Remarks Taped by Bruce I. Knight, Chief
Natural Resources Conservation Service

for the NRCS National Information Technology Seminar

September 17, 2002

Good morning.  I am sorry that I am not able to physically be with you at your seminar.  I want you to know that I am a strong user and supporter of information technology and the opportunities it offers.

Members of the IT staff are some of the unsung heroes of NRCS, working behind the scenes to help us be more efficient and effective in providing services to our customers.  You also play an important role in encouraging the agency and it's employees to use information technologies that help us accomplish our mission by working smarter, rather than harder.

Many of the technologies you develop and support are new to all of us and help us work in new ways.  We all realize that some of our customers will always prefer doing business face to face or on paper.  We have an obligation to meet their needs, too.

But for more and more Americans, electronic government is here!  We must continue to meet the legislative requirements for easy electronic access to our information and services by all of our customers, including those with disabilities.  E-government will allow us to make citizens aware of the electronic services that are available, make those services very easy to use, and -- just as important -- let citizens know just how easy, convenient, and effective it is to use our electronic services.

More and more, e-Government will join our people, our offices, and our trucks as the face our agency presents to the public.  We must continue to design and improve these service s so they always operate smoothly and reflect well -- and in a unified way -- on the Administration.  It is not enough to develop a service and put it out there where our high-tech customers can find it.  We must also take an active role in recruiting new customers for e-Government form among the ranks of those who do not yet view the Internet as a preferred way of getting service.

We serve a large and diverse customer base.  So, we must meet the challenges of reaching beyond landowners who have ready access to technology to landowners with more limited resources.  We need to make this extended audience aware of how to access our services from libraries, schools, and other public and semi-public places where Internet access is available to them.

Lack of financial resources should not -- in itself -- prevent these landowners from getting the same services with the same convenience that is enjoyed by others who have the resources and the connectivity at their disposal.

I would like to congratulate you on the many advances in information technology you  have introduced in recent months, including:

• The farm bill Web site, which is providing the public with the latest on farm bill implementation;

• eForms, which makes many of our forms available electronically;

• The new NRCS NHQ Web site, with it's standard look and feel and ease of navigation.  Phase II of deploying our new Web site will bring this common look and feel to the Institute, Center, State and Region Web sites as well;

• Our electronic Integrated Accountability Systems;

• The eDirectives system for information on policy and procedures;

• The Upcoming Events Calendar to inform customers of signups, programs, and deadlines;

• The Interagency Portal homepage with major agency information by topic;

• WebCAFF, which provides authentication and authorization capability;

• The Natural Resources Data Gateway for easy access to natural resource data;

• The PLANTS database;

• The Customer Service Toolkit;

• The Electronic Field Office Technical Guide; and

• Electronic Contracts.

I also applaud you work on the Common Computing Environment, which is giving the County-Based Agencies of NRCS, FSA, RD, and our Conservation District partners more effective and efficient ways to serve our customers.

We have many successes.  We also have many more challenges facing us that will requi5re the dedication and innovation of our IT professionals.  Our challenges include Phase II of the new NRCS Web site, continued work on the Common Computing Environment, and continuing to improve computer security.

You are the technical base that makes these improvements happen for NRCS, landowners, our partners, and the public.  I enthusiastically support information technology.  Advances in IT make it possible for us to provide better and more innovative service to our customers.

Our ability to meet the challenges of the future will depend on the planning we do now.  We must make wise choices that will best serve our customers.  I enthusiastically support information technology. Advances in IT make it possible for use to provide better and more innovative service to our customers.  Please accept the challenges before us, and use and share your expertise and your innovative ideas.

So, welcome to this National Information Technology Seminar.  Please use this seminar as an opportunity to share your ideas with each other.  Help us take action to meet the challenges before us.

Thank you for your participation in this seminar and your commitment to NRCS.