Establishment

Department of Commerce (DOC) Web sites are central to Department e-government activities.  Careful use and management of Department Web sites are critical to the success of the Department’s e-government strategy.  To better support the management of the Department’s Web sites, achieve compliance with laws, regulations, and OMB policies, and support the President’s Management Agenda in providing high quality information services to the public, the Department of Commerce Chief Information Officer (DOC CIO) and the Department of Commerce CIO Council established the DOC Web Advisory Group.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of the WAG is to serve as a resource and advisory body to the DOC CIO Council on matters pertaining to the Web.  The WAG meets regularly to consider questions related to the Department's Internet and Intranet presence and Internet policy issues such as Web site and server certification, Web site and Web server security, statutory and regulatory compliance, and other matters, as directed by the DOC CIO or the DOC CIO Council.

Key Web Policy Resource for Commerce and the Federal Government

On behalf of the Department of Commerce CIO, and in compliance with federal regulations and OMB Web Policies for Federal Agencies (Memorandum 05-04, http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-04.pdf) the WAG maintains a Web site setting forth Department Web policies and best practices and providing resources to assist in compliance.  This site can be found at http://www.commerce.gov/webresources (“DOC Web resources site”).

This site addresses issues such as content management, privacy of users of DOC Web sites, accessibility for persons with disabilities, use of approved domain names, identification of Web site owners, and non-endorsement of external sites.

Through the DOC Web resources site, the WAG listserv, and responses to email inquiries, the WAG provides Web policy implementation and best practice guidance to managers, Webmasters and Web developers throughout the Department. 

The DOC Web resources site also serves as a key agency-level Web policy and implementation resource for other Federal agencies, and state and local government entities.  One of the WAG members represents the Department of Commerce to the Federal Web Advisory Council (http://www.firstgov.gov/webcontent/about/council.shtml ), helping to improve the content of Federal Web sites in general and to improve how government manages its use of the Web to serve the public.

Apportionment of Voting Representation on the DOC Web Advisory Group

The following operating units and Department offices have voting representatives:

Department of Commerce Office of the Chief Information Officer
Office of the Secretary of Commerce
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Bureau of Industry and Security
The United States Census Bureau
Economic Development Administration
International Trade Administration
Minority Business Development Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[NOAA has four voting members, consisting of one at-large member and three representatives collectively for the interests of the:
NOAA National Weather Service;
NOAA Satellite and Information Service;
NOAA Marine Fisheries Service,
NOAA National Ocean Service, and
NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research]

National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Patent and Trademark Office
Technology Administration - National Institute of Standards and Technology
Technology Administration - National Technical Information Service

Membership and Meetings

Members of the WAG, with voting rights, are directed to build and maintain consensus within the group in an orderly manner and work to fulfill the purpose of the charter.  The WAG consists of the sixteen voting members indicated above. These members are appointed by and serve at the discretion of the CIO for their respective operating unit or office.  Appointing officials may also appoint an alternate to serve and vote when the primary representative is unavailable. In addition, the meetings of the WAG are usually open to agency participants who may attend in a non-voting capacity.  Operating unit CIOs who are represented on the WAG ensure that time is provided for WAG members to prepare for and attend WAG meetings and working sessions.

The WAG meets regularly with additional meetings subject to the call of the chair.

Tasks and Agenda

As needed, the Department's CIO and the CIO Council refer issues that fall within the scope of this charter to the WAG for consideration, feedback, and recommendation. In addition, the WAG is empowered to use its resources affirmatively for the development of issues that fall under its jurisdiction and which are important enough to raise to the level of the Department's CIO, individual operating unit CIOs, or the CIO Council. Through its chair, the DOC WAG briefs the Department's CIO on its activities and plans and, at a minimum, briefs the DOC CIO Council annually on the status of its work.  Annually, the WAG will review its activities and its charter and, through its chair, will brief the Department’s CIO and the DOC CIO Council on its activities, plans, the status of its work, and recommendations, if any, for revision of the charter.

The WAG exists and serves under the authority and at the discretion of the Department of Commerce Chief Information Officer.

Barry West
Department of Commerce
Chief Information Officer