compiled and consolidation efforts will begin and if excess space remains, GPO will consider leasing space to other government agencies.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will address critical, deferred maintenance on GPO facilities, including air conditioning, electrical, and elevator systems, in order to assure continued productive capability, achieve operational cost savings, assure employee safety, protect the Government's investment, and comply with environmental requirements.

  Health and Environmental Services Operation. The Waste Reduction, Recycling and Clean Up Committees can complete the comprehensive review of GPO's energy usage that was begun over a year ago. This review has indicated a number of areas where considerable cost and energy savings can be had, such as new chillers, new lighting, water saving measures, etc. Environmental compliance has been and will continue to be a major component of the review process.

  Engineering Services Operation. GPO has attempted for several years to obtain funding to replace the aging water chillers that supply air conditioning to the main building complex. In view of the planned goal of GPO remaining within the present building complex, there will be a need to perform critical maintenance on the core facility. Maintenance and repairs to key systems such as elevators, windows, and masonry repairs will require additional funding. An overall estimate of GPO's future core facility maintenance projects is about $15 million.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will reassess its bookstore program to determine whether new stores should be established or existing stores closed or a new system of information dissemination via sales is warranted.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO has not opened a new bookstore since it established its store in Portland, OR in 1988. There are no plans to expand this program during the next five years. GPO will closely monitor the financial situation of each store to ensure that it continues to be an asset to Sales, including recovery of each store's individual internal costs and the absorption of significant overall GPO overhead costs.

  GPO will consider closing its McPherson Square bookstore in Washington DC when the lease expires in FY 2002, or sooner, as necessary. This store's functions can be consolidated with those of GPO's Main Bookstore in Washington DC.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):   GPO will ensure a safe and healthy workplace for its employees and visitors who use agency facilities.

  Health and Environmental Services Operation. OHES Safety Branch will continue to inspect buildings and grounds to identify hazards that place employees and visitors at undo risk. These activities will be expanded through improved use of the agency wide labor management safety and health committees and through new initiatives such as the planned Behavioral Safe Workplace Program.

  The OHES Safety Branch will work in conjunction with Engineering to provide for an updated inspection of GPO buildings for asbestos containing materials and develop an appropriate asbestos management plan for GPO.

  The Occupational Health Division (OHD) will provide, where appropriate, periodic physical examinations as part of an overall medical and biological surveillance program. Additionally, the OHD will provide a broad-based health promotion and disease prevention program.

  The Safety Branch will conduct fire risk assessments of the facilities, and provide technical advice regarding improvements to the emergency lighting system.

  Emergency action plans will be improved and mock drills will be expanded to fully test GPO' s readiness to deal with a wide range of emergencies. Safety Branch will continue to provide routine safety and industrial hygiene evaluations of GPO.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will use the most cost-efficient means of ensuring energy and water conservation throughout its facilities, and will protect employees from pollutants that jeopardize public and employee health.

  Health and Environmental Services Operation. OHES will continue to facilitate the Waste Reduction, Recycling and Clean Up committees conservation initiatives. Environmental Programs, working with the agency wide Environmental Control Committee, has developed a comprehensive plan to ensure that GPO is fully in compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations. Safety Branch's ongoing industrial hygiene program is tasked with ensuring that no GPO employees or visitors to GPO are subjected to any unhealthy chemical exposures.

INTERNAL SUPPORT SERVICES

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will store only inventory levels of materials and supplies (including printing paper) to meet core products and services requirements, and will ensure that warehousing facilities are minimized to reduce the economic burden on core products and services.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. GPO returned approximately 23,000 square feet of unnecessary warehouse space to its lessor in August 1999 as part of its ongoing efforts to assess and reduce expenses. GPO will make approximately 63,000 square feet available for its Materials Management Service's (Springbelt) use in Section 400 of the Laurel warehouse by the end of April 2000.

  GPO will perform a study by the end of November 2000 on improving the use of existing office, production, and warehouse space at Laurel I and Laurel II warehouses. The study will begin after consolidating Springbelt warehouse requirements within existing Laurel warehouse space. The resultant study may provide other opportunities or additional options for improving space utilization within the Laurel Facility.

  In-Plant Production Operation. The Paper & Materials Control section will continue to monitor each paper inventory item and order only the minimum amounts necessary to meet anticipated core product demands. The paper inventory will be continually reviewed, and all slow moving nonessential items will be converted or removed from the system as appropriate. The continuous effort to reduce the paper inventory combined with a decrease in demand has resulted in a drop in the monthly average inventory balance from 21 million pounds in fiscal year 1992 down to 12 million pounds in fiscal year 1999.

  Materials Management Services Operation. In the past few years, Materials Management Service has made significant progress in reducing the materials and supplies inventory. The inventory has been reduced by 1,874 item over the last two years:  Two Inventory Management Specialists in Stores Division constantly monitor the levels of material stock items with the aim of reducing reorder quantities based on current usage. Several years ago, Stores Division turned back 70,000 square feet of warehouse space in Springbelt Warehouse.

  Pending JCP approval, 180,000 additional square feet will be turned back this fiscal year as we reconsolidate to space in Laurel, Maryland. We are presently reviewing several categories of materials in order to reduce the quantities carried in inventory. Materials Management Service will continue to explore new technologies as it relates to supply and look for ways to further reduce the economic burden on the products and services.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will expand its use of technology to reduce the cost of agency mail and standardize mail options for various categories of deliveries.

  Administrative Support Operation. The Office of Administrative Support's Mail Management Branch will continue to explore mailing options aimed at standardizing options for various categories of deliveries through the U.S. Postal Service. However, to fully achieve the performance goal stated in the Strategic Plan there should be established a single "One Stop Office" responsible for delivery and receipt of all internal and external GPO mail and packages. The "One Stop Office" would also serve as the GPO focal point for transportation/mail expertise that could be utilized by GPO officials dealing with customer agencies.

  Responsibility for product distribution, internal and external, is currently splintered among at least three groups at the GPO. There are two areas responsible for traffic management and another for mail management.

  All parcels shipped for printing procurement or printing contractors' Bills of Lading are processed through the Transportation Management Section, which is organizationally located in the Procurement Department. All other shipping and Bills of Lading are routed through the Shipping, Receiving, Baling and Transportation Section which is a part of Materials Management Service. Office guidance for utilization of U.S. Postal Service mail and the GPO Messenger Service are the responsibility of the Office of Administrative Support. In addition, the Superintendent of Documents often contracts with various delivery services to process packages emanating from his office.

  The establishment of a "One Stop Office" would consolidate responsibility for functions listed above and serve as a focal point for expertise in transportation/mail management.

• Performance Goal and Action(s):  GPO will consolidate workspace to reduce Sales expense.

  Superintendent of Documents Operation. In FY 2000, excess workspace in the Sales area will be used by other SuDocs programs or returned to GPO for alternative use.

PART V

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT:  IDENTIFICATION OF AGENCY'S STRENGTHS AND POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE SUCCESS

Strategic Assessment. Our strategic plan is based on our assessment of the future of the Federal information product environment, an environment once dominated by traditional printing and information reproduction processes, but now changing rapidly and forever from the impact of e-information technologies, especially the Internet. The advent of these technologies has awakened us all to a new awareness that Government information-the content of books, reports, journals, and databases-has an intrinsic value independent of the format in which it is replicated and disseminated. To this new awareness have been assigned new values-timeliness, portability, accessibility, diversified and simplified storage and retrieval capabilities-that correspond to the new universe of opportunities made possible in the burgeoning electronic information environment. GPO is already a major player in this environment with GPO Access and related e-information capabilities. We will continue to fulfill a leadership role in the Government in the provision of innovative, efficient, and effective e-information products and services.

At the same time, GPO will continue to meet the ongoing needs of the Government and the public for information products and services in traditional formats. Over the next six years, the Government will produce more than $1 billion annually in printing and reproduction services. Tax forms, press releases, passports, legislative documents, informational pamphlets and books, regulations, statutes, statistical data, and more-in printed form these documents will continue to represent a major avenue of communication between the Government and the public. Ink-on-paper today remains the most egalitarian of information formats. It is accessible, transportable, and economical. It continues to serve as an effective safeguard for ensuring that those without access to computers can still use Government information, and for guaranteeing both the authenticity of official Government information as well as permanence. The transition to electronics must be handled responsibly with the interests of all citizens in mind. While we envision a gradual decline in GPO's size as the mix of electronic and traditional work we produce changes over time, maintaining a well-equipped and expertly staffed printing and dissemination capability for the foreseeable future will give us an important tool to manage this transition.

PART VI

PROGRAM EVALUATION

The guiding principles for effective program evaluation in GPO provide an environment for strengthening the evaluation of in-plant printing, procured printing, and information dissemination programs. The principles outline when, how, and why evaluations should be performed and who should be involved in the process. All program evaluation should be sensitive to the social, political, and cultural environment of the programs and their respective stakeholders, both within and external to GPO.

Guiding Principles

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"THE WHEN" OF PROGRAM EVALUATION

• Evaluation should be an integral component of program management and should occur during various key phases of a program.
• All program plans should include how and when programs will be evaluated.

"THE HOW" OF PROGRAM EVALUATION

• Programs being evaluated should be clearly and accurately described, especially any process and outcome objectives, as well as the intended target groups.
• Program objectives that are not specific should be clarified before continuing with further evaluation activity.

"THE WHY" OF PROGRAM EVALUATION:  Utilization of Evaluation Findings

• Program managers should formulate an action plan in response to evaluation findings.
• Evaluation findings should be used to support management decision-making.

"THE WHO" OF PROGRAM EVALUATION

Team Approach

• The team composition should include a variety of people who have adequate knowledge of GPO's programs, their participants, and program evaluation. Team membership can be composed of representatives who are basically independent of the program being evaluated. A specific team may include GPO management, any GPO employee, union representation, primary external stakeholder, inspector general personnel, or outside contractor. The latter has been used extensively in the evaluation of GPO's financial management program.
• Team members should decide individual responsibilities at the outset of the evaluation. A top GPO senior level manager should be responsible for the overall management of the evaluation.
• Team members should work toward improving their program evaluation skills; team members with evaluation expertise should support this learning.
• Team members should consider the ethical implications of program evaluation to ensure the rights of participants in the evaluation are respected and protected.
• The team should seek technical advice, support, and/or training, when necessary.

Systematic Methods

The actual evaluation process will be guided by the following techniques:

• The evaluation questions should drive the evaluation methods used.
• A review of the literature and of evaluation activity in relevant program areas in similar programs outside GPO should be carried out at the outset of the evaluation.
• New data should not be collected if existing information can adequately answer evaluation questions.
• The most rigorous evaluation methods should be used given time and resource limitations.
• Evaluation should employ information (quantitative or qualitative or both) gathered from a variety of sources with varying perspectives.

Clear and Accurate Reporting

• Evaluation reports should include a description of the program and its context, the purpose of the evaluation, information sources, methods of data analysis, findings and limitations.
• Evaluation reports should be presented in a clear, complete, accurate, and objective manner.

Timely and Widespread Dissemination

• The dissemination of evaluation findings should be timely.
• Evaluation findings, when appropriate, should be shared.

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Page #public-affairs/stratpln.html     February 29, 2000