Background
The purpose of this contract is to provide the NMFS eSignature project team with specialized expertise and experience with respect to citizen-to-government eSignature design and implementation.
Under Sections 1703 and 1704 of the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA)1, Executive agencies are required to provide for the use and acceptance of electronic signatures. It is NMFS' policy to use and accept electronic signatures whenever possible and to encourage agency programs to provide individuals or entities with the option of submitting information or transacting business with the agency electronically. During the Electronic Reporting Planning Workshop held in July 2007, it was determined that an approved design and implementation plan for electronic reporting eSignature would be of significant benefit to multiple regions. A project has been initiated to develop an approved design and implementation plan for electronic reporting system(s) eSignature, as well as establishing a template and process for future eSignature initiatives.
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The primary analytical challenge for eSignature projects is how to identify and value risks and related mitigations so that an organization can have a fact-based, dispassionate discussion of the relative merits of policy and implementation options. Frequently, there are calls for absolute security or characterizations of great risks that, in reality, have little likelihood of occurring. Part of the problem is that competing interests in eSignature projects often paint choices as black and white, when in fact the analysis requires distinguishing among shades of gray. The lack of specificity of federal law and policy around eSignatures can have a paralyzing effect on organizations. There is no one right way and federal officials have to exercise judgment on how craft and then implement policy with oftentimes murky and incomplete data. The purpose of this contract is to provide the NMFS eSignature project team with specialized expertise and experience with respect to citizen-to-government eSignature design and implementation.
Objectives of Contract
- Advising the project team with respect to identifying, characterizing, and communicating with stakeholders
- Advising the project team with respect to alternative approaches
- Reviewing project outlines, drafts, and presentations
- Providing context for the proposed solution, including comparisons between the proposed solution and prior art, and/or analysis with respect to industry norms or best practices
- Assistance developing and presenting the solution to stakeholders
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