a Information Resources. All of the data, information, and information facilities, sources, services, staff resources, products and systems that are useful to an organization in meeting its information requirements. Information itself is the primary information resource; all other information resources are secondary to it.

b Information Resources Management. That aspect of general management that deals with the utilization of information and other information resources and is concerned with the acquisition, processing, communication, and retention of information. It embraces and employs specific disciplines such as automated information processing, data administration, telecommunications, office automation, and records and paperwork management; but it extends beyond all of these to include the flow, use, and responsibility for information throughout the organization.

c Long-Range Strategic (IRM) Planning/Plan. This type of planning and the plans it produces is planning for IRM functions across an entire organization the Department or each of its agencies -- over a 5-year timeframe. In the context of this regulation and related planning documents the phrase "long-range strategic IRM plan (or planning)" may be alternatively referred to as "strategic IRM plan," "long-range IRM plan," "IRM plan," or simply "plan," The purpose for strategic planning of any kind is to direct and guide the organization into an advantageous position for meeting the future. The strategic plans produced by this type of planning contain at a minimum the direction prescribed by its top management and the action plans detailing the changes to be made to move the organization in its chosen direction.

d Agency IRM Plan. A 5-year strategic IRM plan for the agency as a whole, describing the agency mission and purpose and recent IRM background, its current situation and future outlook, its future IRM technology needs, the organizational direction as defined in the agency IRM planning framework, and a definitive plan of action in the form of IRM objectives to bring out changes and improvements to its overall effectiveness in IRM. The first year of the plan is the year immediately following the year of the current planning cycle. To illustrate, in the FY 89 planning cycle IRM plans for FY 1990-94 will be developed.

e USDA Long-Range IRM Plan. A biennial, Departmental-level strategic IRM plan, prepared by OIRM at the end of each regular planning cycle and based on the current set of approved agency IRM plans. This USDA plan covers the same 5-year period as the agency IRM plans on which it is based. The USDA IRM plan provides a global perspective of IRM Departmentwide; its regular supplement, the Agency IRM Plan Profiles, presents an abstract of each agency IRM plan.

f OIRM Strategic Management Plan (for Long-Range IRM Planning). This document prepared by OIRM at the beginning of each regular planning cycle contains the operative IRM planning guidance to be followed by agency IRM managers and strategic planners when planning and preparing their IRM plans. This management guidance also contains the Departmental planning framework (assumptions, policies, goals, and supporting strategies) that establishes IRM direction of the concepts and definitions used in the USDA IRM planning process, along with suggested methods of agency planning and details of the required format and content of agency plans.

g Regular Planning Cycle and Abbreviated Planning Cycle. These two types of planning cycles alternate every other year. The regular cycle requires that a full six-section plan as defined by Departmental guidance be prepared by the USDA agencies. The following cycle will be an abbreviated cycle in which only the last two sections (Section 5 and 6) need be submitted. The preceding regular agency plan must have been approved by the Department to qualify the agency for this option.

a To guide each agency and its internal organizations in their IRM efforts; this is the principal function of agency IRM plans;

b To encourage exchange of information among USDA agencies concerned with similar IRM issues;

c To enable the Department to coordinate its IRM activities; and

d To provide information for the USDA Long-Range IRM Plan that will give a Departmental perspective and overview of the set of agency long-range IRM plans.

a To inform concerned USDA managers of IRM efforts and major Departmentwide trends;

b To provide central oversight Agencies at the Federal level (e.g., OMB, GSA, GAO) and the Congress with a comprehensive view of USDA's thrust and direction in IRM.

c To make information available to interested vendors seeking an understanding of USDA's technology needs.

a The Planning, Review, and Standards Division of OIRM will:

b Agencies will:

a Agency Approvals. Agency IRM plans are to be approved by the Agency Head prior to submission to the Department (OIRM).

b Departmental Approval. Agency plans submitted to OIRM will first be evaluated for conformance with the current USDA planning guidance specifying format and content requirements for agency plans. At the request of OIRM, plans not meeting minimum requirements will be adjusted by the agency before further evaluation for Departmental approval can be undertaken.

Plans meeting minimum requirements will be further evaluated for technical feasibility and consistency with Departmental IRM policy and direction. Agency senior IRM officials may need to work with the Director, OIRM, in eliminating any problem areas.

The USDA Senior Official for IRM has delegated to the Director of OIRM the responsibility for Departmental approval for agency IRM plans. The Department's decision may take one of the following forms: