Agriculture to create e-gov advisory group

by Diane Frank

Agriculture Department officials today said the agency will establish a new advisory council to bring citizens and employees into the department’s e-government planning. The USDA Technology and eGovernment Advisory Council will be made

up of nine members, with nominations due by January 15, 2004. The department seeks people “who are outstanding in their respective professions and are knowledgeable of the various mission areas of USDA, and on how technology – both USDA and customer-owned – can be used to improve productivity and services,” according to the Federal Register notice. This would be one of the only information technology advisory councils in the federal government. The most high-profile council is the President’s Information Technology Advisory council. President Clinton established the PITAC in 1998 and President Bush renewed its charter through 2005. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2003/1110/web-agri-11-12-03.asp