| Acknowledging that information is critical to the management
of major national programs and shapes responses to rapidly changing
events in the public health arena, and in order to maintain credibility
in a data-driven environment, OGWDW has initiated efforts to bring
its information management into strategic alignment with the needs
of both its internal and external stakeholders. Since development
of the existing information strategy in 1992, information technology
has improved, and the process for developing drinking water standards
has changed significantly. In addition, the private sector provides
examples of reduced costs and improved decision support systems
using the current technology. EPA now seeks to develop and implement
a new strategy that responds to evolving technology and regulatory
needs, maximizes efficiency and minimizes cost of data transactions,
meets national water program needs, and links efficiently to relevant
data sources.
This OGWDW Information Strategy is a first step in revising its
Information Strategic Plan (ISP) to focus on essential data reporting
and analyses supporting decisions of the national ground water and
drinking water programs to protect public health. The objective
of the OGWDW Information Strategy is to identify a range of actions
that can be taken in the near term to modernize its information
systems. The intermediate and longer-term objective of the ISP is
to define achievable direction that recognizes evolving information
needs and technology, and effective and efficient information management
to support public health protection.
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