U.S. Department of Labor E-Government Strategic Plan

INTRODUCTION: A CUSTOMER-CENTRIC STRATEGY

A small business owner in Connecticut needs advice about retirement savings options; a Gulf War veteran in Oregon would like to know about Federal job preferences for veterans; a young man in New York seeks an opportunity for a new beginning and help in finding gainful employment; a doctor treating a patient in Michigan provides the patient with a form to send to his insurance company to cover the cost of the procedure; a grape grower in California has a question about migrant worker housing and transportation requirements; an employer in Kansas wants to find out about potential hazards at her work site to improve occupational safety and health management systems; a new father in Maryland wants to know if he is eligible for family leave.

All of these people rely on the Department of Labor (DOL or The Department) to help them meet a specific need or accomplish a particular objective: they are among DOL’s customers. This E-Government Strategic Plan (the Plan) identifies the strategies the Department will employ to become a “digital department” to better serve its customers. The plan shows how the Department will take advantage of the rapidly changing technological environment to improve customer service, manage the customer relationship, and adapt to future changes brought forth by the digital economy. The Performance Institute has offered the following definition of E-Government:

“Citizen-centered E-Government initiatives strategically employ information technology to provide government products or services to intended users resulting in enhanced value. Enhanced value is characterized by improved cost efficiencies, enhanced quality and availability of product and/or service, improved timeliness, better accessibility, and improved mission achievement.” ¹

First issued in May 2001, the Department of Labor E-Government Strategic Plan has been updated to refine the Department’s E-Government strategy and to ensure ongoing alignment with broader Federal government approaches. The Plan will enable the Department to continue to successfully meet the needs of it customers. Appendix A provides an overview of key DOL E-Government initiatives and the customers they serve.

¹ “Creating a Performance-Based Electronic Government,” The Performance Institute, October 30, 2002, p. 14.