A white paper addressed to incoming leaders of the next administration and Congress proposes a series of important policy considerations concerning the use of information technology and the role of transparency in government.

The policy paper, issued by the National Academy of Public Administration and the American Society of Public Administration, asserts the recommendations are needed because the federal government faces a convergence of developments that makes it necessary to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies as a means to serving the public and improve agency operations.

The paper was prepared by former federal officials including, Alan Balutis, Gary Bass, Daniel Chenok, Frank Reeder and Alan Shark.

The authors recommend, among other considerations, that the President and Congress:

• Issue a statement of principles and an action plan for implementing an enhanced digital government agenda;
• Foster a dynamic citizen engagement program;
• Reorganize the Office of the Chief Information Officer;
• Improve IT project management;
• Rebuild trust in government through greater transparency; and
• Improve information security while ensuring personal privacy.